I will be updating this post over the next few weeks with info on potential recruits for the 2008 season.
First up....
Darius Willis, a 3 star running back that is ranked 42nd nationally by Scout.com from Franklin Central in Indianapolis. Willis followed up a 1277 yard, 15 TD junior season by rushing for 1728 yards and 28 TD's during his senior year. Listed at 6' and 200lbs on scout with 4.4 speed, it is reported that he now tips the scales closer to 220lbs and has cut his 40 time to 4.3. I have seen Willis play over the last couple years, he is still raw, but will be a play maker on Saturdays.
You can see him on the last play of this video pushing the Pike Red Devils into the end zone for a TD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYGu2HOQM-A&feature=user
on this video he is running the draw on the first play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFRT9tnnLDM
Next....
Nicholas Perry, a defensive end from Detroit Michigan who has the build and speed to be made into a dominate MLB. At 6'-4" and 225lbs, this kid runs a reported 4.6 40 yard dash, he has recorded more than 26 sacks on the season. While IU has extended and off, he has also received some national attention by gaining offers form Cincinnati, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, USC, and West Virginia. Landing this kid would not only be a huge boost to IU's 2008 recruiting class, but would help at a spot I believe IU will be lacking. I have not seen him play, and could not find any available video on him, but from everything I have read and heard, this kid is a flat out baller.
Another D-Line player....
Steven Barnett, and 6'-2, 265lb defensive tackle from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis. This kid is listed at 3 stars (low in my opinion), he attended the Louisville combine between his junior and senior year posting a 4.97 40 yard dash, 25" vertical, along with other very impressive times in the 3 cone drill and short shuttle drill. This is another kid I have seen in person 4 or 5 times over the last couple years, very solid player, and from what I understand a very solid student. As of now he has no offers on the table, but has said publicly "I really hope IU begins to recruit me harder when they receive my transcript and video".
The Future of this Program
I'll be honest. (What's the point in blogging if you can't be honest in it?) I'm not going to jump on the Lynch bandwagon and be thrilled with the 4-year deal. That being said, I hope that Bill Lynch and his staff can build on the improvements this program saw this season, and really have some great seasons over the next 4 years.
I've said several times, on this and other forums, that a long-term contract would be granted as a result of emotion over a win in the Oaken Bucket game, and that such a decision should not be made based on emotion. My concerns with Lynch were, in fact, based on a lack of emotion. I've never really picked up a fire, a passion, from him. Maybe I've just missed it. Maybe, in the IU post-Knight era, we have a coach who has made it a personal mission to not display strong emotions. I guess that's ok, but I'm a fan of passionate leadership. I like to see it, to feel it. I like it to be tangible. (Maybe it comes down to being a female- who knows! I can see it now, like some cheap personal ad- Single, D-1 Big Ten school seeking man with fire and passion to take us to the end zone and maybe more. Call 555-IUIU.)
Anyway, all that being said, now the decision is made, and I will support this program. I will support Coach Lynch. Because I am a Hoosier Football Fan. I believe in this program. I know we are capable of recruiting solid players, and winning big games, and going to bowls. We have the ability to do all of that, and more. And you know what? Even if we don't, I'll still be a Hoosier Football Fan.
I've lived in Bloomington my entire life. I am biased, and I'm proud to admit it. I love Indiana University athletics. Football, basketball, soccer, swimming, whatever. I'm not personally an athletic person- physically I'm simply unable to do much where sports are concerned- but I've been nursed at the teet of IU Sports, and I love it. I've met teams at the Monroe County Airport in the middle of the night after a tough loss, smiling and clapping and telling them how proud we were of the efforts they made. That's not going to change.
So, we have our leadership in place for this program, let's see what they're going to do. Here in about a week, we'll know what our bowl situation will be. I, like many others, think we're going to Arizona. I like it, although as I mentioned in an earlier post, I think there would be a lot of benefit to us playing in the Motor City. I think from a recruiting standpoint, we'll get more from the Insight Bowl. I think the national viewership will be larger, and we will be better able to demonstrate some of the abilities of our players. (I can only pray that Kellen can hang on to the ball!) We have such a young team overall, potential recruits could literally be looking at teammates, not "former players". I think that that concept could have bearing, so long as we take the field with authority and play some solid ball in whatever bowl we get. A win would obviously be phenomenal, but I'll take some good, solid quality play. All 4 quarters would be great. I've not seen much of that this season, 4 solid quarters of play. I've seen lots of halves, but there's more than that to a game.
We'll just see. In the meantime, congratulations to Coach Bill Lynch, and his staff, and here's to four years of wins, bowls, and BCS bids!
