IndyHutch

On my drive to Happy Valley Friday, I was talking to a buddy of mine by telephone who played at Penn State and he basically said that PS is very average and he wouldn't be surprised to see Indiana win, too.   Latham coming back is likely a positive if he can keep his emotions under control.   But for me it comes down to Sudfeld and Howard. With those guys, you feel like you're always in the game but obviously without him it's just a completely different feeling.    I ultimately picked Penn State today but I really don't think there's any outcome that would really surprise me.

  Is that really the key, or just one of the factors?   :D

  I plan to be there for the Maryland game, too. I do stats for Fish and Buck in the IU radio booth so I have assistance getting there. If you listen to the radio broadcasts, any time Buck refers to comment made by the "crack statistician" that would be. Usually that's where it ends. Against Wake Forest I made a Mr. Obvious comment and Buck had some fun with me at my expense but I'm normally the guy in the background. I've been doing stats for them for 16 seasons. 

  I should just tone down the cliches, huh?

  The problem is we don't know enough about Howard to know if he's a quick healer on something like this. I liked the way he tried to come back (twice) against Ohio State but the fact he ultimately couldn't go worries me. If I had to guess I would think Sudfeld over Howard but we're going to have to wait and see.

  I keep hearing about the Btownbanners jet but every time I asked the boss about it he says it has maintenance issues. I'm probably safer driving.

You guys are absolutely no fun.   :scratchhead:   So I'll go with:   Penn State 27, Indiana 23   and hope I'm wrong. I've just seen too many Indiana football teams come up short in Happy Valley I guess.

With Sudfeld/Howard   IU 31, Penn State 24   Without Sudfeld/Howard   Penn State 31, Indiana 14   I'm probably not supposed to couch my pick but that's how I see it.

It's the million dollar question as Indiana travels to State College to take on Penn State: Will the Hoosiers have Nate Sudfeld and/or Jordan Howard? It could easily be the difference between opening the season 5-1 or 4-2. Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard are travelling to Penn State on Saturday for the Big Ten matchup against the Nittany Lions.   That much we know.   And yet, as I drive to State College on Friday, that will continue to be the theme of my thought process as the Hoosiers try to bounce back from last week’s loss to Ohio State.   The obvious question: Can Sudfeld and Howard be ready for Penn State?   My best guess is that at the very least Sudfeld will try to give it a go. I know he wanted to get back in the game on Saturday against Ohio State but the coaching staff opted to take the safe approach. It didn’t hurt that Zander Diamont had led IU on a long touchdown drive and then scampered 79 yards for a touchdown a little bit later. That had to make the Sudfeld decision a little easier.   But when you look at Saturday’s game at Penn State and ask yourself who gives you the best chance to come out of Happy Valley with a victory over the Nittany Lions for the first time in school history, you have to think that’s Sudfeld.   All you have to remember is what Sudfeld did against these same Nittany Lions two years ago in Bloomington. He completed 23 of 38 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns and IU manhandled Penn State that day 44-24.   Contrast that to last season when Penn State won in Bloomington, 13-7. The quarterback that day was Diamont, filling in for the injured Sudfeld. Most people left Memorial Stadium that day believing that IU had missed a golden opportunity to beat Penn State for a second year in a row. But the reality was that without Sudfeld at the helm, the Hoosiers just couldn’t get it done.   Diamont was 13 of 27 for 68 yards. He also ran for 58 yards but IU’s offense was stuck in second gear. Indiana’s only touchdown last season against Penn State was on a 47 yard interception return for a score by Mark Murphy.   And I haven’t even talked about Howard. If both Sudfeld and Howard are in the lineup, I honestly believe that Indiana has a chance to knock Penn State off in Happy Valley. If the IU offense is unpredictable in terms of running and throwing the football and the play action fake is working with Howard in the lineup, Indiana has a chance to put a big number. And if you can score 30 or more in this game, one would think you’d have a pretty good chance to win.   But we’re getting too far ahead of ourselves. The big question right now is how will Sudfeld and Howard feel tomorrow when they step on the field early, go through their paces and see if they can play against the Nittany Lions.   If they can, don’t be surprised if IU heads to Homecoming with a 5-1 record. If they can’t go, however, I would think 4-2 would be a lot more realistic. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/analysi/analysis-will-iu-have-sudfeld-andor-howard-ve-r230]Click here to view the article[/url]

