After calling nearly a half-century of IU football games, Don Fischer is an authority on the modern history of the program.
And after all that time, when a particular team stands-out as the best, it is worth noting. That is what Fischer sees with the 2021 edition of IU football — the best — at least on the practice field going into the season.
“This is the best looking Indiana football team from top-to-bottom that I’ve seen at Indiana in all the years since I’ve been doing this and that’s been No. 49 this season,” Fischer said on an appearance on The Dan Dakich Show on Monday.
The legendary IU radio voice is a regular at practice during fall camp, and he also told Dakich he watched Indiana’s two closed scrimmages. So to this point Fischer has seen more than most of this year’s team among those outside the program.
After making his statement, Fischer gave deference to the Bill Mallory teams of the late 80s that included star players such as program legend Anthony Thompson. Those teams defeated Ohio State in consecutive seasons, and were the last to beat Michigan until the Hoosiers ended their losing streak to the Wolverines last season.
With most of the roster back after a memorable 6-2 campaign that included that win over Michigan as well as triumphs against Penn State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, Fischer once again sees a roster ready to more than hold its own against the traditional league powers.
“They just look like a Big Ten football team, and we haven’t been able to say that all that many times over the career that I’ve had,” Fischer said. … “They have more depth on every position on the football field than they’ve had in a long, long time, and that’s saying something for Indiana fans because depth has always been the biggest issue.”
You can listen to full ten minute segment with Fischer and Dakich below.
Note: Fischer’s weekly Inside Indiana Football radio show with Tom Allen will air its first 2021 episode this Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 7:05 p.m. at a new location – Southern Stone Restaurant in Bloomington.
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