I've said several times, on this and other forums, that a long-term contract would be granted as a result of emotion over a win in the Oaken Bucket game, and that such a decision should not be made based on emotion. My concerns with Lynch were, in fact, based on a lack of emotion. I've never really picked up a fire, a passion, from him. Maybe I've just missed it. Maybe, in the IU post-Knight era, we have a coach who has made it a personal mission to not display strong emotions. I guess that's ok, but I'm a fan of passionate leadership. I like to see it, to feel it. I like it to be tangible. (Maybe it comes down to being a female- who knows! I can see it now, like some cheap personal ad- Single, D-1 Big Ten school seeking man with fire and passion to take us to the end zone and maybe more. Call 555-IUIU.)
Anyway, all that being said, now the decision is made, and I will support this program. I will support Coach Lynch. Because I am a Hoosier Football Fan. I believe in this program. I know we are capable of recruiting solid players, and winning big games, and going to bowls. We have the ability to do all of that, and more. And you know what? Even if we don't, I'll still be a Hoosier Football Fan.
I've lived in Bloomington my entire life. I am biased, and I'm proud to admit it. I love Indiana University athletics. Football, basketball, soccer, swimming, whatever. I'm not personally an athletic person- physically I'm simply unable to do much where sports are concerned- but I've been nursed at the teet of IU Sports, and I love it. I've met teams at the Monroe County Airport in the middle of the night after a tough loss, smiling and clapping and telling them how proud we were of the efforts they made. That's not going to change.
So, we have our leadership in place for this program, let's see what they're going to do. Here in about a week, we'll know what our bowl situation will be. I, like many others, think we're going to Arizona. I like it, although as I mentioned in an earlier post, I think there would be a lot of benefit to us playing in the Motor City. I think from a recruiting standpoint, we'll get more from the Insight Bowl. I think the national viewership will be larger, and we will be better able to demonstrate some of the abilities of our players. (I can only pray that Kellen can hang on to the ball!) We have such a young team overall, potential recruits could literally be looking at teammates, not "former players". I think that that concept could have bearing, so long as we take the field with authority and play some solid ball in whatever bowl we get. A win would obviously be phenomenal, but I'll take some good, solid quality play. All 4 quarters would be great. I've not seen much of that this season, 4 solid quarters of play. I've seen lots of halves, but there's more than that to a game.
We'll just see. In the meantime, congratulations to Coach Bill Lynch, and his staff, and here's to four years of wins, bowls, and BCS bids!
Four Year Deal for Lynch
I am sure all of you have heard by now that Bill Lynch was signed to a four year deal to lead the Hoosiers through the 2011 season. I have stated before I wasn't for Lynch being the future leader of this program, but what is done is done. I will still support the coaching staff and the players as we head into our future.
Time to move forward, the team gets another month of practice to prepare for a Bowl game, and another month to get the young, future players more time to develop. This time is critical for the future of a program, something we have not had for many years, lets hope they can use this to create more momentum for the future.
Congrats Coach Lynch! Go HOOSIERS!
Time to move forward, the team gets another month of practice to prepare for a Bowl game, and another month to get the young, future players more time to develop. This time is critical for the future of a program, something we have not had for many years, lets hope they can use this to create more momentum for the future.
Congrats Coach Lynch! Go HOOSIERS!
Should IU hire Lynch
Ok, this seems to be a hot topic right now. From previous post and emails I have received from people who read this blog, I think I can pose this question to them and get a well thought out answer.
Is Bill Lynch the future for IU? Please respond in a comment, and state your reason as to why you feel the way you do, for or against. I am interested to hear your thoughts on this subject.
Thanks!
Is Bill Lynch the future for IU? Please respond in a comment, and state your reason as to why you feel the way you do, for or against. I am interested to hear your thoughts on this subject.
Thanks!
Bucket Bliss & a Look Back....
I didn’t know what else to call it but bliss on Saturday. IU ends a 5 year losing streak to Purdue, Jane Hoeppner hangs the “I” on the bucket, and the Hoosiers solidified their bowl hopes by going 7-5 on the season. Congratulations to all the players and the coaching staff for reaching Coach Hep’s dream to goal 13!
This was a roller coaster of a regular season ended on a high note. The non-conference schedule done exactly what it was designed to due, give IU four wins, and the ability to become bowl eligible with a sub .500 Big Ten record.
This team had every opportunity to be 10-2 (6-2) for the season, and let key opportunities slip through their hands.
The first debacle was Illinois. While the Illini has had a very good season, IU gave this game away. Four turnovers, three in the red zone, one of those in the end zone, and another that led to an Illini score halted Indiana’s chance of starting this season 4-0, and really putting the nation on notice.
Coming off that defeat the Hoosiers got much needed wins, one on the road at Iowa, the other back home against Minnesota. While the win at Iowa seemed lack luster at that point, Iowa went on the finish the season 6-6 (4-4), which turned it to a quality win.
