Analysis: A bowl bid well deserved

[IndyHutch 1,718]

Indiana may have slipped in the back door in terms of qualifying for a postseason bowl appearance in the 2015 season but in my opinion this was a bowl bid well earned by this Indiana football team. Here is my take.

There was one thought that kept coming back to me over and over Saturday afternoon as I sat in the press box at Ross-Ade Stadium following Indiana’s 54-36 victory over Purdue in the Old Oaken Bucket game.

 

It was simply that Indiana was soon to be headed to a bowl game that it clearly deserved to be playing in.

 

This was an IU football team that came within a touchdown of then No. 1 Ohio State in a 34-27 loss to the Buckeyes.

 

This was an IU football team that trailed 28-26 to then No. 7 Michigan State in the fourth quarter before the Spartans raced to a 52-26 victory.

 

This was an IU team that dropped a 35-27 decision to Iowa, a team that could find its way into the College Football Playoff.

 

This was an IU football team that lost in double overtime to Michigan 48-41 despite leading by a touchdown before the final play of regulation.

 

Those four games, all losses, told us something about Indiana football. It told us that the Hoosiers were fighters and deserved a chance to be playing in the postseason.

 

When IU scored 101 points in the final two weeks of the season in wins over Maryland and Purdue and did so without 1,000-yard plus running back Jordan Howard, we were reminded of just how much talent this Indiana team possesses.

 

No, make no mistake. This Indiana football team deserves to be bowling come late December. These seniors who have endured some difficult times in their IU careers deserve to be able to play together for another month. Kevin Wilson and his staff deserves to be able to coach them.

 

And Indiana football fans deserve one more opportunity to see these guys play.

 

The next stop for the Hoosiers could be New York City or Santa Clara (the town where Nate Sudfeld was born) the day after Christmas. It could be Detroit on Dec. 28 or Fort Worth on Dec. 29. It could be Dec. 30 in Nashville or San Diego, too.

 

It will be another week before we learn of IU’s bowl destination.

 

But the only thing that matters is that Indiana took care of business and removed all the guess work out of what lies ahead.

 

Had IU lost it would have had to have hoped to be one of the 5-7 teams selected to go to a bowl game. But that 5-7 advancement would almost carry an asterisk, too, as the Hoosiers would not have properly earned a postseason bid.

 

And that’s where I keep coming back to today. Indiana football earned the right to play in a bowl game. Indiana football deserves to be there.

 

Now we can sit back and learn the opponent and the destination for what will be a historic outcome for the 2015 IU football season.

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[HoosierReb01 7,511]

Bowl bound baby. Been waiting for this for a while.

[Crimson and Cream 5,699]

Someone is going to not be happy to see they're facing us in their bowl game.

[Miller'sTheMan 1,652]

Feels great to have our season continuing! Hopefully we can turn this into more recruiting success!