CrimsonCast

Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio keep things light (Disney trips, Southwest chaos, and a couple of new championship set pieces) before touching briefly on Indiana men’s basketball’s home loss to Michigan State and what it means for the Hoosiers’ bubble outlook heading into Senior Night vs Minnesota.
Then it’s football time: Indiana sends a program-record nine players to the NFL Combine, and the show reacts to some of the best quotes of the week — including reflections on Curt Cignetti, the journey from belief to a title, and Fernando Mendoza being… Fernando Mendoza. They also revisit what makes Indiana’s culture and “businesslike” standard so distinctive, with a great pull from Bryant Haines on what it took to wake up the fan base.

Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield recap Indiana men’s basketball’s loss to Michigan State and take a clear-eyed look at where the Hoosiers are right now after four straight defeats. They discuss what’s been hardest to sustain in Big Ten play, why the margins have felt so thin lately, and which areas Indiana most needs to shore up—especially on the defensive end and on the glass.
The conversation also looks ahead: what this stretch reveals about roster building in the portal era, why the upcoming offseason is an important opportunity for Darian DeVries and the staff, and what Indiana can prioritize to create a more consistent foundation going into next season.

Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio talk through a brutal week for Indiana men’s basketball, starting with the collapse and loss to Northwestern at Assembly Hall. It’s a full therapy session: effort concerns, the offensive disappearance, rebounding issues, and the late no-call that capped a night IU fans won’t forget.
Then the mood shifts to the “happy things” segment: Indiana football’s momentum keeps rolling as 2026 football season tickets sell out, and the Hoosiers send a program-record nine players to the NFL Combine—with plenty of love for Fernando Mendoza, Aiden Fisher, and the rest of the title-team stars. Plus: Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada in hockey, and (of course) a quick Max Mendoza detour to close it out.

Indiana is a national champion. Say it again. Indiana. Is. A. National. Champion.

On this celebratory edition of CrimsonCast, Scott is joined by Jerod Morris of The Assembly Call for a full-on IU football retrospective — from Bill Mallory roots and Memorial Stadium childhood memories to the Peach Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and that unforgettable national championship night in Miami.

This isn’t just a recap. It’s therapy. It’s joy. It’s disbelief. It’s perspective. It’s what happens when a program that spent decades building brick by brick finally stands at the top of the sport.

Jared shares what it was like growing up the son of a Mallory assistant, how Indiana football shaped his identity long before basketball ever did, and what this title means to fans who lived through 0-11 seasons, coaching changes, near-misses, and rivalry heartbreak. They dig into the signature moments — the Ohio State statement, the CFP run, the championship game atmosphere — and why this wasn’t a fluke, but the culmination of vision, culture, and belief.

There’s laughter, there’s nostalgia, there’s a little Purdue ribbing, and yes — there’s a reminder that no one can ever take this away.

You’re a champion. We’re all champions.
(Note: These may not be clickable depending on your podcast app.)

03:30 – 14:00 – Jared’s IU football origin story: Bill Mallory, childhood memories, Memorial Stadium, and growing up in the program

14:00 – 22:00 – The Peach Bowl feeling, when belief became real, and the shift from “great season” to “we can win it all”

22:00 – 36:00 – Building a champion: culture, leadership, recruiting, development, and the vision behind the rise

36:00 – 45:00 – The National Championship Game: atmosphere in Miami, signature moments, and why beating elite teams mattered

45:00 – 54:00 – The Ohio State factor, rivalry validation, and what made this title feel complete

54:00 – 1:03:00 – The emotional aftermath: pride, identity, what it means for IU fans everywhere (even in Texas)

1:03:00 – End – Legacy talk, perspective, and the simple truth: you can never take away a national championship

If you’ve ever sat in Memorial Stadium in bad weather.
If you’ve ever defended IU football to skeptical friends.
If you’ve ever believed — even just a little — that someday it could happen…

This episode is for you.

Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield open with a quick detour into Olympic hockey chaos, then dive into two big Indiana topics.
First: Indiana football’s new reality—Curt Cignetti’s massive contract extension, what it signals about IU’s willingness to spend like a true power, and why the next phase has to include real Memorial Stadium upgrades to match the program’s new level. The guys also discuss the NCAA’s latest bout of pettiness and why the Louis Moore injunction chatter isn’t something Hoosiers should lose sleep over.
Then it’s basketball: Indiana’s week goes sideways with losses at Illinois and a 29-point blowout at Purdue (the biggest margin in the series since 1969). They break down why IU’s early offensive stagnation doomed the game, the troubling defensive trendlines, and why the path to the NCAA Tournament is suddenly far narrower than it looked a couple weeks ago.