Then came the three game losing streak. At Michigan State, the defense never got off the bus, giving up 708 all purpose yard and the most points scored by a team against us all year. A disappointing lost, but they were still 5-2 (2-2) with 5 games left on the season.
Next they host Penn State for Homecoming, while a close game against a good team, mistakes cost them this game. Penn State was without their all star running back, and still allowed the Lions to gain 192 yards on the ground, yet we dominated them in the air, but the undoing was once again 4 fumbles, one coming on the final drive of the game, when it appeared the Hoosiers were going to be able to move the ball down field, this game hurt knowing we were going on the road to play a very good Wisconsin team the next week.
Wisconsin was another game where the Hoosiers didn’t get off the bus. Coming into this game the Hoosiers were averaging 35.4 ppg on the season, 22.4 points in Big Ten play, yet the offense managed to only score 3 point. This ended up being the most lopsided loss of the season. Things were now looking bleak after starting 5-1 on the season, the Hoosiers were now at 5-4, and bowl hopes were slipping away.
Ball State was the fourth and last non-conference game, and it could not have come at a better time for the Hoosiers. While the final score shows a 38-20 win, at one point this was a 24-17 game, with Ball State in position to really make this a game. Then two more TD’s, it became a 38-17 game at the start of the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers never looked back, and they became bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.
Back on a high after the Ball State win and needing a 7th win to lock up a bowl bid, IU traveled to Northwestern. A high powered spread offense that was very similar to ours by virtue of both former head coaches working together at Miami of Ohio before moving up to the Big Ten. Every chance to win this game was lost by more turnovers and horrible coaching decisions on the sidelines. A 31-28 loss, 6-5 record, bowl eligible but still on the outside looking in for actually getting a bowl spot, questions about Lynch’s future with this team, and the Bucket game would be the stories at hand the next week.
Oh the Bucket game. A beautiful Saturday afternoon, a packed house, the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Big Ten champion and Rose Bowl team, the original team on hand, including the Head Coach John Pont. The only missing member was Terry Cole who was lost to cancer a few years ago. The defense came to play, the coaches game plan in the first half was great, IU jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and a 17-3 halftime edge.
The Hoosiers got the ball back after half, drove the field and went on to a 24-3 lead. At that point, they were no longer calling plays to win, the game plan was not to lose. A couple turnover along with a non aggressive defensive game plan in the second half allowed Purdue to erase a 21 point deficit, and tie the game 24 all. Then came the Hoosiers final drive, moving the ball well, getting down field, and then the drive stalled on the 32 yard line, setting up Austin Star for a career long (tie) field goal attempt from 49 yards out. Coming into that kick, the Hoosier crowd stood silent, the flags on the stadium fell straight down, no wind to fight the kick, no wind to help the kick. A perfect snap, the kick was up, and it sailed through, Hoosiers lead with 30 seconds left on the clock. A deep kick and the return shut down at the 30 yard line. Some extra activity after the tackle resulted in a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty against the Boilers, 1st and 10 from their own 15 with 15 seconds left. The first play was a 13 yard completion up to the PU 28, the next an incomplete pass, the final play was a pass to Greg Orton, which fittingly ended with a Purdue fumble and Leslie Majors recovering. Final score, 27-24, the Ol Oaken Bucket resides in Bloomington, the fans rush the field, and a glance at the play clock shows it stopped at 13. A fitting end and tribute to Coach Hep!
On December 2nd, IU will learn their Bowl fate. As of now it appears they will be heading to Tempe Arizona to play in the Insight Bowl. That’s right, the Hoosiers are bowl bound for the first time since 1993, and Hep’s goal to play 13 has been reached.
One more game, one more chance, one more day to dream awaits the Hoosier nation!
Go Hoosiers! You have made us proud.
This was a roller coaster of a regular season ended on a high note. The non-conference schedule done exactly what it was designed to due, give IU four wins, and the ability to become bowl eligible with a sub .500 Big Ten record.
This team had every opportunity to be 10-2 (6-2) for the season, and let key opportunities slip through their hands.
The first debacle was Illinois. While the Illini has had a very good season, IU gave this game away. Four turnovers, three in the red zone, one of those in the end zone, and another that led to an Illini score halted Indiana’s chance of starting this season 4-0, and really putting the nation on notice.
Coming off that defeat the Hoosiers got much needed wins, one on the road at Iowa, the other back home against Minnesota. While the win at Iowa seemed lack luster at that point, Iowa went on the finish the season 6-6 (4-4), which turned it to a quality win.
Then came the three game losing streak. At Michigan State, the defense never got off the bus, giving up 708 all purpose yard and the most points scored by a team against us all year. A disappointing lost, but they were still 5-2 (2-2) with 5 games left on the season.
