Will_Logan

All true, but honestly the fault is still on the pacers for simply not closing the game in my opinion. I felt like this was one of those "'Miami didn't win, the pacers lost" games. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I'd say this qualifies as "altering a jump shot" [attachment=272:ImageUploadedByBtownBanners1387422794.459887.jpg] Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Makes me sick watching D-Whine Wade and Bronie-BooHoo cry to the officials all night long [attachment=271:ImageUploadedByBtownBanners1387422733.825579.jpg] Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

On the bright side, at least CKW hasn't come out and said that Mallory is being retained.  With as much buzz as there was about Mallory being fired at the end of the season, you would think Wilson would have to specifically announce one way or the other. 

There was a shroud of mystery surrounding this year's Indiana team. With so many new faces populating the roster, no one was quite sure what to expect. Here's what we now know after 10 games: The Good Free throws and rebounding...that's what Indiana does. (photo credit: btn.com) Indiana is fourth in the country in made free throws and seventh in free throw attempts. Not only are they finding ways to get to the line, but they are knocking down shots once they get there. Since seven of the first 10 games have been played at home, it will be interesting to see if the free throw attempts go down away from Assembly Hall. Is IU really that good at drawing fouls, or do officials really give them that many calls at home? The super-athletic Hoosiers rank in the top 10 of the country in virtually every rebounding category. They are third in total rebounds, second in rebounds per game, and second in rebounding percentage (essentially the rate at which a team comes up with a rebound when one is available). The only team with a higher rebounding percentage? The number one overall Arizona Wildcats. The Bad (photo credit: Inside the Hall) Hopefully Evan Gordon's 26 point outburst was a coming out party and not a fluke. Heaven knows Indiana needs a shooter to emerge alongside Yogi Ferrell. They rank 74th in points scored per possession, 114th in field goal percentage, 173rd in effective field goal percentage, and a deplorable 284th in three point field goal percentage. They've also struggled generating turnovers as they rank 183rd in steals per game. That doesn't appear to be from a lack of aggressiveness however as they rank 195th in fouls committed per game. The Ugly Indiana's worst statistical category (other than three point shooting) centers around it's ability to pass the basketball. They rank 278th in assists per game, 319th in assist percentage, and their assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 320th. They are also ranked second to last in the B1G in each of those categories in front of only Nebraska. I will say that I don't think point guard Yogi Ferrell is to be blamed for this. As in last night's game, he has found his teammates for plenty of open shots; teammates just miss the shots. Poor shooting plus excellent rebounding indicates that Indiana relies more on missed shots than passes to generate points. What to make of the 8-2 start Not much. Indiana has dropped two games thus far, and both were played outside of Assembly Hall against top 10 teams with Final Four experience. Nothing for a young team to get down about. However, while it's true that Indiana doesn't have any "bad" losses, they also don't have any good wins. The Washington win initially looked impressive, but the Huskies are now 4-4 and rank 201 in the RPI. In fact, the Hoosiers have yet to beat a team ranking in the top 100 of the RPI rankings, and the biggest chunk of their wins (five) have come against teams ranked 200 or worse. The Hoosiers won't have a chance to "prove it" any time soon either. Indiana won't play a top 50 RPI team until January 4 when Michigan State visits Bloomington. Yes the youthful Hoosiers were one play away from upsetting the ninth ranked team in the country. Yes they played the second ranked team close for a half. And yes, they have blown out the teams that they should be blowing out. Still, they haven't proven their legitimacy with a big win. If they win the games they are supposed to, they should be 12-2 when Michigan State comes to town. Win that game and... (photo credit: inkonindy.com) Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Players and fans may be excited, but Tom Crean knows better. Ten games down. Many more to go. Go Hoosiers.

I've literally been having nightmares at night about this (probably a sign that I take IU a little too seriously).  CC is right, Mallory has been on a recruiting trip with Wilson.  The only scenario I've been able to devise that makes any sense is that Mallory is going to be retained as safeties coach, but Wilson will bring in another DC.  Wilson could tell recruits as much which would ( A ) satisfy their concerns about the defensive numbers this year and ( B ) prevent losing ground with any recruits who Mallory had been working on.   Purely speculation.  Just trying to find someway to put my mind at rest because every day that passes increases the likelihood that Mallory will be back as DC next year.  Which is an absolutely disgrace.  Any DC, at any school, in any conference would be expected to be fired after fielding the worst defense in that conference's history.  Why that wouldn't hold true for Indiana...

