BottomLine

The third highest paid coach in college football WILL NOT allow this team to ease up on MSU. The basketball team won by 61. Might that be realistic goal for this game? Only kidding. Hoosiers 6 TDs = 42 1 FG= 3 Total = 45 Spartans 1 TD (Probably on a broken pass coverage) = 7 2 FG = 6 Total =13

I'm 78-years-old and I've been an Indiana fan for my whole life. Graduated from IU in1969. Youngest daughter was graduating class of 2000. Grandson, a high school sophomore, weighs 265 and growing and and wants to play for the Hoosiers. For the last year and a half iu has been on a streak and I, along with everyone else, have been chearing them on. But secretly, in the back of my mind, I've been saying to myself that this can't continue. After all we are only Indiana and Indiana sucks at football. At some point the bubble is going to burst and we are going to sink back to our rightful level. That is what years and years of losing does to you mentally. But guess what. These young men that put on the cream and crimson on Saturday don't think this is a bubble. They believe in themselves and their coach. They believe they can beat anyone. The doubt isn't there in their minds, like us old codgers. While across America the experts are looking for the bubble to burst Saturday, I don't think the the players are buying into that thinking. We can lose this game. But we can also win it. If IU is hungary and our recievers can get open we will win this game. Indiana 5 TDs = 35 Total 35 Oregon 3 TDs = 21 1 FG = 3 Total 24

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around last Saturday's Illinois game. Are we that good? Were they that bad? Nobody saw that coming. Now most of the "experts" are predicting a relatively close game. It is like they don't that think IU is that good and Illinois was crushed because they are so bad and had it coming. I'm not buying that. Let's keep pouring it on. Indiana 6 TDs = 42 Total = 42 Iowa 3 TDs = 21 Total = 21

Illinois is #9 and Indiana is #17. If IU started the season rated where Illinois was and Illinois started where IU did, the ratings would be reversed for this game. That is how polls work. The polls started the season with an anti-Indiana bias. Looking at our record over the years we deserved the doubt. Indiana has outscored our opponents 156-23. Illinois has outscored its opponents 135-22. They played a bit tougher schedule. Both teams obviously can play defense. Home field and fans are worth a touchdown. Indiana 4 TDs = 28 1 FG = 3 Total = 31 Illinois 3 TDs = 21 1 FG = 3 Total = 24

This game is such a mismatch that it is off the betting boards in many places. Let'sjust hope we don't get anybody hurt. Hoosiers 8 TDs = 56 Sycamores 1 FG = 3

I figure the Hoosiers left at least 28 points on the field last Saturday. Coach Cig can't be happy about that and I look for improvement this week - or else! I have some feeling for the Owls since I grew up a Seymour Owl, but not much. Figure they should be good for about 6 points but I can't imagine them hitting two field goals. So I'm going to pick them for a TD. I hope fewer stops on the goal line and fewer dropped TD passes this week. Seven scores feels about right. I'll make that 5 TDs and a couple of FGs. Worried this could turn into the 2024 Western Illinois game. Hoosiers 5 TD = 35 2 FG =6 Total = 41 Owls 1 TD = 7 Total = 7

Congratulations to cbp4iu for being the first to hit the TRIFECTA (bonus for picking the winner , bonus for picking a score correctly, and bonus for being top dog for the week). Yes, I have a horseracing background.

Football or Basketball it doesn't make a difference. The first week is always my worst week. Because - who the hell knows what is going to happen. Nevertheless: Indiana 5 TDS = 35 1 FG = 3 TOTAL = 38 OD 2 TDS = 14 TOTAL = 14 (One TD late against the bench when the game is out of reach) And we don't cover and the coach is pissed.

INDIANA 75 OREGON 73

INDIANA 76 OSU 74

Oh, heck! Probably don't stand much chance of catching up this year anyway. If IU is going to make the NCAA field and win a game, they are going to need to beat a team like Oregon. Let's see how good we are. INDIANA 78 OREGON 73

I would do that too.