Next they host Penn State for Homecoming, while a close game against a good team, mistakes cost them this game. Penn State was without their all star running back, and still allowed the Lions to gain 192 yards on the ground, yet we dominated them in the air, but the undoing was once again 4 fumbles, one coming on the final drive of the game, when it appeared the Hoosiers were going to be able to move the ball down field, this game hurt knowing we were going on the road to play a very good Wisconsin team the next week.
Wisconsin was another game where the Hoosiers didn’t get off the bus. Coming into this game the Hoosiers were averaging 35.4 ppg on the season, 22.4 points in Big Ten play, yet the offense managed to only score 3 point. This ended up being the most lopsided loss of the season. Things were now looking bleak after starting 5-1 on the season, the Hoosiers were now at 5-4, and bowl hopes were slipping away.
Ball State was the fourth and last non-conference game, and it could not have come at a better time for the Hoosiers. While the final score shows a 38-20 win, at one point this was a 24-17 game, with Ball State in position to really make this a game. Then two more TD’s, it became a 38-17 game at the start of the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers never looked back, and they became bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.
Back on a high after the Ball State win and needing a 7th win to lock up a bowl bid, IU traveled to Northwestern. A high powered spread offense that was very similar to ours by virtue of both former head coaches working together at Miami of Ohio before moving up to the Big Ten. Every chance to win this game was lost by more turnovers and horrible coaching decisions on the sidelines. A 31-28 loss, 6-5 record, bowl eligible but still on the outside looking in for actually getting a bowl spot, questions about Lynch’s future with this team, and the Bucket game would be the stories at hand the next week.
Oh the Bucket game. A beautiful Saturday afternoon, a packed house, the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Big Ten champion and Rose Bowl team, the original team on hand, including the Head Coach John Pont. The only missing member was Terry Cole who was lost to cancer a few years ago. The defense came to play, the coaches game plan in the first half was great, IU jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and a 17-3 halftime edge.
The Hoosiers got the ball back after half, drove the field and went on to a 24-3 lead. At that point, they were no longer calling plays to win, the game plan was not to lose. A couple turnover along with a non aggressive defensive game plan in the second half allowed Purdue to erase a 21 point deficit, and tie the game 24 all. Then came the Hoosiers final drive, moving the ball well, getting down field, and then the drive stalled on the 32 yard line, setting up Austin Star for a career long (tie) field goal attempt from 49 yards out. Coming into that kick, the Hoosier crowd stood silent, the flags on the stadium fell straight down, no wind to fight the kick, no wind to help the kick. A perfect snap, the kick was up, and it sailed through, Hoosiers lead with 30 seconds left on the clock. A deep kick and the return shut down at the 30 yard line. Some extra activity after the tackle resulted in a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty against the Boilers, 1st and 10 from their own 15 with 15 seconds left. The first play was a 13 yard completion up to the PU 28, the next an incomplete pass, the final play was a pass to Greg Orton, which fittingly ended with a Purdue fumble and Leslie Majors recovering. Final score, 27-24, the Ol Oaken Bucket resides in Bloomington, the fans rush the field, and a glance at the play clock shows it stopped at 13. A fitting end and tribute to Coach Hep!
On December 2nd, IU will learn their Bowl fate. As of now it appears they will be heading to Tempe Arizona to play in the Insight Bowl. That’s right, the Hoosiers are bowl bound for the first time since 1993, and Hep’s goal to play 13 has been reached.
One more game, one more chance, one more day to dream awaits the Hoosier nation!
Go Hoosiers! You have made us proud.
Bowl Bound!
I don't have the energy left in me to post much more than that right now, but congrats to our Hoosiers who pulled out tonight!! Way to go, and tonight, my thoughts are with Terry and Jane Hoeppner. Here's to Playing 13 for our coach!
Coaches - Who would you like to see?
Ok, I am reaching out to our readers, who do you want to see lead the Hoosiers football team in the future. Leave a comment with a coach you feel will fit here, and we will research them, and see if they would be a feasible prospect.
Lets here them....
Lets here them....
Leadership Woes, and Bucket=Bowl
Saturday’s loss to Northwestern was hard to swallow. Turnovers again played a major role, but one key turnover became a momentum-breaker for us, swinging the game into Northwestern’s hands.
Kellen Lewis went down about half way into the second quarter, and was replaced by red-shirt freshman, and Bloomington native, Ben Chappell. At the time, we were up 14-3, and a quick handoff seemed the most sensible plan. I’m not sure if offensive coordinator Matt Canada, or head coach Bill Lynch, was the one who thought otherwise, but someone did, and barely warmed up, they had this young man try to throw out to Hardy. Only, he missed. NW picked it off, and ran untouched into the end zone, bringing the score to 14-10 and changing the mood.