  That's what I'm really confused about.  Wilson is presumably going after mainly defensive players (other than offensive lineman), but how can really convince these guys to come if they don't know who they are going to be playing for?  Is he telling recruits Mallory is coming back?  Is he saying they don't know if he is coming back?  Hopefully, they are saying "we are going to get a great new defensive coordinator that you'll love to play for"...but even then, what is Mallory himself saying to guys on these recruiting trips??!?!

  Awesome find cc

Excellent position.  In fact, Indiana is the only school he is willing to mention as a possible destination at the moment.  Not to say that won't change as more schools get re-involved with his recruitment, but it sounds like Wilson never took his foot off the gas with him so we haven't lost any ground. His reason for de-committing from Tennessee was that they were no longer going to let him enroll early which he said is a huge priority for him.  Wilson is obviously more than willing to accommodate this.     Seems like flippin' local 4-stars may be becoming a tradition for Wilson and his staff (Latham, Allen, Kenney)

Finally. A game that doesn't require fantastical predictions on my part. Indiana can, should, and better win this one. Let's start with some good old fashion Purdue bashin'. Purdue hasn't beat an FBS team this year. Their only victory was a 20-14 barn burner against the same Indiana State team that the Hoosiers thumped 73-35. Last week, Boilermaker fans packed Ross-Ade stadium to see Illinois snap their 20 game B1G losing streak against Purdont. Here's a picture of the stadium before kickoff. Not a joke. That happened. Without further adieu, the final five keys to victory of the 2013 football season... #1 Play Angry Not Mopy It's official. Indiana isn't going bowling. Again. Team morale was at an all-time low after the Ohio State game, and those post-game player interviews were hard to watch. But how will the no-luck Hoosiers respond? Will they take out two week's of offensive frustration on the pitiful (but not as pitiful as their own) Boilermaker defense? Or will they come out flat and lifeless? They don't have the best history at bouncing back. After their Rose Bowl hopes were obliterated last year against Wisconsin, they lost their next game to Penn State by 23 points. That game then eliminated the Hoosiers from the post-season last season. They followed that disappointment with a 21 points loss to Purdue. The coaching staff needs to focus on keeping heads up going into Saturday's game. #2 Get Another Monster Performance from Houston There's still no definite word on Tevin Coleman's status for this week's game, but don't lose too much sleep worrying about that. Stephen Houston has dominated the Boilermakers totaling 394 yards and 4 touchdowns over the past two years. Since the Purdue rushing defense is ranked 106th in the nation and giving up 220 yards per game, expect an absolutely monster game from Houston on his senior day. #3 Protect the Quarterback When offensive lineman Ralston Evans went down with an injury in the Ohio State game, all IU fans could do was bury their faces in their hands. Coming in to this season, Indiana was only losing one lineman from the number one offensive line unit in the Big Ten. Since then, the Hoosiers have lost three starting linemen for the season and a fourth is questionable against Purdue. The offense sputters when the quarterbacks aren't well protected, but this week's matchup should provide some respite. Purdue is dead last in the conference in getting to the quarterback. #4 Win the Special Teams Battles Punting is the only area where Purdue has excelled this year. Cody Webster leads the B1G in punting and the team ranks third nationally in net punting yards. Luckily, Indiana has an offense more than capable of driving the distance of the field. For all the scoring Indiana has done this year, they have yet to reach the end zone off a kickoff. Purdue kicker Thomas Meadows ranks last in the conference in touchbacks, so the Indiana return men should have plenty of chances to take one back. Indiana is the best team in the B1G in kickoff coverage. It's a hard statistic to wrap your head around given the defense's inability to make a tackle, but it will be an important trend to maintain Saturday. Purdue's offense isn't good enough to put together long drives (hopefully), so the Hoosiers can't help them by surrendering good starting field position. #5 Generally, Be Less Terrible Than Purdue This should be fun to watch. The Big Ten's worst defense against the conference's worst offense. Fireworks abound. In order to prevent becoming the worst defense in the history of the Big Ten, the hard-to-watch Indiana defense needs to hold Purdue to less than 233 yards. This doesn't quite seem doable as Indiana has yet to hold an FBS opponent to under 400 yards this year. However, Purdue is really bad offensively, and only managed 16 points against an Illini defense that is almost as bad as IU's despite four turnovers by Illinois. Indiana has made mediocre offenses look like unstoppable forces all year, but is it possible Purdue is so bad that they can't be helped? Maybe. Fingers crossed. Prediction: The Hoosiers will take out all of their frustrations on the Boilermakers Saturday with an offensive performance to remember. IU won't go bowling, but they'll finish with a better record than last year and will maintain important momentum with recruiting. POTFB, HOOSIERS 63 BOILERMAKERS 28

