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Conference play is among us and Indiana opened again a foe that was marginally better than the majority of its pre Big Ten slate. So let us relive the things we like and the things we disliked about Wednesday's matinee victory over Rutgers in New Jersey. The Good 1. Max Bielfeldt - Really, Hoosier reserves in general could fill every spot on the this list but the senior from Illinois was definitely Wednesday's biggest star. Bielfeldt tied his career high in points with 18 (his new career mark as a Hoosier, the previous occurance came when the senior played at Michigan) and set a new career mark in rebounds with 14. With freshman Thomas Bryant struggling (something we'll check in on later), Bielfeldt ensured the Hoosiers still had an interior presence. Something that the team dreadfully lacked last season. 2. The bench - Bielfeldt stole headlines for certain with a career effort, but few if any would have made a pit stop in Atlantic City and placed good money on seeing IU's reserves post 37 points. Also, who had O.G. Anunoby and Ryan Burton combining for 14 points and 4-of-4 3-point shooting beforehand? Put your hand down and make your New Year's resolution that you won't lie to impress your friends folks. 3. Colin Hartman - The junior from Indianapolis is taking his role in stride this season. With James Blackmon Jr. sidelined by a sore knee, Hartman rejoined the starting lineup and contributed nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range. Hartman has been both a starter and reserve already this season and while he'll likely never post eye-popping numbers he's one of the Hoosiers who's effort and consistency don't seem to waver. 4. One for the win column - The formula certainly didn't look like the recipe for a Hoosier win. Blackmon Jr. did not play. Bryant barely did. Robert Johnson did not score. Troy Williams seemed to play the game like he was juggling flaming chainsaws on one of those trendy hoverboards everyone got for Christmas. But Indiana found a way to keep its win streak in order and earn an always important road conference win. The Bad 1. Robert Johnson - Yikes. Johnson's re-entry into the Hoosier starting lineup has largely been credited with helping Indiana slightly right the path of a season that appeared headed off the rails in early December. Wednesday though was arguably the sophomore's biggest struggle since he arrived in Bloomington. Johnson missed all six of his field goal attempts. He didn't score. He had five turnovers. For one of Indiana's steadiest performers it was certainly an outlier. Here's hoping for a bounceback. 2. Turnovers - At some point something more drastic may be in order. Hypnotherapy in which Hoosier players are trained that the ball is a kitten or their favorite nephew and should be valued as such may be the next step. But 23 turnovers that led to half of Rutgers' total points is just unbelievably, wretchedly bad. Williams led the way with seven. Yogi Ferrell ignored all stereotypes about the steadiness of senior point guards and chipped in with six and Johnson contributed his five. When Blackmon doesn't play those three comprise Indiana's three most talented perimeter players, so needless to say 18 turnovers among them is a bit disheartening. 3. Bryant - Better days lie ahead for the freshman, but it would have been understandable for anyone casually watching to wonder if Bryant suited up on Wednesday. Six total minutes with just a single field goal, a single rebound and five fouls for his effort made the McDonald's All American big man a footnote.

Examining what we liked and what we didn't about the 79-72 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday. Conference play is among us and Indiana opened again a foe that was marginally better than the majority of its pre Big Ten slate. So let us relive the things we like and the things we disliked about Wednesday's matinee victory over Rutgers in New Jersey.   The Good   1. Max Bielfeldt - Really, Hoosier reserves in general could fill every spot on the this list but the senior from Illinois was definitely Wednesday's biggest star. Bielfeldt tied his career high in points with 18 (his new career mark as a Hoosier, the previous occurance came when the senior played at Michigan) and set a new career mark in rebounds with 14. With freshman Thomas Bryant struggling (something we'll check in on later), Bielfeldt ensured the Hoosiers still had an interior presence. Something that the team dreadfully lacked last season.   2. The bench - Bielfeldt stole headlines for certain with a career effort, but few if any would have made a pit stop in Atlantic City and placed good money on seeing IU's reserves post 37 points. Also, who had O.G. Anunoby and Ryan Burton combining for 14 points and 4-of-4 3-point shooting beforehand? Put your hand down and make your New Year's resolution that you won't lie to impress your friends folks.   3. Colin Hartman - The junior from Indianapolis is taking his role in stride this season. With James Blackmon Jr. sidelined by a sore knee, Hartman rejoined the starting lineup and contributed nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range. Hartman has been both a starter and reserve already this season and while he'll likely never post eye-popping numbers he's one of the Hoosiers who's effort and consistency don't seem to waver.   4. One for the win column - The formula certainly didn't look like the recipe for a Hoosier win. Blackmon Jr. did not play. Bryant barely did. Robert Johnson did not score. Troy Williams seemed to play the game like he was juggling flaming chainsaws on one of those trendy hoverboards everyone got for Christmas. But Indiana found a way to keep its win streak in order and earn an always important road conference win.   The Bad   1. Robert Johnson - Yikes. Johnson's re-entry into the Hoosier starting lineup has largely been credited with helping Indiana slightly right the path of a season that appeared headed off the rails in early December. Wednesday though was arguably the sophomore's biggest struggle since he arrived in Bloomington. Johnson missed all six of his field goal attempts. He didn't score. He had five turnovers. For one of Indiana's steadiest performers it was certainly an outlier. Here's hoping for a bounceback.   2. Turnovers - At some point something more drastic may be in order. Hypnotherapy in which Hoosier players are trained that the ball is a kitten or their favorite nephew and should be valued as such may be the next step. But 23 turnovers that led to half of Rutgers' total points is just unbelievably, wretchedly bad. Williams led the way with seven. Yogi Ferrell ignored all stereotypes about the steadiness of senior point guards and chipped in with six and Johnson contributed his five. When Blackmon doesn't play those three comprise Indiana's three most talented perimeter players, so needless to say 18 turnovers among them is a bit disheartening.   3. Bryant - Better days lie ahead for the freshman, but it would have been understandable for anyone casually watching to wonder if Bryant suited up on Wednesday. Six total minutes with just a single field goal, a single rebound and five fouls for his effort made the McDonald's All American big man a footnote. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/basketball/the-good-and-the-bad-rutgers-r294]Click here to view the article[/url]

Breaking down what to like and what not to like about Wednesday's 90-65 victory over IPFW at Assembly Hall. THE GOOD 1. Yogi - When you set a new record for most points by a player in Tom Crean's IU tenure, you make the good list. It's a pretty scientific formula we use here at Btown Banners. The senior's 38-point night was almost even more historic, as he came just four points shy of breaking Steve Alford's Assembly Hall scoring record for any IU player. So, yeah, guess you could call it a decent day overall for the Hoosier senior. 2. Robert Johnson - Since coming back from the island disaster that was Maui, Johnson has been one of the Hoosiers steadiest performers. Starting his second straight game, the sophomore nailed five 3-pointers en route to 16 points. He's also arguably Indiana's top perimeter defender. If Johnson can provide a steady scoring option and give the team some energy on the defensive side, he could end up being a key piece in determining which direction this Hoosier season ultimately goes. 3. Troy Williams - By now, most know Williams' relationship with Hoosier nation. He constantly alternates between making spectacular plays and playing like his hair was set on fire with a blowtorch. There was a little of both on Wednesday as he pulled down a dominate 19-rebounds to go with five blocks and 15 points. He also turned the ball over six times. It's about the most Troy Williams of box scores you will ever see. Just enough to make you think he's great, just enough to wonder why he insists on playing the game with bacon grease on his finger tips. 4. Max Bielfeldt - Bielfeldt will never be the players that he effectively replaced on the Indiana roster - Hanner Perea or Emmitt Holt - and that's probably perfectly ok. While he'll never grab a quarter off the top of the backboard like Perea was alleged to have done and his ceiling is probably never going to be as high as Holt showed in his one year at IU, but the senior grad transfer gave Indiana exactly what it needs off the bench Wednesday. With Thomas Bryant struggling, he steadied the front line with an 11-point, 8-rebound effort. There's surely growing pains ahead for Bryant, who has never endured the rigors of a Big Ten season. Bielfeldt will be needed most nights to give exactly what he gave on Wednesday. THE BAD 1. The Assembly Hall crowd - The excuses are rolling in and most have merit. Travel to Bloomington has become a chore with the construction on Highway 37. It's getting near finals time for students. And mid-week games are more difficult than weekend affairs. But the reality is that this is the second straight season Indiana has given its fanbase next to nothing worthwhile of watching in the non-conference season at Assembly Hall. The marquee non conference affairs the past two years have been Pittsburgh and Southern Methodist. The rest of the home slates have been littered with alphabet soup directional programs or states you'll never see on a traditional map. Even though it was an in-state foe, Wednesday's lackluster crowd was an indictment of the fatigue Indiana fans have faced with the marshmallow soft scheduling efforts put forth the past couple of years. Marquee conference games at home are nice and all, but here's hoping there's at least a slight effort to reward one of college hoops most loyal fan bases a bit more in future seasons. 2. BTN Plus - Just go away. This "channel" for watching Big Ten games exclusively on the web is a money-grabbing crock. It's 2015 and it's harder to watch Indiana games than the old four-channel rabbit ear days of television. Telling people who already shell out more than $150 per month for basic cable packages they need to spend more to watch their favorite team is fine capitalism, but a slap in the face to fans across the conference.

