In fact, it was the year to the day
where this team first got together, and then a
week from now. We get to play one last
time together and I think early on in that process
a year ago in January. This team started figuring
out, you know, this is. Everyone has
hope in January, right, when you start the
, um, the initial right process of a new
season. But it was more than hope. I
think we recognized early on this is a unique group
of individuals and that the work ethic was through the
roof. The appetite for the grind was legit and
real. Um, if you look at, you
know, the record since Indiana started playing football and
relative to the success we've had the last two years
, um, we've broken a lot of records here
in, uh, in terms of wins, championships
, postseason games, top 10 wins on the road
, etc. Top 10 wins, period. And
uh so, you know, it's been a.
Kind of surreal, uh, but, you know
, you get it done with the right people properly
led and you get a blueprint plan, uh,
and process. I think he combines everything that you
would want in an elite quarterback. He is.
He's ahead of the defense all the time. He's
2 steps ahead. He understands the back end,
the front. He's extremely accurate, poised. Um
, he can make you pay with his feet.
He can make you pay with his arm. He
can, he understands protections really well. The Heisman
was earned and well deserved. Uh, the type
of season that, um, Fernando has had,
really, they, They dominated just about every game
and anytime a game was close, he was a
big reason why the outcome is or was what it
was. There's nothing more valuable than the mother of
all teaching and learning that's the repetition and Mark Fletcher
has had. Hundreds and thousands of repetitions. And
when you do that, and when you, when
you've been what he's, when you've been through what
he's been through, um, It just means that
much more, you know, and it shows in
. The way he approaches everything that he does.
Defensively, you know, really shutting people down,
creating turnovers, uh, creating havoc up front.
The two ends are a big challenge. Uh,
Corey's got them flying around. He's going to create
havoc up front, uh, stop the run,
TFLs, sacks, they got 47 sacks on the
year, and, uh, he's going to attack
. They're the best overall team and best defense we
have faced. They're really fast, physical, explosive
, talented, and smart. They play with a
lot of physicality, a lot of violence. They
understand their scheme top to bottom. They make it
very challenging, and I'll tell you why. They
are, they're multiple up front. They're multiple on
the back end. And so the way that they
understand what you're doing so well, they set up
and line up in a manner where they challenge your
ideas. I don't think you make the game any
heavier than what it is. I think it's really
important that. That 1 and 0, earning 1-0
and earning the opportunity to cut it loose on game
day is still a process. But we've got to
prepare for this game no different than we've prepared for
Ohio State and Alabama. Um, you know,
the biggest mistake, uh, our guys can make
is making this game bigger than it is. And
, uh, uh, you know, going down
that road, um, then that would be detrimental
, uh, you know, to our preparation and
our performance. You don't go about face on a
theme and a philosophy that has, that has brought
you, you know, to this point and,
you know, to come this far, you don't
stray from it to go farther. So we,
we stay along the lines of what we.