Lot of ifs.  If we scored each time we had the ball in Ohio State territory, we be winning the game 49-42 with 2 minutes to go.

This is exactly how I felt when we finally got the ball in the end zone.   [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DbQ5MaeikQ[/media]

Maybe they are trying to throw the game.  I can't understand playing Nate over Tre in this second half otherwise.

Nate may be done for the day.  Half time trip to the liquor store, engage.

        Y'all, settle down.  The offense was ranked 83rd in Wilson's first year, 34th in his second, and now 16th in year three.  You really think the offensive staff should be fired for fielding the top passing offense in the B1G?  Not a chance.   Wilson also just had the best recruiting class in the internet era at least.  To put things in perspective about how good it was compared to other classes, IU had one 4 star recruit ever previously and Wilson reeled in 5 last year.   Wilson is exactly what IU football needs in my opinion.  The defense is inexcusable.  But the program as whole is heading in the right direction.

"They're Freshman" Crean's response when asked about the drop-off in Troy Williams and Noah Vonleh's performance from the previous night's game said it all: "they're freshman." Indiana was forced to play without Vonleh's 15.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as the freshman learned a hard lesson about keeping his hands to himself. Still, the unranked Hoosiers were able to take a ranked UCONN team with National Championship experience down to the wire. A fact that has many Hoosier fans waking up oddly content for the morning after a loss. What Indiana Can Learn from Kentucky Fans can settle in for a season full of ups and downs like we saw in the 2K Sports Classic. It's what you'd expect from a team as inexperienced as the 2013-2014 Indiana Hoosiers. Based on the "average experience per minute" statistic, there are only eight teams more inexperienced than Indiana in the country. One of them happens to be our dear friend Kentucky. Although the Wildcats have received all the attention thus far, they are actually statistically similar to the Hoosiers this year. Not surprising as both are inexperienced, yet talented teams. Neither team is ranked in the top 40 in field goal percentage, free-throws, three-pointers, or assists. Categories in which you would expect polished college players to excel. However, both teams mitigate these shortcomings with extreme athleticism and effort. Despite their poor shooting percentages, in terms of points per game, both Indiana (31st) and Kentucky (22nd) are thriving. How? By producing more opportunities. Both teams rank in the top ten nationally in offensive rebounding. This dominance in terms of rebounding is going to be essential for Indiana's success this year. Last night made that clear. While Indiana had been masking their poor shooting by out-rebounding opponents by 20 boards per game, they were dead even with UCONN last night at 38 apiece. As a natural consequence, the team scored 36 points fewer than their season average. Other than rebounding, turnovers were obviously a big problem. In fact, turnovers may be an even bigger issue for the Hoosiers than shooting at this point as IU ranks 322nd in terms of their assist-to-turnover ratio. If the early comparison to Kentucky has you wondering why the Wildcats are being talked about as National Championship contenders and the Hoosiers are just focused on making the tournament, turnovers may have something to do with. While the two young teams are comparable in most statistical categories, Kentucky is 215 spots ahead of the Hoosiers with regards to assist-to-turnover rate. Summary: Improve the turnovers and Indiana is on the same (statistical) level as the fourth ranked Kentucky Wildcats. If There's Such Thing as a Good Loss... All in all, there's a lot to be excited about with this year's team. Thursday we caught a glimpse of the potential. Friday we were brought back down to earth. Even though the Hoosiers came up short, they're growth and development was evident. Game-to-game you can see this young team improving. In fact, last night you could see them improve from half-to-half (Indiana outscored UCONN in the second half 34-29). Sophomore leader Yogi Ferrell summed up what everyone at home witnessed: Fans can't wait to see what these Hoosiers can accomplish "down the road." Worth Noting: The Hoosiers are ranked a woeful 276 in three point percentage. While IU may be serving as a poor ambassador for a state that is supposed to be full of shooters, other school's are picking up the slack. Two of the top three teams in the country in three point percentage hail from the hoosier state: Indiana State (1) and Evansville (3). Yogi and Sheehey are currently accounting for 78 percent of the team's three point field goals and 63 percent of the assists. However, they only contributing 17 percent of steals, 10 percent of the offensive rebounds, and 5 percent of blocks. While Shabazz Napier looked unstoppable last night, the Hoosier defense held the rest of the Husky offense to just 28.2 percent shooting.