Because Indiana fans seem to love misery at times, let us revisit Wednesday night's debacle in Durham with the good and the bad. THE GOOD 1. Nostalgia - Hey if nothing else the lead up to Wednesday's game served as a chance to watch highlights of the 2002 NCAA Sweet 16 victory over the Blue Devils at Rupp Arena. That A.J. Moye block of Carlos Boozer still amazes. 2. The Big Ten won - It hasn't been a banner pre-conference season for a league that arguably has been the nation's best the past three or four seasons. But when Iowa survived in overtime against Florida State it clinched the ACC-Big Ten Challenge for the league for the fifth time in the last seven years. Tom Crean's plans for a parade down Kirkwood are just a rumor so far - we think. 3. The clock expired - The game ended. Mercifully. THE BAD 1. EXPOSED - The bad could go on longer than a toddler's Christmas Wish List but the most damning thing about performances like Wednesday is the stage at which it was played out on. In one of the prime slots of national television, playing in one of the hallowed venues in college basketball against the defending national champions, Indiana looked like little more than exhibition fodder for the Blue Devils. Indiana fell to 0-3 in nationally televised games this season and this was the worst performance to date. Every national writer or analyst in the country is taking turns punching the Hoosiers in the face for their only consistent trait - inconsistent or just plain non-existent effort on defense. While the season is still very, very young, one stands to question why getting a team to put forth effort consistently on the defensive end has become such a chore for a coaching staff that is in its eighth year in the program.

Because somebody has to do it, take a look back at Wednesday night's debacle in Durham Because Indiana fans seem to love misery at times, let us revisit Wednesday night's debacle in Durham with the good and the bad.   THE GOOD   1. Nostalgia - Hey if nothing else the lead up to Wednesday's game served as a chance to watch highlights of the 2002 NCAA Sweet 16 victory over the Blue Devils at Rupp Arena. That A.J. Moye block of Carlos Boozer still amazes.   2. The Big Ten won - It hasn't been a banner pre-conference season for a league that arguably has been the nation's best the past three or four seasons. But when Iowa survived in overtime against Florida State it clinched the ACC-Big Ten Challenge for the league for the fifth time in the last seven years. Tom Crean's plans for a parade down Kirkwood are just a rumor so far - we think.   3. The clock expired - The game ended. Mercifully.   THE BAD   1. EXPOSED - The bad could go on longer than a toddler's Christmas Wish List but the most damning thing about performances like Wednesday is the stage at which it was played out on. In one of the prime slots of national television, playing in one of the hallowed venues in college basketball against the defending national champions, Indiana looked like little more than exhibition fodder for the Blue Devils. Indiana fell to 0-3 in nationally televised games this season and this was the worst performance to date.   Every national writer or analyst in the country is taking turns punching the Hoosiers in the face for their only consistent trait - inconsistent or just plain non-existent effort on defense. While the season is still very, very young, one stands to question why getting a team to put forth effort consistently on the defensive end has become such a chore for a coaching staff that is in its eighth year in the program. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/basketball/the-good-and-the-bad-duke-r280]Click here to view the article[/url]

Let's take a look at what was right and what was wrong on Thursday during Indiana's 86-65 victory over Creigton at Assembly Hall. The Good: 1. Thomas Bryant - Let the overzealous comparisons begin. Bryant's 17-point, 7-rebound, 4-block performance already has Hoosier nation collectively hyperventilatng with excitement. Message board scouts have placed his name in the same breath as Patrick Ewing and Dirk Nowitski. While the need to pump the brakes may be apparent, it's not unfair to state that Bryant is Indiana's biggest shot in the arm since Cody Zeller's arrival in Bloomington in 2011. The depth up front is a huge, huge question for Indiana this season so it will be interesting to see how the freshman holds up as Indiana's mainstay in the middle over the course of the whole season. For now though, his arrival is already paying dividends. 2. Hoosiers come out firing - All the talk was how Creighton would provide Indiana with its biggest test of the season and many expected a back and forth shootout. Indiana took the suspense out early. Rolling to a 28-11 lead in the first ten minutes and never letting allowing the Blue Jays within 15 the rest of the way. 3. James Blackmon Jr. - Is it possible a sophomore who was one of the team's leading returning scorers from a year ago could be a bit of a forgotten man? The preseason chatter around IU seemed mostly to focus on Bryant (the impact freshman who was considered a missing piece) Troy Williams (Tom Crean's latest freak athlete who morphed into a first round NBA pick) and Yogi Ferrell (the senior looking to write his way into the Indiana history books). Blackmon, a McDonald's All-American who just happened to be the team's second leading scorer a year ago, seemed to have fallen out of the collective conversation of the Hoosier faithful. Thursday served as a reminder that Blackmon is still elite on the offensive end. He had a team high 19 points and still delivered that silky smooth jumper that made him the object of Hoosier affection last year around this time - burying 4-of-6 attempts from 3-point range. Adding seven rebounds and four assists may prove that Blackmon's game is rounding into more than that of an elite scorer. 4. Nick Ziesloft - Another guy who's impact on the game seemed to be taken for granted coming into the season, Ziesloft also hit four 3s in the contest and has made nine in the past two games for IU. Ziesloft's role in IU's offense isn't complicated - catch the ball, shoot the ball, make baskets - but its a role he's filling to perfection in the early season. The Bad 1. Robert Johnson - It's never easy filling out the negative column after a win like Thursday, but Johnson's performance was one of the few that could have caused a bit of hand wringing. A starter for almost all of last season, the sophomore seems to be struggling to his new role of coming off the bench in his second season. Thursday, Johnson was limited to just 11 minutes and plagued with foul trouble throughout. After scoring 12 off the bench in the opener against Eastern Illinois, Johnson has just nine in the past two outings and has eight turnovers in 50 minutes played this season. 2. The frontcourt depth - Bryant's night masked what was a less-than-stellar evening for the remainder of IU's frontcourt. Senior Max Bielfeldt was held to just two points on 1-of-5 shooting and the freshman duo of Juwan Morgan and O.G. Anunoby failed to score in the contest. Gaining minutes and confidence in the reserves behind Bryant will be a key for the team as conference play comes later in the schedule.

Breaking down the good and the bad from a 102-76 win over Austin Peay at Assembly Hall. The Good 1. Offense: Some days it's tough to make 15 straight buckets in the pregame lay up line but the Hoosiers lit up the Governors in the second half on Monday, making 15 consecutive field goal attempts at one point. The stretch turned a relatively comfortable Hoosier advantage into an absolute blowout. Indiana shot 80 percent for the second half. Every player who played shot at least 50 percent from the floor (save Tim Priller who missed his only field goal attempt but any time Priller takes the court in Bloomington it's a highlight so it's forgiven). Fifty-one points in each half, hanging a hundred in just the second game of the season, 16 made 3-pointers - no one can accuse Tom Crean's team of lagging on offense in the early going. 2. Nick Ziesloft: At one point in the first half, the senior had a finger take a hard turn East while the rest of his fingers continued north. What looked like a gruesome dislocation of the pinkie on his shooting hand was apparently nothing and the sharpshooter wound up making five 3-pointers on his way to 15 points off the bench. 3. Yogi: Some call this a legacy-defining season for the senior point guard. Statistically, Ferrell ranks among the best Hoosiers of the past two decades. Monday, Ferrell passed Kirk Haston and Jimmy Rayl on Indiana's career scoring list to move into the top 20 all-time. But while he started on Indiana's Big Ten championship team as a freshman the past two season have been uneven at best - missing the NCAAs in 2014 and suffering a first-round exit a year ago. Ferrell nearly had a triple double on Monday, scoring 22 to go with six rebounds and nine assists. He extended his streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 67 straight. Continuing nights like Monday could go a long way in cementing Yogi as one of the most revered point guards in Hoosier history. 4. Injury free: IU escaped two early-season cupcakes with a full roster as the schedule begins to ramp up a bit in the coming week. With Creighton on Thursday and the trip to the EA Sports Maui Invitational looming, Indiana will have the full roster at its disposal (as you take the time to read this find the nearest piece of wood and politely knock). BAD: 1. Defense: There's a lot of excuses you can make. The frenetic tempo Indiana plays with leads to more opponent possessions. Sloppy early-season ball handling was converted into easy buckets. But Indiana gave up 39 points in the first half to a team that scored 41 in the game against Vanderbilt on Friday. Indiana can't keep letting teams shoot at will. It will cost them a win - remember Eastern Washington. 2. Turnovers: Indiana's desire to turn every first-half possession into a Youtube moment led to one of the most ragged, disoriented 20 minutes you'll see outside of your favorite rec league game. Again, the schedule is ramping up and 10 turnovers per half of play won't fly.