INDIANA 76 WASHINGTON 73

IU doesn't have a finisher. We lead going into the last three minutes we win. If we mush play catch-up we probably won't. INDIANA 78 PENN ST 72

When you lose a lot of close games it usually means that you don't have a reliable finisher. Purdue does - we don't. INDIANA 72 PURDUE 76

When I turned the game off in disgust the 72-70 score was still on the screen. Thanks for the correction. I feel sooooooooo much better. Now I don't even have the consolation of a good story.

Woulda...coulda...shoulda I sit here this morning a crushed man. I typed in my prediction yesterday before the game along with comments. Had UCLA winning 72-70. Then just before I hit the send bottom the wifi dropped. Promise God! Then after the wifi came up again, I had to reread what I posted to make sure it was okay. As a result I reconsidered what I wrote and talked myself out of my prediction. I just switched the scores around and made my prediction Hoosiers 72-70. Bad bad move! Cost me 76 points - 69 instead of 145. Just sick right now. On to Purdue! And, curses on the wifi!

Indiana has its back against the wall. We NEED to win this game or all hope for the season is gone. Yes, I believe we still have a slim chance of moving on but the margin for error is extremely small. UCLA is not a good road team. They are 6-1 at home in the Big10 but only 3-4 on the road. They enter here after a loss on the road to Illinois only 3 days ago. As for Woody. All coaches fall into two categories. They either say to their players, "This is my system and you adapt or sit", regardless of talent. Or, they change to fit the abilities of the players they have available. Is Woody finally adapting to the second approach? Indiana may be a better zone team than a man-to-man one. We will see tonight. And, as to the purist out there who are having a heart attack over IU playing zone. Coach Knight, famed as a man-to-man coach, actually taught his players to to play a matchup zone with man-to-man principles. Or, if you rather, he played man-to-man with zone principles. Take your pick. I know. I spent 18 years as a basketball coach and always used Knight defensive drills. Man-to-man with heavy backside help is basically a matchup zone. Pinch and recover is a zone principle. Picking this one with guts and a hunch. Hope Assembly Hall is rocking. INDIANA 72 UCLA 70

INDIANA 68 MICHIGAN STATE 78

INDIANA 75 MICHIGAN 77

This season has turned out to be as sad as the football season was happy. This season is a testament to the fact that players are in the portal for a reason. In most cases they were not that good in the first place. There are exceptions but the portal is a hazardous way to build a roster. Perhaps Woody has finally reached the realization that the best TEAM that he can put on the floor is not necessarily the most talented. Then on the other hand playing as a teammate is a talent in itself that we often overlook. IU played well enough at Purdue to win the game and only lost it in the final seconds when Leal fouled out and was replaced by Rice, who promptly decided to go one on one and play hero ball instead of passing the ball to Ballo for a flush. We usually play terrible in Madison but we can win this. It will depend on our defense because we are only a low 70 point team offensively at present. Indiana 71 Wiaconsin 80

IU can win this game. This isn't last year's Purdue. Will we rise to the occasion? Don't think so. INDIANA 68 PURDUE 79

No longer happy to watch the Hoosiers. Indiana 73 Turtles 76

Indiana playing at Northwestern is as much fun as having a root canal done. Reneau back at full strength could swing this game in Indiana's favor. Even the return of Tucker might help. Hitting our 3s could also swing the result. Flipping a coin here. Indiana 71 Northwestern 74

What a mess! Reneau - Injured and sitting on the bench laughing with the walk-ons while his team loses. What a teammate. Mbako - Playing like he doesn't want to be here and can't wait for the portal. Rice - Has no idea how to be a point guard. Misses open men constantly, dribbles into a crowd and forces shots. Ballo - Huge but can't score through contact. Goode - One trick pony Galloway - Lost a couple of steps on defense. Not much to give on offence. Tucker - The hope for the future but not much from outside. Let him do his thing. Carlyle - Can't shoot but never saw a shot he didn't like. Green light has to be getting dim. Leal - Can shoot but never saw a shot he likes, except in the last minute of either half. Hatton - Busts his butt but the talent isn't there. James - Why does he have a scholarship? Newton - will never be healthy enough to play. Cupps - Can at least handle the ball without turning it over but gone for the year. If I were coach I'd give them all nametags and the "There is no I in Team" speech. Like I said, What a mess. Indiana 75 Illinois 79