This week is more of a wish-list than a "keys to victory." I don't think any rational football fan could truly justify picking the Hoosiers to upset a legitimate National Championship contender, so some irrational things are going to have to take place. Not completely unthinkable, just not anything you'd want to bet any amount of money on. Here are five such wishful scenarios: #1 Indiana's Greatest Strength Exposes the Buckeye's Greatest Weakness Indiana has the B1G's number one passing offense while the Buckeyes surprisingly have given up the third most passing touchdowns in the conference. The OSU secondary has struggled against good passing offenses this year. Look for Shane Wynn to have a breakout game. With only two regular season games remaining, Wynn has recorded less than half of the receptions he had in the 2012 season. He also hasn't had a 100 yard game yet this year, a feat he accomplished in last year's OSU game. He will also have some added motivation playing back in his home state against the team that never offered him a scholarship despite his success at Glenville High School, a perennial OSU pipeline. #2 Indiana Finds a Way to Protect the Football Turnovers have been absolutely murderous for the Hoosiers this season. Two costly fourth quarter interceptions kept Indiana from pulling off an upset in Ann Arbor. The backward pass in the Minnesota game will torture Hoosier fans eternally (especially if Indiana loses to OSU and then beats Purdue). And the Hoosiers never stood a chance against Wisconsin after turning the ball over on its first two possessions. Aside from the general "shoot yourself in the foot" nature of turnovers, the Indiana defense simply can't handle any extra possessions being given to the opposing offense. The Indiana offense has to make protecting the football a top priority Saturday if they are going to have a fighting chance. Ready for the bad news? Ohio State leads the conference in sacks and is second in interceptions. #3 Ohio State is More Focused on Michigan than the National Championship Ohio State had a bit of a hiccup last week in allowing the B1G's worst team to hang 35 points. Urban Meyer said after that he felt his team was getting too distracted by their BCS potential. That's good news if the #3 team in the nation has trouble concentrating, because next week's game against rival-of-all-rivals Michigan could serve as a huge distraction. In any other season, it would be 100% plausible to think the Buckeyes will be looking forward to the Wolverines, and they may well be. However, the problem is that OSU may have an even bigger game in their future. Normally, OSU would just be focused on taking care of Indiana then moving on to Michigan. But, because of the BCS design, OSU doesn't merely need to beat Indiana on Saturday, they have to tear them limb from limb. In theory, even if they win, a close game against the Hoosiers could cost them a shot at the National Championship. Will the Buckeyes be thinking about a 100-0 victory on Saturday or finishing the regular season with a win in Ann Arbor? #4 The Offense Remembers Last Year Better Than Last Game Last week, the Indiana offense was kept out of the end zone for only the second time in the Kevin Wilson era. Last year, however, Indiana had their best scoring game of the season against Ohio State. If the offense from last week shows up Saturday, obviously most of us will be shutting off our TVs before half time and heading to the liquor store. If the offense from last year's game shows up, the Hoosiers might have a chance. The Buckeye defense is not invincible. The Buckeyes have already surrendered 34 points to Cal, 24 to Wisconsin and Iowa, 30 to Northwestern, and 35 last week against Illinois. They are not on the same level as MSU or Wisconsin, so the Hoosiers should be able to get back on track offensively this week. #5 Indiana Cares More about Bowling Than Ohio State Cares About Its Seniors and the Record Books Even without taking the National Championship into consideration this is a big game for the Buckeyes. First of all, it's their senior day, and their all worked up about it. Second, they have a chance to break the all-time school winning streak. They tied the record last week with their 22nd consecutive win. Three years ago, the team lost seven games. Two years into Urban Meyer's reign, the 2013 Buckeyes are on the verge of breaking a record set by Woody Hayes, an immortal fixture in Buckeye lore. It would also be something predecessor Jim Tresel never accomplished. Admittedly impressive. But the Hoosiers have some motivation of their own. Seniors like Kofi Hughes, Ted Bolser, Mitch Ewald, and Greg Heban have given their hearts and souls to the program yet have never had the experience of playing in a bowl game. It's something other players and coaches alike have referenced, and it's all on the line Saturday. Prediction: In 1937, Ohio State was undefeated and had cruised through their schedule, defeating opponents by a combined score of 99-0. They seemingly had the conference title locked up, but the Indiana Hoosiers marched into Columbus and ruined their season with a 10-0 victory. Little did the Ohio State faithful know this was a "to be continued" episode with Part II coming 76 years later. HOOSIERS 52 BUCKEYES 42