Putting a wrap on Indiana's fifth straight loss as bowl eligibility starts to look bleaker and bleaker by the week. THE GOOD 1. Jordan Howard - The pregame video of wild buffalo roaming the streets of Bloomington to the tune of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" could easily be replaced by video of Howard running roughshod through Big Ten defenders. The junior picked up his fifth 100-yard game of the season Saturday (remember he missed or was injured for all or most of the October slate while with an ankle injury). He finished with 176 yards on 22 carries Saturday, eclipsing the century mark by halftime. This is against a team that had surrendered 85 yards per game before kickoff. 2. The offensive line - Reference back to point one and give major kudos to the unit in front of him. Both of Howards first-half touchdown runs came running to the left side of the line behind soon to be NFL tackle Jason Spriggs and left guard Wes Martin. Indiana's line at this point has been one of college football's best. Any recognition for them is deserved. 3. Nate Sudfeld - The senior was steady again in a record-breaking day. His fourth-quarter touchdown pass made him Indiana's all-time leader in that category, giving him 49 in his career. THE BAD 1. Targeting: Any rule implemented to increase player safety isn't bad. The targeting rule in NCAA football is designed for safety. If it was any tougher to understand it would have been written in Latin on the squares of a Rubix cube. Black and white enforcement of the rule is leading to too many players being forced out of games for plays that don't merit that type of consequence. The Hoosiers lost starting middle linebacker T.J. Simmons late in the first half on Saturday after he drew a targeting penalty on a pass intended for Iowa's Tayvaun Smith. The hit was helmet to helmet so the penalty was warranted, the intent was to make a tackle though and Smith slid to the ground, crossing pass with Simmons as he dove to make a play. Simmons ended up in the locker room for his efforts. Smith was shaken up, but did return. There's no right or wrong way to go about this rule. Player safety should and does come first. But seeing players disqualified for simple football plays is tough, regardless of what team you’re rooting for as a fan. 2. Drops - Any coach will tell you one drop is too many, but Indiana had several Saturday that were momentum changers. Mitchell Paige could have set Indiana up in scoring territory. Anthony Corsaro had one that he could have made it to Kirkwood before a defender got within reach. Close games are won or lost on little things. Drops are one of them. 3. Red zone woes - Indiana is getting close too often but not cashing in. Saturday IU made three trips inside the Iowa 20-yard line but could only turn one into a touchdown - and that was on the Hoosiers final drive of the game. Turning field goals into touchdowns has to happen to turn one of these close losses into a mark in the win column.

Putting a wrap on Indiana's fifth-straight setback. Putting a wrap on Indiana's fifth straight loss as bowl eligibility starts to look bleaker and bleaker by the week.   THE GOOD   1. Jordan Howard - The pregame video of wild buffalo roaming the streets of Bloomington to the tune of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" could easily be replaced by video of Howard running roughshod through Big Ten defenders.   The junior picked up his fifth 100-yard game of the season Saturday (remember he missed or was injured for all or most of the October slate while with an ankle injury). He finished with 176 yards on 22 carries Saturday, eclipsing the century mark by halftime. This is against a team that had surrendered 85 yards per game before kickoff.   2. The offensive line - Reference back to point one and give major kudos to the unit in front of him. Both of Howards first-half touchdown runs came running to the left side of the line behind soon to be NFL tackle Jason Spriggs and left guard Wes Martin. Indiana's line at this point has been one of college football's best. Any recognition for them is deserved.   3. Nate Sudfeld - The senior was steady again in a record-breaking day. His fourth-quarter touchdown pass made him Indiana's all-time leader in that category, giving him 49 in his career.   THE BAD   1. Targeting: Any rule implemented to increase player safety isn't bad. The targeting rule in NCAA football is designed for safety. If it was any tougher to understand it would have been written in Latin on the squares of a Rubix cube. Black and white enforcement of the rule is leading to too many players being forced out of games for plays that don't merit that type of consequence.   The Hoosiers lost starting middle linebacker T.J. Simmons late in the first half on Saturday after he drew a targeting penalty on a pass intended for Iowa's Tayvaun Smith. The hit was helmet to helmet so the penalty was warranted, the intent was to make a tackle though and Smith slid to the ground, crossing pass with Simmons as he dove to make a play. Simmons ended up in the locker room for his efforts. Smith was shaken up, but did return.   There's no right or wrong way to go about this rule. Player safety should and does come first. But seeing players disqualified for simple football plays is tough, regardless of what team you’re rooting for as a fan.   2. Drops - Any coach will tell you one drop is too many, but Indiana had several Saturday that were momentum changers.   Mitchell Paige could have set Indiana up in scoring territory. Anthony Corsaro had one that he could have made it to Kirkwood before a defender got within reach. Close games are won or lost on little things. Drops are one of them.   3. Red zone woes - Indiana is getting close too often but not cashing in. Saturday IU made three trips inside the Iowa 20-yard line but could only turn one into a touchdown - and that was on the Hoosiers final drive of the game. Turning field goals into touchdowns has to happen to turn one of these close losses into a mark in the win column. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/news-notes/the-good-and-the-bad-iowa-r246]Click here to view the article[/url]

Appropriately the newest version of the "Peanuts" franchise hit theaters on Friday. It's fitting because Saturday Indiana went back to its all-to-familiar role of Charlie Brown. The Big Ten seems to taking turns playing Lucy. Another week comes and goes with a conference foe pulling the football from the feet of the Hoosiers in a game that victory looked well within reach. There was driving to the shadow of the end zone against top-ranked Ohio State on the verge of a game-tying touchdown...and the snap sailing over the head of the quarterback on the games ultimate play. There was leading Rutgers by 19 entering the final period....then seeing the Scarlet Knights score 22 unanswered points. There was a mere two-point hole against unbeaten Michigan State....that somehow turned into a 26-point loss. After an October slate where Indiana was outscored 80-10 -- including three straight final-quarter goose eggs over the final three games -- Iowa became the latest team to tease the Hoosiers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, leaving town with a hard-fought 35-27 victory. Within a single point after Griffin Oakes opened the final 15-minutes with a 28-yard field goal to make it 21-20, the Hawkeyes marched through the crimson colored jerseys for a TD - converting a crucial third-and-11 with a 12-yard pass from C.J. Beathard to Matt Vanderburg that became this game's version of "what might have been." From there, the script flipped to the familiar final-quarter formula. Indiana went down quickly on offense with a chance to tie. And the defense couldn't hang on. The opponent breaks things open. Another contest hit the loss column. Rinse...repeat. There's usually some moment that makes the loss even tougher to stomach. This time it was the onside kick after a late Hoosier touchdown that it appeared two Indiana players had a legit shot at recovering. They didn't. Iowa did. Then milked the time off the clock. It's too easy to say this is Indiana and Indiana loses these types of football games. It's irresponsible to think that way as well. As a faint chant of "Fire Wilson" broke out from the students at various points Saturday, saying it's time to move on from Kevin Wilson. It's time to even stop that discussion. Moral victories are garbage. They are as fun to talk about as being in your mid-30s and attending family weddings armed with only pictures of your cats as a date. Still, as frustrating as things seem, Indiana is continually on the cusp of a breakthrough. Three games against unbeaten top-10 opponents and victory was in the discussion. Knocking on the door against Big Ten heavyweights is a far far cry from the days when the program didn't even live in the neighborhood. "We just gotta keep knocking and knocking and knocking and get in," said Wilson after the game. "We don't like it, we've got to make plays. "We've got great leaders in there. We're not satisfied, we gotta find a way to finish." Indiana is showing it has the talent. There's Big Ten players littered throughout the two-deep. And this is a program where being Charlie Brown is a step up. Let's not forget how many times it has been Pig Pen in the past. So the ball got pulled from Indiana again Saturday. Frustration lingers for the faithful that decided the second half was worth sticking around for. One day - surely - that kick is destined to connect.