This was clearly not the only error. I know you’ll all be stunned to hear that Lewis fumbled the football in this game, although on his behalf, I contend that it was NOT a fumble at the end of the game. There were some stupid penalties- Tracy Porter hits a guy who called a fair catch, we were offsides a time or two, just little things that add up in a big way, especially when you realize how close we were to winning this game.
The biggest issue was the coaching. Again. I have been disappointed time in and time out (or lack thereof, per my earlier postings) by the play calling and overall lack of strong leadership for this squad. We have a talented group of players who are so misguided, they are unable to convert the talent into solid games and wins.
I don’t know if perhaps Lynch and his crew are afraid to push these kids, who obviously suffered emotionally from the loss of coach Hep, but given what I’ve heard him say in post-game interviews and talk shows, Lynch doesn’t have the fire and drive that this team needs in it’s leadership. That’s not to say he’s not capable of being a good coach, but I don’t think he can be a head coach. Not at this level. These kids need strength and fire to push them in the right direction. We need someone who will push Lewis to help avoid the fumbles. Ride Porter so he’s not so soft defensively. Teach these guys to work as a strong cohesive unit. I just don’t see that happening under Lynch’s tutelage.
Mike P. and I had a conversation on Friday regarding Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, and his potential release from UT. The Vols are historically a strong team, and a big part of that has lain in the hands of their leadership. I’d love to think we could have that here, but money would be an issue. Unless he takes the same approach as Terry Hoeppner did, coming here because THIS was where he WANTED to be, I just don’t see that in IU’s future.
I want this team to win. I want them to Play 13 this season. I want that not only because it was Coach Hep’s dream, but because these kids deserve it. These kids play hard- yes, they make mistakes, but all teams will when not properly guided. I want this because I’ve been following Hoosier football my entire life, and I know that time and again, we get the short end of the football stick because we’re IU, and we play basketball here, not football. That’s BS, and we all know it. I think we can do both, and do them well. With the right leadership.
So now, we fight for the Bucket, and a Bowl. It’s going to be a big weekend at the Rock. We’ll see you there.
Kellen Lewis went down about half way into the second quarter, and was replaced by red-shirt freshman, and Bloomington native, Ben Chappell. At the time, we were up 14-3, and a quick handoff seemed the most sensible plan. I’m not sure if offensive coordinator Matt Canada, or head coach Bill Lynch, was the one who thought otherwise, but someone did, and barely warmed up, they had this young man try to throw out to Hardy. Only, he missed. NW picked it off, and ran untouched into the end zone, bringing the score to 14-10 and changing the mood.
This was clearly not the only error. I know you’ll all be stunned to hear that Lewis fumbled the football in this game, although on his behalf, I contend that it was NOT a fumble at the end of the game. There were some stupid penalties- Tracy Porter hits a guy who called a fair catch, we were offsides a time or two, just little things that add up in a big way, especially when you realize how close we were to winning this game.
The biggest issue was the coaching. Again. I have been disappointed time in and time out (or lack thereof, per my earlier postings) by the play calling and overall lack of strong leadership for this squad. We have a talented group of players who are so misguided, they are unable to convert the talent into solid games and wins.
I don’t know if perhaps Lynch and his crew are afraid to push these kids, who obviously suffered emotionally from the loss of coach Hep, but given what I’ve heard him say in post-game interviews and talk shows, Lynch doesn’t have the fire and drive that this team needs in it’s leadership. That’s not to say he’s not capable of being a good coach, but I don’t think he can be a head coach. Not at this level. These kids need strength and fire to push them in the right direction. We need someone who will push Lewis to help avoid the fumbles. Ride Porter so he’s not so soft defensively. Teach these guys to work as a strong cohesive unit. I just don’t see that happening under Lynch’s tutelage.
Mike P. and I had a conversation on Friday regarding Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, and his potential release from UT. The Vols are historically a strong team, and a big part of that has lain in the hands of their leadership. I’d love to think we could have that here, but money would be an issue. Unless he takes the same approach as Terry Hoeppner did, coming here because THIS was where he WANTED to be, I just don’t see that in IU’s future.
I want this team to win. I want them to Play 13 this season. I want that not only because it was Coach Hep’s dream, but because these kids deserve it. These kids play hard- yes, they make mistakes, but all teams will when not properly guided. I want this because I’ve been following Hoosier football my entire life, and I know that time and again, we get the short end of the football stick because we’re IU, and we play basketball here, not football. That’s BS, and we all know it. I think we can do both, and do them well. With the right leadership.
So now, we fight for the Bucket, and a Bowl. It’s going to be a big weekend at the Rock. We’ll see you there.
Northwestern Mistakes and Future Coaching....