It's not getting any easier being a Hoosier football optimist.This week is more of a wish-list than a "keys to victory." I don't think any rational football fan could truly justify picking the Hoosiers to upset a legitimate National Championship contender, so some irrational things are going to have to take place. Not completely unthinkable, just not anything you'd want to bet any amount of money on. Here are five such wishful scenarios: #1 Indiana's Greatest Strength Exposes the Buckeye's Greatest Weakness Indiana has the B1G's number one passing offense while the Buckeyes surprisingly have given up the third most passing touchdowns in the conference. The OSU secondary has struggled against good passing offenses this year. Look for Shane Wynn to have a breakout game. With only two regular season games remaining, Wynn has recorded less than half of the receptions he had in the 2012 season. He also hasn't had a 100 yard game yet this year, a feat he accomplished in last year's OSU game. He will also have some added motivation playing back in his home state against the team that never offered him a scholarship despite his success at Glenville High School, a perennial OSU pipeline. #2 Indiana Finds a Way to Protect the Football Turnovers have been absolutely murderous for the Hoosiers this season. Two costly fourth quarter interceptions kept Indiana from pulling off an upset in Ann Arbor. The backward pass in the Minnesota game will torture Hoosier fans eternally (especially if Indiana loses to OSU and then beats Purdue). And the Hoosiers never stood a chance against Wisconsin after turning the ball over on its first two possessions. Aside from the general "shoot yourself in the foot" nature of turnovers, the Indiana defense simply can't handle any extra possessions being given to the opposing offense. The Indiana offense has to make protecting the football a top priority Saturday if they are going to have a fighting chance. Ready for the bad news? Ohio State leads the conference in sacks and is second in interceptions. #3 Ohio State is More Focused on Michigan than the National Championship Ohio State had a bit of a hiccup last week in allowing the B1G's worst team to hang 35 points. Urban Meyer said after that he felt his team was getting too distracted by their BCS potential. That's good news if the #3 team in the nation has trouble concentrating, because next week's game against rival-of-all-rivals Michigan could serve as a huge distraction. In any other season, it would be 100% plausible to think the Buckeyes will be looking forward to the Wolverines, and they may well be. However, the problem is that OSU may have an even bigger game in their future. Normally, OSU would just be focused on taking care of Indiana then moving on to Michigan. But, because of the BCS design, OSU doesn't merely need to beat Indiana on Saturday, they have to tear them limb from limb. In theory, even if they win, a close game against the Hoosiers could cost them a shot at the National Championship. Will the Buckeyes be thinking about a 100-0 victory on Saturday or finishing the regular season with a win in Ann Arbor? #4 The Offense Remembers Last Year Better Than Last Game Last week, the Indiana offense was kept out of the end zone for only the second time in the Kevin Wilson era. Last year, however, Indiana had their best scoring game of the season against Ohio State. If the offense from last week shows up Saturday, obviously most of us will be shutting off our TVs before half time and heading to the liquor store. If the offense from last year's game shows up, the Hoosiers might have a chance. The Buckeye defense is not invincible. The Buckeyes have already surrendered 34 points to Cal, 24 to Wisconsin and Iowa, 30 to Northwestern, and 35 last week against Illinois. They are not on the same level as MSU or Wisconsin, so the Hoosiers should be able to get back on track offensively this week. #5 Indiana Cares More about Bowling Than Ohio State Cares About Its Seniors and the Record Books Even without taking the National Championship into consideration this is a big game for the Buckeyes. First of all, it's their senior day, and their all worked up about it. Second, they have a chance to break the all-time school winning streak. They tied the record last week with their 22nd consecutive win. Three years ago, the team lost seven games. Two years into Urban Meyer's reign, the 2013 Buckeyes are on the verge of breaking a record set by Woody Hayes, an immortal fixture in Buckeye lore. It would also be something predecessor Jim Tresel never accomplished. Admittedly impressive. But the Hoosiers have some motivation of their own. Seniors like Kofi Hughes, Ted Bolser, Mitch Ewald, and Greg Heban have given their hearts and souls to the program yet have never had the experience of playing in a bowl game. It's something other players and coaches alike have referenced, and it's all on the line Saturday. Prediction: In 1937, Ohio State was undefeated and had cruised through their schedule, defeating opponents by a combined score of 99-0. They seemingly had the conference title locked up, but the Indiana Hoosiers marched into Columbus and ruined their season with a 10-0 victory. Little did the Ohio State faithful know this was a "to be continued" episode with Part II coming 76 years later. HOOSIERS 52 BUCKEYES 42 [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/articles.html/_/football/pre-g/a-hypothetical-hoosier-victory-r106]Click here to view the article[/url]