Another tight one gets away in a familiar finish for IU. Appropriately the newest version of the "Peanuts" franchise hit theaters on Friday.   It's fitting because Saturday Indiana went back to its all-to-familiar role of Charlie Brown.   The Big Ten seems to taking turns playing Lucy.   Another week comes and goes with a conference foe pulling the football from the feet of the Hoosiers in a game that victory looked well within reach.   There was driving to the shadow of the end zone against top-ranked Ohio State on the verge of a game-tying touchdown...and the snap sailing over the head of the quarterback on the games ultimate play.   There was leading Rutgers by 19 entering the final period....then seeing the Scarlet Knights score 22 unanswered points.   There was a mere two-point hole against unbeaten Michigan State....that somehow turned into a 26-point loss.   After an October slate where Indiana was outscored 80-10 -- including three straight final-quarter goose eggs over the final three games -- Iowa became the latest team to tease the Hoosiers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, leaving town with a hard-fought 35-27 victory.   Within a single point after Griffin Oakes opened the final 15-minutes with a 28-yard field goal to make it 21-20, the Hawkeyes marched through the crimson colored jerseys for a TD - converting a crucial third-and-11 with a 12-yard pass from C.J. Beathard to Matt Vanderburg that became this game's version of "what might have been."   From there, the script flipped to the familiar final-quarter formula.   Indiana went down quickly on offense with a chance to tie. And the defense couldn't hang on. The opponent breaks things open.   Another contest hit the loss column.   Rinse...repeat.   There's usually some moment that makes the loss even tougher to stomach. This time it was the onside kick after a late Hoosier touchdown that it appeared two Indiana players had a legit shot at recovering. They didn't. Iowa did. Then milked the time off the clock.   It's too easy to say this is Indiana and Indiana loses these types of football games.   It's irresponsible to think that way as well.   As a faint chant of "Fire Wilson" broke out from the students at various points Saturday, saying it's time to move on from Kevin Wilson.   It's time to even stop that discussion.   Moral victories are garbage. They are as fun to talk about as being in your mid-30s and attending family weddings armed   with only pictures of your cats as a date.   Still, as frustrating as things seem, Indiana is continually on the cusp of a breakthrough. Three games against unbeaten top-10 opponents and victory was in the discussion.   Knocking on the door against Big Ten heavyweights is a far far cry from the days when the program didn't even live in the neighborhood.   "We just gotta keep knocking and knocking and knocking and get in," said Wilson after the game. "We don't like it, we've got to make plays.   "We've got great leaders in there. We're not satisfied, we gotta find a way to finish."   Indiana is showing it has the talent. There's Big Ten players littered throughout the two-deep. And this is a program where being Charlie Brown is a step up. Let's not forget how many times it has been Pig Pen in the past.   So the ball got pulled from Indiana again Saturday. Frustration lingers for the faithful that decided the second half was worth sticking around for.   One day - surely - that kick is destined to connect. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/fourth-quarter-still-a-peanut-gallery-r245]Click here to view the article[/url]

Who's staying? Who's going? Who's updating the old resume and who could be in play at some of the already-open spots on the Big Ten coaching radar. 1. Urban Meyer (Ohio State) - Undefeated first season, BCS bowl second season, national title third season, top-ranked team in fourth season. Meyer goes along with Nick Saban as the Gold Standard in college football coaching. His coaching seat is at an Antarctic-level temp at this point. 2. Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) - The fallout from his departure in San Francisco led him to his alma mater in Ann Arbor and the locals couldn't be happier to have him. NFL rumors will be an annual occurance, but there's a better chance of a bronze statue of this "Michigan Man" being erected than there is him being run out of town. 3. Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) - Another guy who isn't likely to be checking real estate listings any time soon. Winning seven of eight in the series against the other Big Ten program in the state will almost get the stadium named after you in East Lansing. Top that off with a Rose Bowl win and another big money bowl victory like the one against Baylor last season and Dantonio may be drawing write in votes in the next mayor's race. 4. Paul Chryst (Wisconsin) - Chryst has done nothing yet to make the locals angry and after the bizarre departures of the last two guys in Madison. The Badgers need stability more than anything. Hiring Chryst, who made his name as Bret Bielema's offensive coordinator appears just what the program needs. 5. James Franklin (Penn State) - The man can recruit at a level of any elite head coach and he made Vanderbilt relevant in the SEC. Read that last part again, he made Vanderbilt relevant in the SEC so his coaching chops can't be questioned. His offense has been uneven though so far in Happy Valley and the locals will want to see the Lions playing in the same neighborhood as Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State sooner rather than later. 6. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) - The old Hawkeye boss has stuck around long enough to be in style again. A coaching zombie back from the dead, Ferentz's tenure in the cornfield has gone from hot NFL candidate to stale old timer who's contract was too much of a burden to unload to now coaching a team with a high percentage chance of going unbeaten in the regular season. He's not likely to go anywhere, anytime soon, but if anyone in the conference knows how quickly the tide turns in this business it is the veteran Hawkeye boss. 7. Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) - Fitz could and probably should rank higher on the list, but it speaks to the stability at the top of the conference that he is here. The Wildcat alumn who seemingly wills the program to contention every season, Fitzgerald's 2015 squad already hold impressive wins over Stanford and Duke. Still just 40-years-old, one wonders if eventually Fitzgerald doesn't get the itch to coach at a bigger program that can compete at a national level on a regular basis. 8. Jerry Kill (Minnesota) - Health issues seem to be the only thing that would force Kill out in the Twin Cities any time in the near future. At 4-3 with zero "bad" losses on the resume, the Gophers look poised to earn another bowl bid in 2015. He isn't in any danger of being asked to leave. 9. Kevin Wilson (Indiana) - The important thing is for Hoosier fans to view the whole picture and not just focus on recent results. Indiana football is undoubtedly on more stable footing today than it was when Wilson arrived from Oklahoma. Recruiting, facilities and expectations are at a higher level than they have been in years. The edict before the season seemed to be "bowl or bust" for Wilson. After a 4-0 start things were trending right in that direction. Now 4-3 though, Indiana needs to find two more wins to keep the momentum Wilson has built going. 10. Mike Riley (Nebraska) - Seems bizarre to rank a first-year head coach this low but few fan bases in the country have higher opinions of their program than the folks in Lincoln and they're already clamoring for the glory days of Bo Pelini if that says anything. Hiring Riley from Oregon State was eyebrow raising to some. Despite an NFL pedigree his name liked the "sizzle" most fan bases look for at a program with Nebraska's history. Seeing their Huskers 3-4 overall isn't exactly the Olive Branch the locals were hoping the new coaching staff would extend. 11. Kyle Flood (Rutgers) - It was a bit of an interesting offseason for Flood, who had player arrests off the field and found himself embroiled in an academic controversy that led to him being suspended for five games to start the year. Flood's team is 3-3 overall and still in the race for a bowl berth and he did survive the inital backlash of the black eyes his program took over the summer. One has to wonder with former Knights coach Greg Schiano looking for work if the school isn't looking for any excuse to make a switch. 12.Darrell Hazell (Purdue) - Hazell walked into a tough spot, succeeding Danny Hope at a program that had fallen on hard times and inarguably ranks last in facilities in the league. But now in his third season with just five wins to his name one must wonder if the Boilermaker boss isn't working on borrowed time. Purdue seems on the verge of multi-million plan to upgrade its practice facility, which is likely something Hazell has been pushing for since day one in West Lafayette. Pushing Michigan State to the limit on the road on Oct. 3 before falling 24-21 was a positive sign, but Purdue has fallen hard twice since then to Minnesota and Wisconsin. This is a school that has competed at a much higher level in this conference than a lot of the teams near the bottom of this list and even done so more recently than just about all of them. Barring a late-season revival, which would include a win in the Old Oaken Bucket game, Purdue is likely looking for its next coach this offseason. 13. Bill Cubit (Illinois) - The Illini have already decided to start the search early, firing Tim Beckman just days before the season began. Cubit deserves kudos for taking over a mere days before the year started and holding a 4-2 record - including a win over Nebraska. It's tough though to envision the program investing long term in the first-year coach, especially with former Illini assistant Jeff Brohm setting offensive scoreboards ablaze at Western Kentucky. 14. Mike Locksley (Maryland) - The University of Under Armour had all it could take of Randy Edsall, watching the Terps lose in spectacular fashion to Bowling Green (48-27), Michigan (28-0) and West Virginia (45-6) before letting Edsall go after a loss to top-ranked Ohio State. Money is not likely to be a factor in finding the next guy. The school is craving a winner and must compete with the conference's top programs annually in the Eastern Division to get there. Chip Kelly has already been tossed out. While highly unlikely, it shows Maryland isn't going to be afraid to think big.

It's best to just do this review quickly after witnessing what we all did on Saturday. The Good 1. Nothing: Not a single, solitary thing. Too harsh? Maybe. No actually, maybe not harsh enough. Is it possible to say that the goodwill built by the 4-0 start for the Hoosiers is now gone? Is it possible to say that a single Saturday afternoon loss to Rutgers has cast a cloud over Kevin Wilson's entire regime in Bloomington? Who knows. Before what happened Saturday, Division I teams were undefeated when leading by 25 points or more at any point in a game this season. Now we have one obvious exception. If not for Michigan derping away the final punt to lose at home against Michigan State, the collective view of the Big Ten would be in the familiar spot of pointing and laughing at another absolute Indiana debacle. Ridiculous. Absolutely positively ridiculous. The Bad 1. Offense: So you can say a team that scored 52 points in less than three full quarters was bad and keep a straight face? Yep, you sure can when it applies to Indiana football. You could fill out a Mad Libs of how to blow a big lead late and Indiana checked off ever single on on offense. The running game went non existent. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw two bad interceptions. The passing game, so consistently beating Rutgers with crossing patters and plays down the field, resorted to ineffective quick outs and screens that went nowhere. Bad. Just bad. 2. Defense: Phase two in the how to create an absolute debacle is a unit that looked at times to be playing neighborhood two-hand touch rather than Big Ten football. Never confused for a prolific Division I super offense, the Scarlet Knights were four yards away from reaching 600 for the game and went for 55 points - nearly three touchdowns better than they have against any other Division I foe. How is any of this possible? Who knows? It's Indiana, it just happens. 3. Special teams: And we've completed the debacle loss, total meltdown hat trick. Everyone in Memorial Stadium probably knew what was about to happen the second that the ball was snapped over the head of punter Erich Toth and scooped up by Rutgers for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. If the rock of momentum wasn't already rolling allowing a quick special teams score turned it into a boulder that Indiana wasn't about to make any effort to stop. 4. Coaching: Let's make sure no one gets left out. Most seem to be in agreement that Kevin Wilson needs a bowl berth to save his job after this season. Despite gains in recruiting, improved facilities and "buzz" around the program for the first time since the peak of Terry Hoeppner's tenure, Wilson could not afford another sub-.500 season. With four non-conference wins, it looked like a near lock for IU. Now what? Find two more wins on Indiana's schedule. Take your time because you may be looking for a while. Unbeaten Michigan State? Unbeaten Iowa? Home against a reborn Michigan with Jim Harbaugh? Road games against Maryland and Purdue? Three of those games look simply unwinnable. Expecting two road wins against the Terrapins and Boilermakers is probably a tad optimistic. Indiana's margin for error, already paper thin, is now gone. Every year of his tenure in Bloomington, Wilson seems to suffer one loss that the fan base looks back at and says "if only we hadn't blow it against (blank)". If this Rutgers game proves to be that effort this season, who knows if Wilson can survive.

