Analysis: The significance of a 4-0 start

[IndyHutch 1,718]

No member of the current Indiana University football team was alive the last time IU was 4-0 in football. That should put the feat in perspective all by itself.

The last time Indiana was 4-0 in football, Operation Desert Storm was just beginning as the United States and the UK sent troops to Kuwait.

 

Some of the popular films were Home Alone, Ghost, Pretty Woman and The Hunt for Red October.

 

A gallon of gas cost $1.34.

 

And it had only been three years since Indiana had last won a national championship in basketball.

 

The point is being 4-0 is significant for the Hoosiers. And after hanging on to beat Wake Forest 31-24 Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C., Indiana is 4-0 for the first time since 1990.

 

And 4-0 is a significant milestone for Indiana football. Now the Hoosiers just have to take care of business from this point on and IU fans will have the opportunity to watch their team play football beyond Dec. 1 for just the third time in more than 20 years.

 

Quick quiz: What are the two years since 1994 where Indiana has played football beyond Dec. 1? The answer: 2001 and 2007. The 2007 season was the Insight Bowl. The 2001 season was when the IU-Kentucky game was postponed because of 9-11 and played in the first week of December. That game was also noteworthy because it was Cam Cameron’s final game at IU.

 

But I digress.

 

For as long as I can remember everyone has always had the same formula for Indiana football. Win your four non-conference games and find a way to win at least two Big Ten games and you’ll go to a bowl game.

 

Take a look at IU’s final eight games of the regular season and it appears there are two or three games that IU should be favored in. Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue, you would think any way, would be games that IU could win.

 

And there are other games where the Hoosiers should have a chance to pull off an upset.

 

But once again, none of it matters at all if Indiana isn’t 4-0 heading into next week’s game against top-ranked Ohio State.

 

Saturday, from my birds-eye view from the radio booth at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, I thought Indiana looked particularly impressive for three quarters against Wake Forest. The fourth quarter I felt that the IU defense had a couple of miscues, the IU offense got ultra conservative and Wake Forest made a couple of big plays, none bigger than recovering the onsides kick.

 

But I keep going back to one thing that is different about this Indiana football team compared to the other 17 seasons in which I’ve covered the Hoosiers.

 

This team finds a way to win instead of finding a way to lose.

 

No one is going to pretend that any of the four Indiana wins to date have been a thing of beauty. But no one is also going to argue that in year’s past Indiana would have found a way to lose at least one of these games and maybe more.

 

But this Indiana team just keeps winning.

 

Jordan Howard continues to be a beast. Nate Sudfeld continues to make enough plays. And the defense has done enough good things. Six sacks and constant pressure Saturday were something we haven’t seen a lot of out of IU for a long time.

 

And the Hoosiers just keep winning.

 

Now Indiana plays Ohio State Saturday at Memorial Stadium in a great situation for the Hoosiers to be in. Lose and everyone expected you to lose. In fact, I’ll be surprised at how many people will go out on a limb and pick the upset this weekend. But win and the momentum in this football program would be as high as it has been in decades.

 

The most important thing I think most Indiana fans are hoping for next Saturday is that the Hoosiers can be competitive. Hang around, have a chance in the second half, and most of all don’t let it be a blowout. If those things happen I think most Indiana fans would be pleased.

 

And it wouldn’t hurt if GameDay decided to come to Bloomington either but I’m not holding my breath there.

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[sirhoosierlot 2,483]

Great write up! This is the most excited I've been about Indiana football ever and I only think the program will get better from here. I like that we're winning the ugly games and the e team seems to be learning from their adversities through the game and making plays when they need to.
And i didn't hear your answer to Buck's question today on the radio broadcast. How many times have you been tasered? Lol

[Magnanimous 4,399]

The best part about this start is a home game on ABC next week. We'll finally be getting one of those overhead field cams in Memorial Stadium. 

[HoosierAloha 29,897]

The best part about this start is a home game on ABC next week. We'll finally be getting one of those overhead field cams in Memorial Stadium. 

 

I thought 41 would have had some shots of the game today from his drone...

 

Really happy to see the hard work paying off for this young Hoosier team.  The defense has been giving up a lot of yards and committing dumb penalties but came up big when it mattered most.  We will need to be almost perfect next week against aO$U.

[Miller'sTheMan 1,652]

The excitement is starting to channel into this football team. I think it'll be one of the best atmosphere's we've seen in a long time for this IU-OSU game regardless if Gameday comes or not, but if they do it'll just make it all the more better!

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

I don't think we can stay with OSU next week but a bowl game will happen IMO. We are good enough to get 3-4 more wins I think.