Thank you sir! I expect to get blasted for unrealistic optimism at some point. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Before slipping into mindless optimism, let's be honest... This game has blowout written all over it. Indiana hasn't won a road game all year, and hostile Camp Randall seems an unlikely place to start. They are most likely going to be without the reigning B1G player of the week, Tevin Coleman. They have one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation (109) while Wisconsin has one of the most potent rushing attacks in the NCAA (10). Oh yea - and don't forget the Badgers are averaging 68 points per game against IU over the past three years. This one should be over by half time, but…what if it isn’t? It wouldn’t be the first time Indiana pulled off an unthinkable upset at Camp Randall. Here's how Bucky will fall: #1 Absolutely Pack the Box Wisconsin running backs James White and Melvin Gordon have their own little touchdown dance. As they've combined for 22 rushing touchdowns already this year, the dance has become quite popular. I'm sure we'll all be more than familiar with it by the time Saturday's game is over. If Indiana is going to have any shot at containing the Wisconsin rushing juggernaut, they are going to have to cheat like your little brother playing Madden. Old Doug Mallory has to act like he can see the play his friend is choosing. Because he more or less can - it's a run! At the risk of going on a Mallory rant, I’d posit that the defensive coordinators try to overcomplicate their schemes. If you know Navy is going to run the triple option, overplay the option (like just about every other team that has faced the Midshipmen has done this year). If you know Wisconsin is going to run the ball, pack the box with as many players as humanely possible and say “good luck” to your corners. It's also going to be imperative that IU's defenders make the first tackle this week. Wisconsin backs thrive on making the first man miss and then... #2 Get an Early Lead The last time Indiana beat Wisconsin at Camp Randall, they jumped out to a shocking 32-0 first quarter lead. They silenced the crowd of 79,000+. They altered the Wisconsin game plan. They gave their suspect defense a cushion. That was 12 years ago, but not much has changed for the Hoosiers. Their defense is still their weakness and needs all they help they can get. Although the offense always ultimately ends putting points on the board, they have yet to put together an explosive first quarter. On the season, Indiana has scored 73 points in the first quarter, 99 in the second, 94 in the third, and 122 in the fourth. While this trend is likely caused by the pace of the offense wearing down opposing defenses throughout the game, the Hoosier O is going to need to show up early to the party this week. Indiana hasn’t made enough teams play catch-up this year. Finding a way to build a lead early will be paramount. If Indiana can get a lead, it won’t matter if they go back and forth scoring touchdowns with the Badgers for the rest of the game. The game will be in the offense’s hands at that point, and that’s good news for Hoosier fans. #3 Satisfy Wilson’s Offensive Thirst Despite the numbers the offense has put up this year, Kevin Wilson and the players habitually speak of the need for improvement. Indiana will need its best offensive performance of the year to stand a chance at Camp Randall. Indiana was only able to put up 28 points against the top defense in the country. They’ll have to do much better against the 7th best unit. And by better, I mean they have to score virtually every time they get the ball. Just as they did in their last victory in Madison winning by a score of 63-32. As stated above, if the Hoosiers can find some way to build an early lead and then they don’t look back, the defense’s futility becomes irrelevant. #4 Make Sunshine Step Up If Indiana packs the box, Wisconsin will have to throw. If Indiana gets up big early, Wisconsin will have to throw. If the Hoosiers can successfully force Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave to throw the ball, they may be in business. Stave is not a great QB. His quarterback rating is 52.3 on the year, he throws one interception for every two touchdowns, and he has -7 rushing yards on the season. He’s also incredibly predictable with nearly of half of his completions going to Jarred Abbrederis (how long has that guy been around?). However, the famed Wisconsin offensive line does more than give running backs huge holes to run though; they give their QB ALL DAY to throw. Late in the second half of last week’s game against BYU, the Cougars were finally able to pressure Stave. Once they did, Stave struggled. Overloading the box will be just as important for pressuring the QB as it will be for stopping the run. Another big game from former Wisconsin commit Darius Latham would be nice... #5 Force Field Goals It's hard finding weaknesses on this Wisconsin team, but their kicking game leaves much to be desired. The Badgers rank 11th in the conference in field goal percentage (58.3%). After missing some big field goals in the first half of the season, junior Kyle French was replaced by sophomore Jack Russell. The switch hasn’t paid off. Russell has been even worse than the man he replaced. Forcing a field goal in the red zone this week may not mean three points instead of seven. It may mean zero. Prediction: Alright. I’ve convinced myself it’s going to happen again. Twelve year’s later, the magic returns for the Hoosiers at Camp Randall. The prolific offense of the 2001 team led by Antwaan Randle El and Levron Williams reached its peak against the Badgers, just as this year’s prolific offense will do on Saturday. Indiana will jump out to an early lead in a game they have no business winning, and although the defense will do their best to let the Badgers back into the game, the Hoosiers offense just won’t let up on the poor folks in Madison. Optimistic? Of course. Insane? To be determined. INDIANA 52 WISCONSIN 41 Dear Indiana, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKqg05gXEI