Instead of forgetting it happened, let us relive the misery of Hoosier hilarity at its finest. It's best to just do this review quickly after witnessing what we all did on Saturday.   The Good   1. Nothing: Not a single, solitary thing. Too harsh? Maybe. No actually, maybe not harsh enough. Is it possible to say that the goodwill built by the 4-0 start for the Hoosiers is now gone? Is it possible to say that a single Saturday afternoon loss to Rutgers has cast a cloud over Kevin Wilson's entire regime in Bloomington? Who knows. Before what happened Saturday, Division I teams were undefeated when leading by 25 points or more at any point in a game this season. Now we have one obvious exception. If not for Michigan derping away the final punt to lose at home against Michigan State, the collective view of the Big Ten would be in the familiar spot of pointing and laughing at another absolute Indiana debacle. Ridiculous. Absolutely positively ridiculous.   The Bad   1. Offense: So you can say a team that scored 52 points in less than three full quarters was bad and keep a straight face? Yep, you sure can when it applies to Indiana football. You could fill out a Mad Libs of how to blow a big lead late and Indiana checked off ever single on on offense. The running game went non existent. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw two bad interceptions. The passing game, so consistently beating Rutgers with crossing patters and plays down the field, resorted to ineffective quick outs and screens that went nowhere. Bad. Just bad.   2. Defense: Phase two in the how to create an absolute debacle is a unit that looked at times to be playing neighborhood two-hand touch rather than Big Ten football. Never confused for a prolific Division I super offense, the Scarlet Knights were four yards away from reaching 600 for the game and went for 55 points - nearly three touchdowns better than they have against any other Division I foe. How is any of this possible? Who knows? It's Indiana, it just happens.   3. Special teams: And we've completed the debacle loss, total meltdown hat trick. Everyone in Memorial Stadium probably knew what was about to happen the second that the ball was snapped over the head of punter Erich Toth and scooped up by Rutgers for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. If the rock of momentum wasn't already rolling allowing a quick special teams score turned it into a boulder that Indiana wasn't about to make any effort to stop.   4. Coaching: Let's make sure no one gets left out. Most seem to be in agreement that Kevin Wilson needs a bowl berth to save his job after this season. Despite gains in recruiting, improved facilities and "buzz" around the program for the first time since the peak of Terry Hoeppner's tenure, Wilson could not afford another sub-.500 season. With four non-conference wins, it looked like a near lock for IU. Now what? Find two more wins on Indiana's schedule. Take your time because you may be looking for a while. Unbeaten Michigan State? Unbeaten Iowa? Home against a reborn Michigan with Jim Harbaugh? Road games against Maryland and Purdue? Three of those games look simply unwinnable. Expecting two road wins against the Terrapins and Boilermakers is probably a tad optimistic. Indiana's margin for error, already paper thin, is now gone. Every year of his tenure in Bloomington, Wilson seems to suffer one loss that the fan base looks back at and says "if only we hadn't blow it against (blank)". If this Rutgers game proves to be that effort this season, who knows if Wilson can survive. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/one-more-look-back-rutgers-r235]Click here to view the article[/url]

The little bit of good, the mostly bad and then even the ugly of Saturday's 29-7 loss to Penn State. The Good 1. 0:00 - Yep, the clock expiring ranked as good news on this Saturday in the Keystone State. Playing without their top two playmakers on offense, Indiana saw even more attrition on the offensive side of things as backup quarterback Zander Diamont and Isaac Griffith both suffered injuries. A timetable on Diamont's injury is unknown. Griffith's season came to an end. The emotional and physical toll of the 34-27 loss to Ohio State earlier this month was one of the most understated aspects leading up to Saturday's game. It's best that the contest simply ended. 2. Danny Cameron - So Cameron's second-half performance netted exactly zero scoring drives. The offense as a whole netted 234 yards for the game, so seeing the redshirt freshman enter the game and not appear completely overwhelmed against one of the Big Ten's stouter defensive units was a small bright spot. Finishing 6-of-16 passing for 65 yards certainly wasn't pretty but little was for the Hoosiers. 3. Minnesota - The Gophers won 41-13 in West Lafayette against Purdue. Did we mention it was tough to find good news on Saturday? The Bad 1. M.A.S.H unit - As stated, Sudfeld and Howard were both out and Diamont left with his arm in a sling. For all the good feelings of seeing Indiana sitting 4-0 after September, the depth is being seriously tested and an upcoming slate featuring Michigan, Michigan State and a resurgent Iowa is looking more daunting every week. 2. Poise - Winning Saturday was a long shot a best going in. But Indiana wasn't able to keep it together in two tough spots and both proved costly. In the first quarter Indiana looked to have forced a turnover in Nittany Lion territory on a strip sack by Tegray Scales. But a hands to face penalty (which seemed sketchy at best) gave Penn State the ball back and sent the defense into a quick tailspin. Two plays after the penalty Penn State was streaking to the end zone with the game's first score for a 7-0 lead. Later, after what appeared to be a late hit on Diamont following a run into Lion territory, the IU sideline was hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that turned 2nd-and-4 into a 2nd-and-19 - and Diamont was injured later in the series after scrambling on third down. The margin for error was razor thin already for a shorthanded IU team. Those two small sequencing both played a hand in slamming the door. Ugly 1. 234 yards, 7 points - Indiana has spoiled its fanbase to the point where performances like Saturday are nearly vomit inducing. Again, the Lions are one of the conference's best defensive units. They have players that will play on Sunday all over their front seven. But seeing four quarters of anemic, flat offense with little or no hope for a big play harkens back memories to eras that Indiana fans don't wish to speak of. 2. Bret Bielema - It goes without saying that every Hoosiers' favorite former Wisconsin coach has his own wing in the ugly section because of his history with the program but this week the Arkansas coach outdid himself by simply being Bret Bielema. The guy can't make himself not look like some sort of dullard can he? Questioning the Big Ten's overall strength before losing to MAC teams is one thing. Ripping Kliff Kingsbury before seeing his team get ripped by Texas Tech on the field is another, but this week Bielema initiated contact with an Alabama offensive lineman to draw a flag and then danced a jig when the SEC official fell for the bait. The Razorbacks lost BTW because that's what Arkansas does when Bret Bielema is their head coach.

