Analysis: A fitting ending to the 2015 season

[IndyHutch]

Is it really any surprise that a season filled with games just like the Pinstripe Bowl ended with a heart-breaking, controversial field goal?

In many ways, the controversial missed field goal in overtime Saturday against Duke was a fitting way for the 2015 Indiana football season to come to an end.

 

It was a season of close calls, both in victory and defeat.

 

Let’s don’t forget that the season began with IU needing to make a defensive play on a two-point conversion attempt in the closing seconds to escape with a 48-47 victory over Southern Illinois.

 

Indiana had to hang on to beat an eventual bowl team in Western Kentucky, 38-35.

 

There was a close game with then No. 1 Ohio State, a gift wrapped 55-52 loss to Rutgers where the Hoosiers squandered a 19-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

 

There was the Michigan game where the Wolverines scored a touchdown on the final play of regulation to force overtime and then won in the extra session.

 

And then there was Duke Saturday in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium where Indiana led 41-34 late before the Blue Devils scored a touchdown in the final minute to force overtime.

 

But I will tell you this. As gut-wrenching of a defeat as Indiana suffered in its most recent postseason appearance may have been, IU football was still extremely entertaining in 2015.

 

And that’s a start. I don’t think Indiana football will ever be a powerhouse type of program that will mow through the Big Ten schedule and end up playing consistently in a New Year’s Eve bowl situation. That may happen once in a while but in a division that also includes Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State, I think that’s asking a lot.

 

So the reality is that Indiana is going to have a lot of 6-6 or 7-5 type of seasons and very likely be playing in lower level bowls.

 

I’m not saying that I speak for all Indiana fans but I think if the Hoosiers played an entertaining brand of football (sure, a little better on the defensive side would help) and made it to a bowl game every year that most IU fans would be happy with that outcome. Of course there will be some who continue with the line of thinking that there’s no reason Indiana shouldn’t be a football powerhouse. The whole ‘If Northwestern, Illinois and Purdue can do, then why can’t IU?’ way of thinking is still prevalent with some.

 

But one thing all three of those programs do not have in common right now with Indiana is that they are in the other division. And I think the East is just a tad bit tougher than the West. Sure you have Wisconsin and Iowa and usually Nebraska but overall I would trade divisions if I were IU in a heartbeat.

 

It still comes down to the fact that Indiana had a very entertaining 2015 season in which it scored the most points in school history for one season. In the last four games, Indiana scored 40 points or more in each game. IU boasted two 1,000-yard running backs for the first time in school history and its career record-holding quarterback and some sure-handed receivers, too.

 

The defense … well … it always come back to the defense. And the reality Saturday was that it was the defense combined with special teams that hurt the Hoosiers. That long kickoff return for a touchdown was a momentum squelcher. And the fumble by Mitchell Paige on the punt return hurt, too.

 

Still, for me the bottom line was that Indiana was fun to watch in 2015. I go back to my last bowl experience with Indiana in the Insight Bowl in the ‘Play 13’ season after Terry Hoeppner had died and I remember that game was not so much of a game. I think Austin Starr put IU up 3-0 and then it was 28-3 midway through the second quarter. Oklahoma State just ran all over Indiana that day.

 

What the 2015 season showed me about IU football was that the Hoosiers are closer. Next season IU will have eight home games to utilize in an attempt to make rare back-to-back bowl appearances. That hasn’t happened at IU in more than 25 years.

 

And that’s what we’ll all be keeping an eye on as the 2016 unfolds. Until then, IU fans can talk about what could have been and whether last-second field goals should always be reviewable or not.

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[akhosrof]

Great post! I think this program is close to breaking through for a 8-win season!

[323SGrant]

Hutch, didn't IU have a 25 point lead over Rutgers in the 3rd Qtr? I would accentuate that also. Good review.

[rebelhoosier848891]

Heartbreaking loss---but we had so many earlier opportunities to win it that we only have ourselves to blame. To me--we were better than Duke--- but it's not a best of 3 series. It's just one game and fluke things happen. Soon--I hope we will have a season in which we get more of those breaks and finish with 8 or 9 wins for a change! Great to see us back in a bowl. Go Hoosiers!

[Dennis]

Let's don't be so negative on where we can go or not go.  Sure, the competition of the division we are in is indeed tough and it will take better players to move higher.  Wilson has some on the way.  Look at how close we came to beating some of them this year.  A better defense that could held 5 teams to one less TD and we would have won 4 (I think of them).  That would have given us a 10-2 regular season record!!

 

Think of that, guys.  That is how close we came to doing something that those comments above say we can never do.

 

As we do progress, there will be some 4-stars and then 5-stars that will sign up to help be the one or one of the ones that make us a powerful team.  That will happen if we don't continually talk down our team.

 

Think about how close we came to a 10-2 record, and then write your next comment.

 

We need an extension for Wilson so we can keep the staff continuous to provide the opportunity for the 4 & 5 stars to climb aboard.  Better players signed up 4 yrs, 3 yrs, 2 yrs, and last year.  This year we are getting better ones also.

 

Let's keep this on a positive movement and get a defense that can hold our opponents to one less TD per game next year. 

[Magnanimous]

I was at the game and was not mopey about the loss, not because I accept that IUFB is "IUFB," but because for the first time over 20 years this program is now at place where going to bowl games nearly every year is the expectation. We're far from being content, but the program is trending upwards. 

[seanmm1971]

Rome was not built in a day. All it takes is a few breaks and get in a bigger bowl game and win and the domino's start to fall. Very encouraging signs coming out of the program.

[TrueHoosier62]

This football program, for all it's shortcomings, is still light years ahead of the basketball program. 

[RBB89]

I think we just have to sit back and "enjoy" IUFB........We need to come to terms with ourselves that we are NEVER going to be atop the B1G or a top ten ranked program. Its just not in the cards. So we enjoy getting to play a bowl game and watch some of our boys play on Sundays!!! I can accept that! IUBB is a different story.

Its pretty silly to say we can never do that. Consistently? Probably not.

[The Ola Depot]

Its pretty silly to say we can never do that. Consistently? Probably not.

I'd say this next year will show if we can. If our offense can stay as elite as it was without Nate and Howard, which I think it can, then it's pretty likely our offense will consistently be elite under Wilson. If one year we can have a decent or even dare I say good defense, we'll really make some noise.

[The Ola Depot]

Its pretty silly to say we can never do that. Consistently? Probably not.

I'd say this next year will show if we can. If our offense can stay as elite as it was without Nate and Howard, which I think it can, then it's pretty likely our offense will consistently be elite under Wilson. If one year we can have a decent or even dare I say good defense, we'll really make some noise.

[seanmm1971]

I'd say this next year will show if we can. If our offense can stay as elite as it was without Nate and Howard, which I think it can, then it's pretty likely our offense will consistently be elite under Wilson. If one year we can have a decent or even dare I say good defense, we'll really make some noise.

You can say that again, oh wait, you did.

[The Ola Depot]

You can say that again, oh wait, you did.

Yeah not sure why that happened.