It was October 6, 2001. The 0-3 Hoosiers marched into Madison and did something that wasn't supposed to be possible. Could it happen again?Before slipping into mindless optimism, let's be honest... This game has blowout written all over it. Indiana hasn't won a road game all year, and hostile Camp Randall seems an unlikely place to start. They are most likely going to be without the reigning B1G player of the week, Tevin Coleman. They have one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation (109) while Wisconsin has one of the most potent rushing attacks in the NCAA (10). Oh yea - and don't forget the Badgers are averaging 68 points per game against IU over the past three years. This one should be over by half time, but…what if it isn’t? It wouldn’t be the first time Indiana pulled off an unthinkable upset at Camp Randall. Here's how Bucky will fall: #1 Absolutely Pack the Box Wisconsin running backs James White and Melvin Gordon have their own little touchdown dance. As they've combined for 22 rushing touchdowns already this year, the dance has become quite popular. I'm sure we'll all be more than familiar with it by the time Saturday's game is over. If Indiana is going to have any shot at containing the Wisconsin rushing juggernaut, they are going to have to cheat like your little brother playing Madden. Old Doug Mallory has to act like he can see the play his friend is choosing. Because he more or less can - it's a run! At the risk of going on a Mallory rant, I’d posit that the defensive coordinators try to overcomplicate their schemes. If you know Navy is going to run the triple option, overplay the option (like just about every other team that has faced the Midshipmen has done this year). If you know Wisconsin is going to run the ball, pack the box with as many players as humanely possible and say “good luck” to your corners. It's also going to be imperative that IU's defenders make the first tackle this week. Wisconsin backs thrive on making the first man miss and then... #2 Get an Early Lead The last time Indiana beat Wisconsin at Camp Randall, they jumped out to a shocking 32-0 first quarter lead. They silenced the crowd of 79,000+. They altered the Wisconsin game plan. They gave their suspect defense a cushion. That was 12 years ago, but not much has changed for the Hoosiers. Their defense is still their weakness and needs all they help they can get. Although the offense always ultimately ends putting points on the board, they have yet to put together an explosive first quarter. On the season, Indiana has scored 73 points in the first quarter, 99 in the second, 94 in the third, and 122 in the fourth. While this trend is likely caused by the pace of the offense wearing down opposing defenses throughout the game, the Hoosier O is going to need to show up early to the party this week. Indiana hasn’t made enough teams play catch-up this year. Finding a way to build a lead early will be paramount. If Indiana can get a lead, it won’t matter if they go back and forth scoring touchdowns with the Badgers for the rest of the game. The game will be in the offense’s hands at that point, and that’s good news for Hoosier fans. #3 Satisfy Wilson’s Offensive Thirst Despite the numbers the offense has put up this year, Kevin Wilson and the players habitually speak of the need for improvement. Indiana will need its best offensive performance of the year to stand a chance at Camp Randall. Indiana was only able to put up 28 points against the top defense in the country. They’ll have to do much better against the 7th best unit. And by better, I mean they have to score virtually every time they get the ball. Just as they did in their last victory in Madison winning by a score of 