Revisiting the good and the bad surrounding the Hoosiers after their 31-24 win over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. THE GOOD 1. 4-0 - Do you have a grasp on exactly how long ago 1990 was? Seriously, a really really long time ago. You'd be lying to say the Hoosiers perfect non-conference slate was any sort of work of art. At times, it more resembled finger paint than any sort of masterpiece. But Indiana currently sits in a spot that it hasn't occupied since the first George Bush was in office, since Calbert Cheaney was a sophomore and since Macauley Culkin was left home in suburban Chicago for the very first time. Making a bowl has proven to be the tallest of orders for an Indiana program that has gone to the postseason once since 1993. The perfect non-conference record is a huge step to making it happen again. 2. Jordan Howard - Water is wet. Bears do their business in the woods. And Jordan Howard pummels another defensive front. Howard became the first player in the past 20 seasons with more than 140 yards rushing in each of his first four games at a school. That stat may make it to the living room of some running back recruits in the future. This time it was 168 yards on 33 carries. The Heisman race seems to be a formality between LSU's Leonard Fournette and Georgia's Nick Chubb at this juncture. Howard could be at least drawing an invite to New York City though with his play thus far this season. 3. Simmie Cobbs Jr. - While Howard has been the mainstay of the early-season rushing attack, a new receiver seems to be emerging weekly as a hero for the IU passing game. This week, it was Cobbs hauling in seven catches for 75 yards and a score. Standing 6-foot-4, Cobbs could emerge as a viable red-zone weapon for quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who needs a receiver with size to emerge with the big-play ability of sub-6 footers Ricky Jones and Mitchell Paige. 4. Another winning effort on D - Erasing the effort of the defense in that 48-47 season-opening win over Southern Illinois will likely never happen - suspended starters and all. But it's at least time to consider that effort as the exception rather than the rule for this team. Wake Forest ran a total of 81 on plays on Saturday and the Hoosier defense allowed 0 yards or fewer yards on 40 of them. And for the third week in a row an underclassman made a play in the defensive backfield as sophomore Tony Fields ran an interception back for what proved to be the decisive score early in the fourth quarter. While the competition really ramps up beginning this week, it's at least a bit soothing for the Hoosier fans soul to think they may not be completely overwhelmed by Big Ten offenses in 2015. 5. Opposing vitriol - While Hoosier fans, students and alumni were having a load of fun putting heat on ESPN to bring its popular "College Gameday" program to Bloomington for this Saturday's game against No. 1 Ohio State, it was fun seeing the extent of bitterness from teams around the Big Ten who scoffed at the mere thought of Indiana garnering recognition on the gridiron. Fans at Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin and others flooded Big Ten Network message boards with talk of how big a joke the idea was. Is Indiana Rose Bowl Bound? Are they in the conversation for the college football playoff? Is it a shoo-in this team will even find two more wins and be bowl bound? No, no and no. But it's less than a month from the start of college hoops practice and legit conversation is still taking place about Indiana University football. That happens as often as Final Four talk in West Lafayette. THE BAD 1. Twitter - It's amazing just how common a person can fit totally absurd statements into a mere 140 characters but the Twitterverse uncovered a real gem this weekend courtesy of a Purdue beat writer whose name I'll omit because I'm simply a nice guy. The bastion of journalistic integrity that he claims to be, he downplayed Indiana's 4-0 start by going as far as to say the Boilers are simply better than IU, would be 4-0 if they played the same schedule as the Hoosiers and that Indiana would be sitting 1-3 if it had faced the same first month they encountered up north. First, hypothetically playing someone else’s schedule is the almost literal definition of pointlessness. You play the games on your slate and let idiots like Bret Bielema bemoan who they aren't playing. But to say with any sort of conviction that Purdue, the program that has more wins against FCS level teams than FBS level squads in the past three seasons, would be perfect against any schedule four games in is using a level of imagination normally reserved for four year olds jumping on couch cushions to avoid lava traps.

Get a grip on just how long it has been since we've been here Revisiting the good and the bad surrounding the Hoosiers after their 31-24 win over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.   THE GOOD   1. 4-0 - Do you have a grasp on exactly how long ago 1990 was? Seriously, a really really long time ago. You'd be lying to say the Hoosiers perfect non-conference slate was any sort of work of art. At times, it more resembled finger paint than any sort of masterpiece. But Indiana currently sits in a spot that it hasn't occupied since the first George Bush was in office, since Calbert Cheaney was a sophomore and since Macauley Culkin was left home in suburban Chicago for the very first time. Making a bowl has proven to be the tallest of orders for an Indiana program that has gone to the postseason once since 1993. The perfect non-conference record is a huge step to making it happen again.   2. Jordan Howard - Water is wet. Bears do their business in the woods. And Jordan Howard pummels another defensive front. Howard became the first player in the past 20 seasons with more than 140 yards rushing in each of his first four games at a school. That stat may make it to the living room of some running back recruits in the future. This time it was 168 yards on 33 carries. The Heisman race seems to be a formality between LSU's Leonard Fournette and Georgia's Nick Chubb at this juncture. Howard could be at least drawing an invite to New York City though with his play thus far this season.   3. Simmie Cobbs Jr. - While Howard has been the mainstay of the early-season rushing attack, a new receiver seems to be emerging weekly as a hero for the IU passing game. This week, it was Cobbs hauling in seven catches for 75 yards and a score. Standing 6-foot-4, Cobbs could emerge as a viable red-zone weapon for quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who needs a receiver with size to emerge with the big-play ability of sub-6 footers Ricky Jones and Mitchell Paige.   4. Another winning effort on D - Erasing the effort of the defense in that 48-47 season-opening win over Southern Illinois will likely never happen - suspended starters and all. But it's at least time to consider that effort as the exception rather than the rule for this team. Wake Forest ran a total of 81 on plays on Saturday and the Hoosier defense allowed 0 yards or fewer yards on 40 of them. And for the third week in a row an underclassman made a play in the defensive backfield as sophomore Tony Fields ran an interception back for what proved to be the decisive score early in the fourth quarter. While the competition really ramps up beginning this week, it's at least a bit soothing for the Hoosier fans soul to think they may not be completely overwhelmed by Big Ten offenses in 2015.   5. Opposing vitriol - While Hoosier fans, students and alumni were having a load of fun putting heat on ESPN to bring its popular "College Gameday" program to Bloomington for this Saturday's game against No. 1 Ohio State, it was fun seeing the extent of bitterness from teams around the Big Ten who scoffed at the mere thought of Indiana garnering recognition on the gridiron. Fans at Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin and others flooded Big Ten Network message boards with talk of how big a joke the idea was. Is Indiana Rose Bowl Bound? Are they in the conversation for the college football playoff? Is it a shoo-in this team will even find two more wins and be bowl bound? No, no and no. But it's less than a month from the start of college hoops practice and legit conversation is still taking place about Indiana University football. That happens as often as Final Four talk in West Lafayette.   THE BAD   1. Twitter - It's amazing just how common a person can fit totally absurd statements into a mere 140 characters but the Twitterverse uncovered a real gem this weekend courtesy of a Purdue beat writer whose name I'll omit because I'm simply a nice guy. The bastion of journalistic integrity that he claims to be, he downplayed Indiana's 4-0 start by going as far as to say the Boilers are simply better than IU, would be 4-0 if they played the same schedule as the Hoosiers and that Indiana would be sitting 1-3 if it had faced the same first month they encountered up north. First, hypothetically playing someone else’s schedule is the almost literal definition of pointlessness. You play the games on your slate and let idiots like Bret Bielema bemoan who they aren't playing. But to say with any sort of conviction that Purdue, the program that has more wins against FCS level teams than FBS level squads in the past three seasons, would be perfect against any schedule four games in is using a level of imagination normally reserved for four year olds jumping on couch cushions to avoid lava traps. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/monday-morning-quarterback-party-like-its-r224]Click here to view the article[/url]

Don't for a minute think the easy part is over. If you've learned anything about Indiana football over the course of time you should know this is a program that seldom has handled prosperity well. Ok, it's tough to use prosperity and Indiana University football in the same sentence a lot of times. Quite frankly, you could write the program defining wins over the past 20 years on a napkin and still have the back side to wipe the tears of seeing just how nondescript Indiana's football history actually is. But in those rare moments of glory, when the Hoosiers have come from nowhere to claim victories that few saw coming - the nasty habit of following up with a dud has been the norm rather than the exception. Remember beating Missouri last season and recharging the fan base with talks of a bowl berth and contending in the Big Ten? Yeah, don't forget the next week IU was buried at home by Maryland. In 2012, when Indiana won back-to-back Big Ten games and had a showdown at home with Wisconsin that could put it in the driver's seat for a division title due to Ohio State being ineligible. Indiana lost that game 62-24. It's not just recent bias here either. Don't forget that magical win against Oregon (OREGON!) in Eugene back in 2004. That one drew the eyes of ESPN post game shows and even had folks on national radio talking about the program. Don't forget that was followed up with a humiliating 51-32 loss to winless Kentucky in Lexington. So, be excited about Indiana's 3-0 start. Hey, it hasn't happened in Bloomington in a long (2010 to be exact) time. Just be warned. Wake Forest looks like a game Indiana could win. It looks like an opponent that could be another momentum builder for the program. It looks like something that could spark interest and make people pay attention. But we've also seen how these things have gone in the past. Elsewhere in the Big Ten BYU at Michigan (-5.5) - The Wolverines have given up only 38 points in three weeks, including just seven points each in back-to-back wins. Will be interesting to see if they can continue that trend against a pretty good Cougar squad. Bowling Green (-1) at Purdue - Purdue has dominated Missouri Valley teams in Darrell Hazell's three seasons in West Lafayette - going 3-0 against teams from the league in that span. That has nothing to do with Bowling Green however, who will look for a second win over a Big Ten opponent this season. I'm just being nice bringing up the whole Missouri Valley thing. Maryland at West Virginia (-17) - This doesn't appear the type of game the Terps are capable of winning. Kansas at Rutgers (-12.5) - To be a near two-touchdown underdog against the Scarlett Knights (who don't forget don't have a coach presently) shows exactly how bad things are for Kansas football. Middle Tennessee at Illinois (-6.5) - I like the Middle Tennessee method of identifying geography. More schools should go this route. Illinois should call itself Middle Illinois. IU students should start claiming Sorta Middle Indiana but more toward the bottom left really. Ball State at Northwestern (-19) - Already this season the Wildcats have beaten Stanford and Duke so this latest encounter with another steadfast academic institution like the one in Muncie should be a breeze. Hawaii at Wisconsin (-24.5) - Teams travel to Hawaii and are greeted by hula girls while stepping off the plane. Teams travel to Wisconsin and are pelted with cheese curds and forced to drink Miller products for a weekend. It has been the dirty secret to Wisconsin's success for years. Also happening around the league Ohio at Minnesota (-10.5) Central Michigan at Michigan State (-26.5) Southern Miss at Nebraska (-22) Western Michigan at Ohio State (-31) San Diego State at Penn State (-15)