If Indiana's defense can clean up a few things, most importantly not giving up the big play, and the Hoosiers can play with the intensity they showed on Saturday this team could win a lot of games. I couldn’t help but think as I was watching Indiana play No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday what the Southern Illinois people were thinking when they heard today’s final score.   Or when they saw that the Hoosiers were beating Ohio State 10-6 at halftime.   They had to figure it was a misprint. Or that ESPN had somehow messed things up when they scrolled that score across the bottom of the screen.   I can just see the Saluki fans shaking their heads and saying, “Isn’t that the same team that less than a month ago we put 659 yards of offense against?”   They had to wonder if Indiana was suiting up a completely different defense than it had just a few weeks back. They had to wonder how the defense they scored 47 points against could possibly go toe to toe with the No. 1 ranked team in the country.   Maybe, they wished they could play the Buckeyes, too.   But the reality is that Indiana played some of its best defense in years Saturday afternoon in the 34-27 loss to the Buckeyes.   The way that Indiana came out and fought and set the tone for the game was pretty impressive. If the Hoosiers can do that against all competition and not just when they’re hyped up to play the best team in the land, this is a bowl team.   Indiana made a lot of plays Saturday. That interception that Tegray Scales had was absolutely huge deep in IU territory. Or the forced fumble that Marcus Oliver created when he wrapped up the Ohio State receiver from behind. Or the play that Rashard Fant made on the fumble recovery on the Ohio State sideline.   IU created three more turnovers Saturday. In recent years, Indiana’s defense did not create turnovers. And that made it too easy for teams to drive up and down the field against IU because the Hoosiers were simply not opportunistic.   But this team leads the Big Ten in that category.   Now, the thing that drives Indiana football fans crazy is how quickly opposing teams can score and how big plays seem to always be the norm when you’re facing Indiana. And there are no two ways around that one. Ezekiel Elliott had touchdown runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards. You simply have to eliminate those big plays in order to have a shot in a game like this. I’m not questioning that.   But here is something else I know. Ohio State managed 517 yards of offense on 61 plays. If you break that down, the Buckeyes had 195 yards of offense on three plays and 322 yards on the other 58 plays.   And here’s something else I know. In talking with IU players in the postgame, this is becoming a confident bunch of players. This is a team that now expects to play the way it did for much of the Ohio State game every week.   This team expects to go on the road and beat Penn State. It expects to come home and throttle Rutgers for Homecoming. It expects to play every game at a high level.   That has not always been the case with Indiana defenses. It hasn’t been the case for many of the years   I’ve covered the team. I’m not certain it was the case when the Hoosiers looked awful in the opener against Southern Illinois.   But I do those this: If Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard can get healthy (and I think both will play next week), this could be one of the best Indiana teams I’ve covered in 18 years.   And I think that’s saying something. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/analysi/analysis-was-that-the-same-defense-we-saw-agai-r228]Click here to view the article[/url]

Ohio State 34, Indiana 21

I guess I look at things differently sometimes.   Sure, losing Latham is significant but there's another way to look at it, too. It reduces the chance of personal foul penalties. It probably saves you a couple a game.    He didn't play the first game because he was suspended, and he had 10 tackles total in the other three games.   Now five were tackles for loss including two sacks so I'm not saying he hasn't had an impact.   McCray is listed as his backup.   You wonder if Rayner and Green will both play up front at the same time now.