63-32. As stated above, if the Hoosiers can find some way to build an early lead and then they don’t look back, the defense’s futility becomes irrelevant. #4 Make Sunshine Step Up If Indiana packs the box, Wisconsin will have to throw. If Indiana gets up big early, Wisconsin will have to throw. If the Hoosiers can successfully force Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave to throw the ball, they may be in business. Stave is not a great QB. His quarterback rating is 52.3 on the year, he throws one interception for every two touchdowns, and he has -7 rushing yards on the season. He’s also incredibly predictable with nearly of half of his completions going to Jarred Abbrederis (how long has that guy been around?). However, the famed Wisconsin offensive line does more than give running backs huge holes to run though; they give their QB ALL DAY to throw. Late in the second half of last week’s game against BYU, the Cougars were finally able to pressure Stave. Once they did, Stave struggled. Overloading the box will be just as important for pressuring the QB as it will be for stopping the run. Another big game from former Wisconsin commit Darius Latham would be nice... #5 Force Field Goals It's hard finding weaknesses on this Wisconsin team, but their kicking game leaves much to be desired. The Badgers rank 11th in the conference in field goal percentage (58.3%). After missing some big field goals in the first half of the season, junior Kyle French was replaced by sophomore Jack Russell. The switch hasn’t paid off. Russell has been even worse than the man he replaced. Forcing a field goal in the red zone this week may not mean three points instead of seven. It may mean zero. Prediction: Alright. I’ve convinced myself it’s going to happen again. Twelve year’s later, the magic returns for the Hoosiers at Camp Randall. The prolific offense of the 2001 team led by Antwaan Randle El and Levron Williams reached its peak against the Badgers, just as this year’s prolific offense will do on Saturday. Indiana will jump out to an early lead in a game they have no business winning, and although the defense will do their best to let the Badgers back into the game, the Hoosiers offense just won’t let up on the poor folks in Madison. Optimistic? Of course. Insane? To be determined. INDIANA 52 WISCONSIN 41 Dear Indiana, [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/articles.html/_/football/pre-g/another-miracle-in-madison-r92]Click here to view the article[/url]

100% on board with you on this. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

That one hurts.  He was the biggest name we still had on the board.  Not saying that there won't be surprises as there are every year, but he was the biggest name known to be looking our way IMO.  I know the staff wanted him badly too.

This was published last week on Grantland.  Sorry if it's already been posted on this site.  Just seems relevant to this thread on Crean and an interesting read for any B1G basketball fan.   http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9938701/the-big-ten-won-championship-2000-elite-conference   I'm too tired to worry about CTC right now.  I'm focusing all my energy on different spells and charms that might help the Indiana football Hoosiers reach a bowl.

Warning: I'm feeling irrationally good about this weekend (preview to follow tomorrow).  Don Fischer's most memorable football game?  Indiana's last victory at Camp Randall 12 years ago.  A 63-32 thumping thanks to these two...   [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghrPmBmek2A[/media]   Am I the only one who wouldn't mind seeing those uniforms again for a game or two?   "you couldn't hold me if your last name was hand"