Being unbeaten is nice and all....but this is Indiana football after all. Don't for a minute think the easy part is over.   If you've learned anything about Indiana football over the course of time you should know this is a program that seldom has handled prosperity well.   Ok, it's tough to use prosperity and Indiana University football in the same sentence a lot of times. Quite frankly, you could write the program defining wins over the past 20 years on a napkin and still have the back side to wipe the tears of seeing just how nondescript Indiana's football history actually is.   But in those rare moments of glory, when the Hoosiers have come from nowhere to claim victories that few saw coming - the nasty habit of following up with a dud has been the norm rather than the exception.   Remember beating Missouri last season and recharging the fan base with talks of a bowl berth and contending in the Big Ten? Yeah, don't forget the next week IU was buried at home by Maryland. In 2012, when Indiana won back-to-back Big Ten games and had a showdown at home with Wisconsin that could put it in the driver's seat for a division title due to Ohio State being ineligible. Indiana lost that game 62-24.   It's not just recent bias here either. Don't forget that magical win against Oregon (OREGON!) in Eugene back in 2004. That one drew the eyes of ESPN post game shows and even had folks on national radio talking about the program. Don't forget that was followed up with a humiliating 51-32 loss to winless Kentucky in Lexington.   So, be excited about Indiana's 3-0 start. Hey, it hasn't happened in Bloomington in a long (2010 to be exact) time. Just be warned.   Wake Forest looks like a game Indiana could win. It looks like an opponent that could be another momentum builder for the program. It looks like something that could spark interest and make people pay attention.   But we've also seen how these things have gone in the past.   Elsewhere in the Big Ten   BYU at Michigan (-5.5) - The Wolverines have given up only 38 points in three weeks, including just seven points each in back-to-back wins. Will be interesting to see if they can continue that trend against a pretty good Cougar squad.   Bowling Green (-1) at Purdue - Purdue has dominated Missouri Valley teams in Darrell Hazell's three seasons in West Lafayette - going 3-0 against teams from the league in that span. That has nothing to do with Bowling Green however, who will look for a second win over a Big Ten opponent this season. I'm just being nice bringing up the whole Missouri Valley thing.   Maryland at West Virginia (-17) - This doesn't appear the type of game the Terps are capable of winning.   Kansas at Rutgers (-12.5) - To be a near two-touchdown underdog against the Scarlett Knights (who don't forget don't have a coach presently) shows exactly how bad things are for Kansas football.   Middle Tennessee at Illinois (-6.5) - I like the Middle Tennessee method of identifying geography. More schools should go this route. Illinois should call itself Middle Illinois. IU students should start claiming Sorta Middle Indiana but more toward the bottom left really.   Ball State at Northwestern (-19) - Already this season the Wildcats have beaten Stanford and Duke so this latest encounter with another steadfast academic institution like the one in Muncie should be a breeze.   Hawaii at Wisconsin (-24.5) - Teams travel to Hawaii and are greeted by hula girls while stepping off the plane. Teams travel to Wisconsin and are pelted with cheese curds and forced to drink Miller products for a weekend. It has been the dirty secret to Wisconsin's success for years.   Also happening around the league   Ohio at Minnesota (-10.5)   Central Michigan at Michigan State (-26.5)   Southern Miss at Nebraska (-22)   Western Michigan at Ohio State (-31)   San Diego State at Penn State (-15) [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/around-the-big-ten-dont-think-the-hard-pa-r218]Click here to view the article[/url]

December 2 may not resonate historically for any significant reason. Heck, one can't even log onto a website like famousbirthdays.com and find any famous celebrity that calls that day his or her own. While it came and went like a rather ordinary Tuesday for me and you in 2014, it ended up perhaps one of the most significant days on the calendar for Indiana University football's 2015 season - and perhaps even beyond. On Dec. 2, a board trustees at UAB convened to put the finishing touches on the cancellation of the school's football program. The Blazers were done. Future games cancelled. Scholarships were gone. Despite a season where the school qualified for a bowl game for just the second time in program history, the plug was pulled - essentially creating free agency for all current players to find a new school. (Ironically, UAB responded to the backlash of its decision by reinstating the program on June 2, but players who left were already gone). While UAB players were looking for new homes. Indiana was scrambling. Losing unanimous All American and first-team All Big Ten star Tevin Coleman to the NFL draft. While coach Kevin WIlson has always recruited the running back position hard each and every offseason, one can seldom fathom the stroke of luck falling right in the Hoosier lap. Instead of handing the running back job to an untested underclassman, Wilson was about to hit a late-season recruiting jackpot - one named Jordan Howard. Just a year after running for more than 1,500 yards for the Blazers, Howard joined the Hoosiers in January. He's hit the ground rolling in his first two games in Bloomington as well. Through the opening two weeks, Howard ranks No. 5 in the country with 304 yards on the year, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. This week, Howard will face a Western Kentucky defense that was gashed for 168 yards and two scores a week ago Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Gibson. Howard's ability to pick up yards on the ground may be a necessity for a Hoosier team that may need to keep the Hilltoppers offense off the field. Western amassed 590 yards of total offense last week in its 41-38 win and sixth-year quarterback Brandon Doughty has been discussed as the next mid-major quarterback that could crash the NFL draft. Elsewhere in the Big Ten Virginia Tech (-6) at Purdue: Frank Beamer's program has lacked it's typical national punch the past few seasons - with just 22 wins in the last three years. This still serves as a chance for Darrell Hazell to get perhaps his biggest win in three seasons in West Lafayette. South Florida at Maryland (-7): The Terps were roughed up at home by Bowling Green last week. The seat is officially getting warm for Randy Edsall. Rutgers at Penn State (-8): The "Nobody does scandal the way WE do scandal" game of the week. Rutgers doesn't have a coach for three weeks. Penn State, well we know what happened there. Northwestern at Duke (-3.5): In an otherwise boring Big Ten slate this week, the surprising Wildcats look to stay unbeaten against David Cutcliffe's undefeated Blue Devils in Durham. Nebraska at Miami (-3): The over under on number of times the Cornhusker's failed two-point try against the Hurricanes in 1984 is shown is unofficially set at 287. Illinois at North Carolina (-9): A 3-0 start would have people talking about the Illini as one of the best stories in college football. Pitt at Iowa (-5.5): This game will scroll across the bottom line. You'll see that it happened. By Sunday you'll never remember a single detail about it. Not even the score. Also happening....Blowouts. UNLV at Michigan (-34) Air Force at Michigan State (-26) Kent State at Minnesota (-24) Northern Illinois at Ohio State (-34.5) Troy at Wisconsin (-34)

Here is this week’s look at the good and not so good from Indiana's 36-22 win over Florida International on Saturday. 1. The defense - No seriously guys, the defense. Forcing three turnovers, each of which led directly to three touchdowns, the Hoosier D earned a bit of retribution after the 659-yard debacle that was Week 1 against Southern Illinois. On the verge of allowing another potential game-tying TD late, the Hoosiers buckled down in the red zone for a game-saving pick-six by freshman Jameel Cook, Jr. What could have spelled disaster turned into a potential early-season turning point for the young secondary. 2. Nick Mangieri - While Cook provided the late heroics in the secondary it was the veteran that stepped up. Mangieri scooped up a first-half fumble by FIU quarterback Alex McGough and later had a strip sack that gave IU field position to set up another score. The return of Darius Latham inside seemed to unleash Mangieri's pass rush, which took pressure off the young DBs and improved the overall defensive effort. 3. Jordan Howard - How does one show their gratitude to UAB for the short sighted decision to drop football briefly late last year? Without that bit of temporary insanity, Howard is still burning Conference USA defenses weekly instead of becoming the new bell-cow in IU's pulverizing ground attack. Another week, another 100-plus yard effort for Howard, who had 159 yards on 27 carries. While he lacks the explosive breakaway running speed that became a trademark of Tevin Coleman a year ago, Howard has proven capable of being a bit more of a power runner than his Heisman candidate predecessor. The not so good 1. Big Plays allowed - The defense doesn't totally get off the hook - this is IU football after all. While the turnovers where nice, Indiana still allowed three scoring plays of at least 20 yards and gave up a 75-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Owens one-play after Griffin Oakes had kicked a field goal to make it 7-6 in the first half. 2. Nate Sudfeld - Tough grading perhaps to criticize a guy who threw for 234 yards and ran for two scores, but the senior did commit a turnovers on offense and missed several throws that could have led to big plays. In IU's hyper-efficient rhythmic offense, a completion percentage under 60 percent is less than ideal. Sudfeld hit on only 19-of-33, numbers that will have to improve as the opposing defenses improve. 3. Oakes - While the sophomore from Greenwood has solidified a spotty kicking situation since he took the job last year, Saturday didn't prove to be one of his finest efforts. He missed a field goal late in the first half and also misfired on a PAT attempt when Indiana took its first lead at 19-14. Leaving points off the scoreboard with special teams could burn a team in a close game at some point this season. A look at future Hoosier foes * Western Kentucky got its offense back in high gear as it scored a 41-38 victory over Louisiana Tech in a clash of Conference USA heavyweights. The Hilltoppers rang up 585 yards of total offense against Tech - including 441 through the air behind sixth-year senior quarterback Brandon Doughty. * WKU lost tailback Leon Allen to a gruesome knee injury and his replacement D'Andre Ferby struggled to a 2.8 yards per carry average. Allen was a big part of what the Hilltoppers did on offense, so replacing him will be key against the Hoosiers. * Second-year Hilltopper coach Jeff Brohm is a star on the rise in the coaching ranks. A year after taking over for Bobby Petrino, Brohm has already been linked to the upcoming Big Ten coaching vacancy at Illinois and his name will likely be mentioned with more openings this winter. * IU's final non-conference foe, Wake Forest, dropped its ACC opener on the road Saturday, 30-17. The Deamon Deacons led 17-13 at intermission but could not find the scoreboard in the second half. * Big Ten teams went 12-2 over the weekend. The biggest victory came from Michigan State as it upended No. 7 Oregon 31-28. Minnesota pulled out a surprising 23-20 overtime win on the road and Purdue picked up its first victory of the season by beating Indiana State 38-14.