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. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/analysi/analysis-the-significance-of-a-4-0-start-r223]Click here to view the article[/url]

Indiana 45, Wake Forest 28

'Here we go again' has been a bad phrase for IU football fans for decades. All of a sudden 'Here we go again' has a different meaning for the 2015 Hoosiers. At halftime of Saturday’s Indiana-Western Kentucky game, with the Hoosiers trailing by 11 points, I told a couple of colleagues on press row that Indiana had the Hilltoppers right where it wanted them.   There was a laugh or two and some shaking of heads and then like clockwork, Indiana went out and outscored WKU 21-0 in the third and went on to win, 38-35.   Indiana has now trailed all three of its opponents to date at halftime and has come back to win all three games.   Good pattern? Probably not. But here is what I’m choosing to take away from this at this point in the season.   For the first time that I can remember in all of my years covering Indiana football, the ‘Here we go again’ mentality may finally be a thing of the past for the Hoosiers.   In past years whenever bad things would happen, that little voice would go off in the back of people’s heads whether they were watching the game on television, listening to it on the radio or sitting in the stands at Memorial Stadium that would say, ‘Here we go again.’ I know for a fact that players thought about it like that, too. I’ve had several players over the years confirm that to me. Especially the older guys that had been through it a few times before.   But this group doesn’t appear to feel that way. And if they do, it’s a different kind of ‘Here we go again’. Now, it means, here we go again as in let’s go out and rally to win the game.   It’s a complete shift in the mentality of a football team.   But in order for Indiana to compete for postseason play and beyond it was a shift that had to take place.   At the very core, this football team has to believe it can find a way to win. And with a balanced offensive attack as Indiana possesses, it’s easy to see why the team believes.   Saturday, a couple of turnovers by WKU really came in handy in that third quarter. That blocked field goal didn’t hurt either. But Indiana showed that it can play smash mouth football and go right after you, too.   Here are a couple of things I liked:   *** One of the most impressive things about Indiana Saturday was that IU had touchdown drives of 99 and 97 yards. And on those drives it never panicked, it just continued to go to the well which was Jordan Howard or Devine Redding and good things were happening.   *** How many times in recent years did Indiana find itself in third and two or third and one, and not be able to gain that critical yard or two? It was better last year with Tevin Coleman but it’s much different now. Now you have a back in Howard who hits that hole hard and can get the yards.   And get this? Indiana had 18 first downs rushing the football on Saturday. There have been years where that might be a four-game total or more.   *** I also like the run after the catch abilities of players like Simmie Cobbs, Ricky Jones, Mitchell Paige or even Howard. A couple of those scores yesterday were fun to watch.   Now, no one is looking past the fact that Indiana has given up 104 points in three games on its way to a 3-0 start. But I still think the prospects are good. The Wake Forest game has always been the one I’ve been most concerned about only because of IU’s track record on the road against non-conference opponents. The Missouri win last year was the exception. The Bowling Green loss last year was more of the rule.   The good thing I think IU has going in its favor though is that ‘Here we go again’ in 2015 means something completely different than it has in the past. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/analysi/sunday-morning-quarterback-western-kentucky-r216]Click here to view the article[/url]

Indiana 42, WKU 24

Yeah, I think Indiana wins this week but I'm not sure about the holding them under 30 things. When you throw the ball around the yard 60 times or more there are big plays waiting to happen ... and this defense struggles giving up big plays some times.

The funny thing for me here is how that one performance against Southern Illinois has just put a complete Kabosh (sp?) on the optimism people had for this team early on. That image of SIU going for two and the win in the closing seconds is going to stick with people for a long time. And while I get that I also look at how different the D line looked last week with Latham and Green in there and how different I think the LB position, for example, will look when your most athletic linebacker is back out there in Tegray Scales. Add in Chase Dutra and things are coming back around.    The truth is with Indiana this is a "Just Win Baby" scenario. Ultimately that's the only thing that is going to turn the tide. Winning six or more football games. And if that record gets to 3-0 heading to Wake Forest I just think the stars are beginning to align with the explosiveness of the offense and the potential of a defense post SIU.