[akhosrof 1,168]

I think we are good enough to hear PSU, UMD, Rutgers and Purdue. Bottom line is we have a better QB then all of these teams, and an excellent running game. All of these teams have had QB struggles during the season.

On a side note, this team isn't built to protect a lead by milking the clock. We need to stay in attack mode.

[Old Friend 8,389]

I don't know that the significance of 4-0 can be over stated.  I happen to know some high school kids in the Indy area because my sons are approaching that age, and players are noticing.  Players see the offense scoring points, the defense flying around, and the team playing, well, like a football team.   We're not going to the Rose Bowl or anything; and we may never.  But 6-8 wins is likely this season.  Heck, as akhosrof said above, we have Rutgers, Purdue, Penn State, and Maryland left on the schedule.   We can probably play with Iowa at home...as long as we're sound.  I don't think winning 3 of those is out of the question at all.  Ohio State is obviously the cream of the crop; but even they can have a letdown.  See Northern Illinois.  Indiana is right where it needs to be, and we've got kids who know how to win, now.  They should set a goal to win 8 and see what happens.

[GnarlyTimGarl 1,414]

This team reminds me a little of Jerry Kill's Minnesota teams, where we don't necessarily win pretty, but we find a way to win.

 

One thing I can promise you, there isn't one person in Columbus who actually thinks Ohio State will lose to IU on Saturday. I guarantee you that. They haven't lost to us since 1988. They may say all the PC things about making sure they're prepared for us, but they're not worried at all about losing. I promise you... OSU players will see that IU only defeated Southern Illinois by one point and they'll think this is a gimme game. And maybe it will be for them.

 

But something else I know is this... our boys can play with house money and throw the kitchen sink at them. If there was ever, EVER, a time in the last 20 years when IU had the slightest chance of going toe-to-toe with the #1 team in the nation, this is it.

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,169]

Agreed! Tim you hit the mark on this. This is the game

[Southern Hoosier 27]

Question is does this start and if IU goes bowling, take Kevin Wilson off the hot seat and give him all the time he wants as head coach...

 

GO IU....62 - 58 Hoosiers in a upset.... :biggrin:

[Parakeet Jones 3,733]

Question is does this start and if IU goes bowling, take Kevin Wilson off the hot seat and give him all the time he wants as head coach...

 

GO IU....62 - 58 Hoosiers in a upset.... :biggrin:

If IU goes bowing he is off the hot seat.  

[Kilroy 271]

Everyone understands that we are about to lose 5 of the next 6 right?

[Parakeet Jones 3,733]

Everyone understands that we are about to lose 5 of the next 6 right?

I wish I could say that would surprise me, but it wouldn't. 

[Kilroy 271]

I wish I could say that would surprise me, but it wouldn't. 

 

IU has a legitimate chance at 7 wins this season. Possible wins against Rutgers, Maryland, and Purdue remain. But the next 6 are going to be rough. Expectations need to be tempered a bit.

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

Everyone understands that we are about to lose 5 of the next 6 right?

Getting into the meat of the schedule. Very likely. We have a chance against PSU and Iowa, IMO.

[HoosierAloha 29,897]

IU has a legitimate chance at 7 wins this season. Possible wins against Rutgers, Maryland, and Purdue remain. But the next 6 are going to be rough. Expectations need to be tempered a bit.

 

When was the last time IU fans could let their imaginations and expectations run wild about a good season?  I agree the next 6 games are going to be rough but live a little!  I want to see how the team competes against O$U before writing them off in all of the next 6 games.  If somehow IU could hang tough against O$U and then get a win @PSU that would be the next step for this team. 

 

From ESPN

 

[Kilroy 271]

When was the last time IU fans could let their imaginations and expectations run wild about a good season?  I agree the next 6 games are going to be rough but live a little!  I want to see how the team competes against O$U before writing them off in all of the next 6 games.  If somehow IU could hang tough against O$U and then get a win @PSU that would be the next step for this team. 

 

From ESPN

 

 

 

two seasons ago we were one win against Wisconsin away from playing in the B1G championship.

 

I think we lost by 70.

[HoosierAloha 29,897]

two seasons ago we were one win against Wisconsin away from playing in the B1G championship.

I think we lost by 70.

I think a few more things had to go our way though right? That's when O$U and PSU were both on probation?

[MartintheMopMan 7,765]

I think a few more things had to go our way though right? That's when O$U and PSU were both on probation?

Yes. We had only won 1 conference game going into that game. What a pathetic time for the Big Ten.

 

Though, I think we're mixing up the Wisco games. They beat us 83-20 back in 2010, that wasn't our near championship season, that was 2012 (Bucks undefeated season). They only beat us 51-3 that game.