An amazing fact that began swirling talk radio and various internet sites last week is the absolute dearth of NFL quarterbacks that have emerged from the Big Ten in the past 20-plus years. Throw out the obvious name, Tom Brady is merely an exception rather than a norm. As a sixth-round pick out of Michigan there were absolutely zero NFL pundits who saw a future Hall of Famer being plucked by the Patriots during Day 2 of the 2000 NFL draft. But here’s the alarming state of the quarterback position in the Big Ten for the better part of two decades now. The last time a Big Ten signal caller drew a first round pick was Kerry Collins. Kerry Collins was picked by the Carolina Panthers. That was in 1995. That was 20 years ago. Bill Clinton hadn’t even met Monica yet in 1995. Al Gore’s internet was harder to find then than Hillary Clinton’s e-mails are to find now and the third member of Steve and Lori Zeller’s basketball empire was merely 3 years old in 95. This is interesting today based on the fact that the Big Ten could finally be close to busting down that first-round quarterback wall in a big way in 2015. Three Big Ten signal callers are drawing first-round looks this preseason. Christian Hackenberg at Penn State has been called a first round pick since his freshman season, even as his on-field results have remained uneven into his third season as a Nittany Lion. Connor Cook has assumed the mantle as the conference’s golden arm, as his name has popped up in mock drafts as the top college signal caller draft eligible this season. Cardale Jones of Ohio State nearly parlayed his bruising stature, cannon arm and three-game performance in the Big Ten title game and college football playoff into a first-round grade last winter. Interestingly though is a fourth name seems to be drawing scouts eyes by year end – and that’s the one that resides in Bloomington. Is Nate Sudfeld capable of drawing pro scout eyes and becoming the first Indiana player taken in the first round since Thomas Lewis in 1993? Sudfeld currently ranks as the No. 5 signal caller on the NFL mock draft site nflmocks.com – ahead of both Jones and current Heisman trophy front runner Trevone Boykin. The site notes his 6-foot-6 size and his placement on the All Big Ten academic team as two things scouts are checking off the “pro” list of Sudfeld’s draft grades. Sudfeld’s completion percentage, surprising agility for his size and arm strength are also attributes drawing scouts’ attention. While comparing Sudfeld’s game most closely to Baltimore’s Joe Flacco among current NFL quarterbacks, the site still gives pause to calling Sudfeld a first-round pick right now. “This guy can throw it anywhere on the football field,” said a scout on the site. “That is a good thing and a bad thing. He will overthrow receiver on an easy play horrendously, and then on the next, he throws a perfect 50-yard bomb in the left corner of the end zone. “In the mental processing part of the game (Sudfeld) can get a little lost. Most in part due to the offense they run, but he does not read defenses consistently enough. To be a starting NFL quarterback, you must be able to read the defense 24/7 and he can’t do that at this point.” Around the Big Ten this week The conference gets a crack at a marquee non-conference victory on Saturday as Michigan State hosts playoff runner-up Oregon in East Lansing Saturday. The Ducks suffered a possible blow after quarterback Vernon Adams took a late hit and walked off wobbly late in their season-opening win over Eastern Washington on Saturday (Adams’ expects to play). Sparty rolled in week 1 and has stated all preseason it intends to join Ohio State in the discussion for one of the four spots in the College Football playoff this season. A loss here likely ends that chatter early. Jim Harbaugh will go for his first win as coach at Michigan as the Wolverines host Oregon State at The Big House. Michigan opens as a 14-point favorite so anything less than a comfortable win probably makes the locals in Ann Arbor a bit uneasy. The unofficial annual Big Ten-Mid American Conference challenge continues as three matchups between the conferences take place Saturday. Penn State hopes to put its debacle against Temple in the rear view in a home game against Buffalo. Maryland looks to go 2-0 on the year as they host Bowling Green. Wisconsin will look to break through the win column for head coach Paul Chryst against Miami-Ohio. Also of note, Purdue stays in state as it opens its home slate against Indiana State. Ohio State should fire its schedule maker as it hosts Hawaii rather than making the road trip. Minnesota hits the road to face Colorado State. Iowa will look to claim the coveted Cy-Hawk crown against Iowa State.

Here are five good things and five not-so-good after re-watching Indiana's 48-47 victory over Southern Illinois on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. THE GOOD 1. A win - That's all it was. A victory. A victory where several defensive starters were either suspended or injured. A win where the Hoosiers were downright bullied at times by an Football Championship Subdivision team that went 6-6 a year ago. But if Indiana is going to get to that magic six victory mark and go bowling for the first time since 2007, you can't give this one away. And that's what the Hoosiers came perilously close to doing. (Rules mandate there must be four other good things about the win.) 2. Jordan Howard - So replacing Tevin Coleman may not prove as difficult as one would expect. Howard - the gift that arrived after UAB's short-sighted decision to pull the plug on the football program - averaged 7.2 yards per carry en route to three touchdowns and 145 yards in the win. 3. Nate Sudfeld - Playing his first game since shoulder surgery 10 months ago, Sudfeld approached 400 yards through the air. He made throws downfield that were missing from the playbook after his injury last season and even picked up a key first down with his feet in the fourth quarter that kept a scoring drive alive. 4. Griffin Oakes - The sophomore kicker seems capable of stabilizing a glaring weakness in last year's Hoosier team. He converted both of his field goal attempts and was a perfect 6-of-6 on PATs. He displayed kickoff distance that some thought was lacking, rarely allowing the Salukis to set up return attempts. 5. Marcus Oliver - It's not easy finding any bright spot on the defensive side of the ball for IU, but the sophomore from Hamilton, Ohio did force a pair of fumbles and finish with 10 tackles. THE BAD 1. The Defense - Sit down, this could take awhile. The Hoosiers were depleted, with as many as four starters and several more key reserves announced as suspended just minutes before kickoff. Add in an injury to safety Chase Dutra and Indiana was missing nearly 50 percent of a projected starting lineup. BUT, giving up 659 yards (no seriously, 659 yards) to an FCS team at home is simply inexcusable. Watching Adam Fuehne rumble untouched through the secondary for a 68 yard score and see Daquan Isom roam free for an 80-yard score brought back too many memories to defensive debacles this program has unleashed in the past. The 40-second, five-play, 75-yard scoring drive in the final minute that nearly led to the Salukis sneaking out of town with a win. WHAT'S AHEAD Week 2 opponent Florida International pulled a week-one surprise by beating in-state rival Central Florida, 15-14. The Panthers blocked a late field goal attempt and shut out the host Knights in the second half in the victory. Third-year coach Ron Turner (former Illinois boss) has gone 1-11 and 4-8 in his first two years in Miami. Week 3 foe Western Kentucky survived a late two-point conversion attempt to hang on and beat Vanderbilt on Thursday, 14-12. Indiana's final out of conference foe, Wake Forest, opened with a 41-3 victory over Elon. AROUND THE BIG TEN Northwestern earned the Big Ten Helmet Sticker of the week by beating Pac-10 power Stanford in the opener 16-6. Penn State lost to in-state foe Temple for the first time since 1941 so for as bad as things seemed in Bloomington on Saturday there's that. Purdue allowed two late touchdowns, and two pick-6's by the same player in the game, in a 41-31 loss at Marshall. Overall, though, the Boilers did do some good things in the loss and look much better than a year ago.