Yesterday I sat and watched in amazement as the IU coaching staff continued to put the boys in bad situations that eventually cost them another ball game. There were key plays that didn’t help. The first was the pick 6 thrown by Ben Chappell. Chappell made a young mistake, he stared down Hardy from the time he came under center, allowing the linebacker to gamble and it paid of big for Northwestern. Chappell did make a mistake, but I will not, and can not blame him for the stupidity that came from the sidelines. He is a red shirt freshman, has had very limited game time this year, and most of that has been handing the ball to a running back to run out the clock. At the point that Chappell entered the game, IU was facing a 3rd & 6, with a 14-3 lead. Not a knock on Chappell, but at that point you hand the ball to Payton, if they don’t get the first down, you punt the ball away and ask your defense to make a play.
Except for that one play, IU done most everything right in the 1st half, the running game was working. They had a 4 point lead at half, and got the ball back after half. To start the half, they were flat, the play calling went conservative and nothing was working. They fought back from behind, and took the lead again at 28-24 with just over 3 minutes left. This is where the coaches proved how inept they are. All season long IU has played the 4-3 defense, for those of you that are not familiar with the 4-3, it is a basic staple of football. It uses 4 down lineman (2 ends, 2 tackles), 3 line backers, 2 corners, and 2 safeties. Were the ineptitude shows is the cover 2 set the run out of the 4-3, were your pass coverage is in a zone. This will line up the safeties to protect against the deep ball, but leaves guys open underneath.
On the last drive by Northwestern, IU went to the cover 2, and allowed them to march down the field again. This was the whole game, but early they would man up (every DB plays a certain man) when they reached the red zone. For some reason, known only to the IU coaching staff, they played a cover 2 on 3rd and goal from the 3. This allowed the slot receiver to run a 4 yard hitch and catch a TD pass with no coverage close. This TD ended up being the deciding score after Kellen Lewis yet again fumbled away the football as the offense was driving and just short of field goal range.
This was our game to win. They lost it on crucial mistakes, mostly made on the sidelines. There is no excuse for the play calling, no excuse for not protecting the ball. This is all on the coaching staff, all on Bill Lynch.
The future of this program depends on the future coaching staff. Bill Lynch has not done enough to be retained as the head coach of this program, so options have got to be discussed about the future coaching. Coach Hep was a steal for this University, but you’re not going to find the caliper of coach he was for $500,000.00 a year. They are going to have to look at ¾ to a million a year for a top coach, and one might be available.
Big Ten Bowl Predictions
I went through, decided what I believe each team will do to end the season, and where everyone will end up. This is what I got so far....
- Ohio State: 12-0 (8-0) Allstate BCS National Championship Game
- Michigan: 9-3 (7-1) Capitol One Bowl (Big Ten #2)
- Illinois: 8-4 (5-3) Outback Bowl (Big Ten #3)
- Penn State: 9-3 (5-3) Valero Alamo Bowl (Big Ten #4/5)
- Wisconsin: 8-4 (4-4) Champs Sports Bowl (Big Ten #4/5)
- INDIANA: 8-4 (4-4) Insight Bowl (Big Ten #6)
- Purdue: 8-4 (4-4) Motor City Bowl (Big Ten #7)
- Iowa: 7-5 (4-4) At Large Bid; the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl or the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl by virtue of the Pac 10 will not get enough teams bowl eligible.
- Michigan State: 6-6 (2-6) Possible At Large but doubtful.
- Northwestern: 5-7 (2-6) Close, but still not bowl eligible.
- Minnesota: 1-9 (0-8) <--- Enough Said!
As it stands now, the Big Ten will send 8 of 11 teams to a bowl this year, with the possibility of a 9th if Michigan State does get their 6th win and an at large bid.
Come on folks, drop us a line, give us your thoughts, we know you read us, now share your thoughts through a comment.
Bowl Options and Opposition
So, we’ve done it. We’re Bowl Eligible. This is, of course, huge for Hoosier fans, especially the Hoeppner family who were on hand to celebrate with the team after our victory over Ball State. This has been a major focus. Mike mentioned already that we probably are going to need 7 wins on the regular season to truly end up “Playing 13”, which is this season’s ultimate goal. I believe we can win out the season, giving us 8 wins, but let’s look at our bowl options now.
My heart is pulling us north to Detroit for the Motor City Bowl on December 26th. I like this one for a couple of reasons- one, it’s proximity to the area, hopefully resulting in a strong showing of fan support (other options are Fl, Az, and Tx!), the other is the competition we’re likely to face.
It should take a soul about 6 hours (per Google Maps. I drive faster than they do.) to get from Bloomington to Detroit. Downside is it’s the day after Christmas, but kick-off isn’t until 7:30 pm, so you could still head north by mid-morning and realistically make the trip comfortably. Note to fans- prepare to spend the night! A number of hotels are listed on the bowl website at www.MotorCityBowl.com, and it looks like the rates are pretty reasonable. You do not want to try to drive home- you want to get to stay and celebrate with your fellow fans. Trust me on this.
