Past Indiana Football Wins Indicate Future Success

Many writers and football pundits are predicting a last place finish for the IU football team this fall, 2009. A few are predicting no wins in the Big Ten.

I beg to differ.

Sure, Indiana has to contend with the heavies Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State (Michigan State and Minnesota are out of the 2 year rotation), and last year was a resounding 3-9 thud after a seven win bowl season back in 2007. 

But IU's football Hoosiers beat at least one Big Ten squad every year, and they have done that mostly as a losing team.

Last year they beat Northwestern 21-19, yes a slim margin, but they also lost a close one to the Spartans that could have gone the Hooisers' way at home.

Last year they finished 1-7 in the Big 10 but worse yet, 2-2 in non-conference play. Indiana lost to both Mid American Conference foes, Ball State and Central Michigan, the latter by three points.

This team is better than last, I think, as well as many others on both sides of the ball.

Perhaps 2007 is not the best indicator of this year's results, but maybe 2006...

But for a reminder of the bowl season for the Hoosiers, IU lost the first conference game to Illinois in '07 and then went on to beat Iowa, 38-20. Next they whipped the Gophers, 40-20, lost to MIchigan State and Penn St., and Wisconsin, beat a Ball State team in the November slot, slipped to Northwestern but beat Purdue on a field goal. 4-0 in non-conference, 3-5 in the Big 10 earned them a bowl game against Oklahoma State.

I am not saying that this year's IU team will get seven wins like in 2007. They may.

What I am saying is that IU will win against a Big Ten team this year. Because last year's woeful 3-9 team did. They did beat Northwestern, at least, despite losing to Ball State and Central Michigan.

What about 2006? Perhaps that is a better indicator. IU lost to two non-conference teams, Southern Illinois and Connecticut. The SIU ____________? (Fill in the Egyptian dog mascot name). OUCH. The Salukis.

But in the conference, Indiana lost to Wisconsin, then beat Illinois by two points, beat Iowa by three, got creamed by Ohio State, KILLED Michigan State 46-21, then got run over by Minnesota, stifled by Michigan, and then lost by 9 to arch rival Purdue.

They went 3-5 in the conference, but the difference from the following year was that they went 2-2 in non-conference play.

So, what is the thing?

Indiana will win in the Big Ten, at least once, maybe three times, and barring a miracle, four or more which I don't believe has happened since the early 1990s under Bill Mallory.

Terry Hoeppner was the inspirational leader back in 2006, after Cam Cameron and Jerry DiNardo in between.

Coach Terry died in June '07, and his memory and organization made it to the bowl under the interim coach Bill Lynch.

Lynch is still there, now with a combined 10-15 record, not counting the ones he replaced Hoeppner in 2006 for his brain tumor cancer bouts prior to his unfortunate death.

Is IU destined for a few Big Ten victories this fall, 2009?

They have the talent.

Do they have the chutzpah?

I think that they do. And they have the history.

Go Hoosiers.

PapaClinch

PS: See you guys in Charlottesville in October. Win or lose, I always love the Hoosiers.