Now, the competition. The Motor City Bowl pits us against the Mid-America Conference. These are teams like Central Michigan and Ball State. Call me a weenie, I want us to go in and win, and I have a stronger confidence with us against a MAC team than, for example, an SEC team. Obviously, I’d love to see us kick the crap out of, say, LSU, in the Outback Bowl, but I’m a bit more of a realist than that. Not just yet. Give us another year or two!
This is NOT to discredit the teams of the MAC. These kids are fighters, scrappers. They are used to being underrated, and come out with a fire, especially in a situation where they have a national audience. (ESPN carries the Motor City Bowl.) But, we’ve spent the entire season proving that we’re fighters, too. I have every anticipation that we will have the opportunity to be in the national spotlight, and come out on top.
The MAC’s current standings make it difficult to identify who we could go up against at this point. They will hold their championship game on Dec. 1, identifying the team that’s coming our way. (Mental note- pay attention to the MAC! www.MAC-Sports.com)
So, let’s look at the next 2 weeks for our Hoosiers. Northwestern, as Mike mentioned in an earlier post, is fighting for their chance to be bowl eligible. Don’t forget, we also have to play this game in their house. They beat us the last time we played, in 2004, in a huge double overtime game. This is going to be a very driven team, and will be tougher to beat than we may initially anticipate. If we continue to turn over the ball as we have the last few weeks, we WILL lose this game. Protect our QB, protect the ball, stop their passing game, and we can tie this up here and now. Note that NW is 10th in the nation with their passing game, averaging over 300 passing yards per game. (Just ahead of own 13th ranked air offense. I’d love to see some strong defensive plays – picks and sacks would make Megan a happy girl!)
Then we work to bring home the Bucket. This game is always a challenge for us, strictly as a function of the emotion and passion a good rivalry game brings. I want to see how their weekend goes with Michigan State, and get through our own battle with Northwestern before I even begin to evaluate the Bucket game, but I want the Bucket game more than pretty well anything. Defeating Purdue will rank right up there with playing 13 for me. It’s “The Other School”, for crying out loud!
At any rate, that’s probably good for now, but I’d be interested in hearing from some of you as to your thoughts on A) Which Bowl and B) Who we’ll face! Comment us and we’ll take a look at your insights!
My heart is pulling us north to Detroit for the Motor City Bowl on December 26th. I like this one for a couple of reasons- one, it’s proximity to the area, hopefully resulting in a strong showing of fan support (other options are Fl, Az, and Tx!), the other is the competition we’re likely to face.
It should take a soul about 6 hours (per Google Maps. I drive faster than they do.) to get from Bloomington to Detroit. Downside is it’s the day after Christmas, but kick-off isn’t until 7:30 pm, so you could still head north by mid-morning and realistically make the trip comfortably. Note to fans- prepare to spend the night! A number of hotels are listed on the bowl website at www.MotorCityBowl.com, and it looks like the rates are pretty reasonable. You do not want to try to drive home- you want to get to stay and celebrate with your fellow fans. Trust me on this.
Now, the competition. The Motor City Bowl pits us against the Mid-America Conference. These are teams like Central Michigan and Ball State. Call me a weenie, I want us to go in and win, and I have a stronger confidence with us against a MAC team than, for example, an SEC team. Obviously, I’d love to see us kick the crap out of, say, LSU, in the Outback Bowl, but I’m a bit more of a realist than that. Not just yet. Give us another year or two!
This is NOT to discredit the teams of the MAC. These kids are fighters, scrappers. They are used to being underrated, and come out with a fire, especially in a situation where they have a national audience. (ESPN carries the Motor City Bowl.) But, we’ve spent the entire season proving that we’re fighters, too. I have every anticipation that we will have the opportunity to be in the national spotlight, and come out on top.
The MAC’s current standings make it difficult to identify who we could go up against at this point. They will hold their championship game on Dec. 1, identifying the team that’s coming our way. (Mental note- pay attention to the MAC! www.MAC-Sports.com)
So, let’s look at the next 2 weeks for our Hoosiers. Northwestern, as Mike mentioned in an earlier post, is fighting for their chance to be bowl eligible. Don’t forget, we also have to play this game in their house. They beat us the last time we played, in 2004, in a huge double overtime game. This is going to be a very driven team, and will be tougher to beat than we may initially anticipate. If we continue to turn over the ball as we have the last few weeks, we WILL lose this game. Protect our QB, protect the ball, stop their passing game, and we can tie this up here and now. Note that NW is 10th in the nation with their passing game, averaging over 300 passing yards per game. (Just ahead of own 13th ranked air offense. I’d love to see some strong defensive plays – picks and sacks would make Megan a happy girl!)
Then we work to bring home the Bucket. This game is always a challenge for us, strictly as a function of the emotion and passion a good rivalry game brings. I want to see how their weekend goes with Michigan State, and get through our own battle with Northwestern before I even begin to evaluate the Bucket game, but I want the Bucket game more than pretty well anything. Defeating Purdue will rank right up there with playing 13 for me. It’s “The Other School”, for crying out loud!
At any rate, that’s probably good for now, but I’d be interested in hearing from some of you as to your thoughts on A) Which Bowl and B) Who we’ll face! Comment us and we’ll take a look at your insights!
Sometimes it sucks to be right.
The week before the IU-Illinois game, HT intern Zak put a question on the Hoosier Scoop blog, the question was what is more important, the IU-Illinois game, or the recruiting visit of Tyler Zeller. There was some banter back and forth between me and another poster, I myself was saying that the IU football game was more important, for the team, the fans, and for IU athletics as a whole. My position is no one recruit is going to determin the future of IU basketball, but a conference win can effect bowl seeding and recruiting. I also made the statment that come November when Zeller commits to UNC, and not IU that the game would definetly have carried more weight. As we sit now, 6-4, and needing a 7th win to ensure us a bowl game, letting the Illini game slip away shows just how important that game was to the overall season.
I am posting this because today Tyler Zeller did announce he would play at UNC. While it would have been nice to have him, it just proves my point that the support needs to be for the student athletes who are already here, that bleed cream and crimson, and battle it out for the glory of ol' IU!
There are less than two weeks till Purdue. The final conference game, the hated in-state rival, and the battle for the Ol' Oaken Bucket! I know there are plenty of tickets left, lets pack the stands at the Rock, my gut says not only will IU be playing for bragging rights, the bucket, but also for win number 8 and a spot in one of the better bowls the Big Ten has contracts with!
LETS GO HOOSIERS!
I am posting this because today Tyler Zeller did announce he would play at UNC. While it would have been nice to have him, it just proves my point that the support needs to be for the student athletes who are already here, that bleed cream and crimson, and battle it out for the glory of ol' IU!
There are less than two weeks till Purdue. The final conference game, the hated in-state rival, and the battle for the Ol' Oaken Bucket! I know there are plenty of tickets left, lets pack the stands at the Rock, my gut says not only will IU be playing for bragging rights, the bucket, but also for win number 8 and a spot in one of the better bowls the Big Ten has contracts with!
LETS GO HOOSIERS!
A bowling we can go........
We have done it. For the first time since 1994, IU has won 6 games, they are bowl eligible, and just that much closer to Hep's dream to play 13. The Big Ten has 7 automatic bowl bids, if the season ended today, we would be number 7. There is two more weeks left, two more games, at least one needs to be a win. There are 3 teams right now at 5-5, those are Iowa, Northwestern, and Michigan State.
Iowa should be 7-5 in two weeks, with Minnesota and Central Michigan being their final two games. If IU finishes 7-5, and Iowa finishes 7-5, Iowa will have 1 more conference win than us, so we would have to hope for an at large bid.
Northwestern, our next opponent, is also 5-5 and looking for that 6th win, they don't have an easy road to hold, ending their season with the Illini after play us. The could get to 7-5, but I am thinking the will end up 5-7, 6-6 if they beat Illinois.
Michigan State is also 5-5, they have Purdue and Penn State in the next two weeks, I would bet they end up 6-6. If we both end 7-5, we have the same conference record, and Michigan State would probably get the nod since they beat us.
A win next week at Northwestern takes them out of the equation for one of the 7 automatic, and would all but guarantee at least an at large bid.
I am not worried about an at large, after we de-claw the Wildcats, and drop the sledge hammer down on Purdue, we will be 8-4 (4-4) and going to a Big Ten contract bowl!
Iowa should be 7-5 in two weeks, with Minnesota and Central Michigan being their final two games. If IU finishes 7-5, and Iowa finishes 7-5, Iowa will have 1 more conference win than us, so we would have to hope for an at large bid.
Northwestern, our next opponent, is also 5-5 and looking for that 6th win, they don't have an easy road to hold, ending their season with the Illini after play us. The could get to 7-5, but I am thinking the will end up 5-7, 6-6 if they beat Illinois.
Michigan State is also 5-5, they have Purdue and Penn State in the next two weeks, I would bet they end up 6-6. If we both end 7-5, we have the same conference record, and Michigan State would probably get the nod since they beat us.
A win next week at Northwestern takes them out of the equation for one of the 7 automatic, and would all but guarantee at least an at large bid.
I am not worried about an at large, after we de-claw the Wildcats, and drop the sledge hammer down on Purdue, we will be 8-4 (4-4) and going to a Big Ten contract bowl!
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