11W Sneak Peek: Indiana
Chappell must lead a young offense.We’re counting down the weeks until kickoff by profiling a different Big Ten team each week, in order of the 2008 finish. Today, the Indiana Hoosiers are up and by the looks of it, they probably will lead it off again next year.
After making their first bowl appearance in 14 years during the 2007 season, the Hoosiers returned to normalcy with a 3-9 season in 2008, including a 1-7 Big Ten record, matching the conference win total of their basketball program.
The Hoosier program has averaged less than 4 wins over the last 9 years and have suffered through 13 losing record in their last 14 seasons. They return a veteran defense, including a fierce DE duo, but their offense is green and unless the D steals a game or two, Indiana fans will have to hope Tom Crean can turn things around this winter.
COACHING: Bill Lynch is squarely on the hot seat and is probably entering his last season in Bloomington. The schedule doesn’t help him out at all, with 2 OOC away games at Akron and Virginia, but if he can hover around the .500 mark all season, he may buy himself some extra time.
OFFENSE: Ben Chappell appeared in 9 games last year, completing 80 of 153 passes and will take the reigns full time this season, as Kellen Lewis was dismissed in April. Chappell will play behind a somewhat veteran offensive line, but will have to break in a new running back and a couple of wide receivers.
Redshirt freshman Darius Willis, the scout team MVP last year, is slated to start at running back, but he has to beat out 2 seniors in Bryan Payton and Demetrius McCray, who combined for almost 600 yards rushing last season. Lynch may choose to rotate all 3, looking to control the clock and win some close games with his defense.
The Hoosiers have to replace their top 2 receivers from last year, losing Andrew Means to eligibility and Ray Fisher to the defensive side. Damarlo Belcher (25 for 337) and Terrance Turner (29 for 289) are the leading returners, but Tandon Doss is a name you could hear from before the season is over. The offensive line was decimated by injuries last year, staring 7 different lineups, but they return 9 of their top 10 and should have more stability in the trenches.
DEFENSE: The aforementioned DE duo is Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew, who will lead a group that returns 9 starters and also brought over Ray Fisher from offense to play corner. Middleton lead the NCAA in sacks in 2007 with 16, but teams paid more attention to him in 2008 and ended the season with just 4 sacks. However, his struggles opened the door for Jammie Kirlew, who racked up 10.5 sacks in ‘08. If they can get some help from their inside teammates, this could develop into one of the conference’s best.
The Hoosiers gave up an average of 37 points last season, but have 5 of their top 6 tacklers returning, including linebackers Matt Mayberry and Will Patterson. MLB Mayberry lead the team with 89 stops and received some praise coming out of spring ball. Patterson was second on the team with 7 TFL, ending up with 55 total tackles and will be joined on the outside by Tyler Repologie, who registered 19 tackles in the last game against Purdue.
The secondary returns all four starters, three of them seniors, if you include Fisher in that group. Chris Adkins, a redshirt sophomore had 54 tackles last year, while safeties Nick Polk and Austin Thomas combined for 93 stops and 3 picks.
KEY GAME: At Michigan, September 26th. Indiana opens the season against E.Kentucky, Western Michigan and at Akron, 3 games in which they could win. If that happens and the Hoosiers can shock the Big House in the B10 opener, they would be 2 wins away from returning to a bowl.
BEST-CASE: If the defense can keep them in most games and the offense can control the clock with a 3-headed RB attack and smart QB play, this team could get to 6-6 and possibly a bowl game.
WORST-CASE: They continue the Hoosier football way and injuries play a factor once again. The defense has to step up and reverse the trend of teams averaging over 400 yards of total offense against them. If they don’t, the Hoosiers are probably looking at another 3-9 season, pulling out wins in their first two and then against Purdue at home in the season finale.
The Hoosiers return to the Buckeyes schedule this year and the BTN decided to put it under the lights in Bloomington, for reasons unknown. Ohio State beat Indiana by a combined 115-20 in their last three meetings and OSU has won 14 straight in the series.
I see the Hoosiers going 4-8 this year, winning 3 of their 4 OOC games and winning one conference game. What do you think? Before you answer, be sure to visit the fine Indiana blog, The Crimson Quarry, who has fought through the pain in Bloomington these past few years to cover the Hoosiers with great pride.
I give the Hoosiers a generous 5-7 finish. But make no mistake, they will get DESTROYED by OSU.
Sorry to thread jack but Big Diesel Shaq is officially a Cav!
5 wins? I’m curious who you think those will come against. 3 tops. Don’t underestimate the MAC this year. There are several teams that could win it this year (I’m taking Toledo), including Western Michigan, which I’m picking to beat Indiana.
Other than the season opener, the only other games they have a chance of winning are against Akron, Purdue and maybe Virginia, but I haven’t scouted them yet. I think Michigan is still another year away from being back to their old form, but it is in the Big House and they will be far better than last year and good enough to handle Indiana. The Purdue game is definitely winnable, considering they are probably the 10th best team in the Big10 this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Akron beats them too in Akron’s new stadium. Indiana went 0 for 4 last year on the road and by the time the season starts it will be 2 years since they’ve won away. I think it’s another dismal year for Indiana in Bill Lynch’s final season.
I also wondered why the hell the BTN would waste a Prime Time spot on OSU/Indiana at 7pm??!? The only good point here is that the game should effectively be over by halftime so the kids can go to bed knowing the Buckeyes are going to win!!
Ratings baby, ratings.
Not only that but IU plays ALL their games at either 7 or 8pm, WTF? Anyway, I wake up every day and thank god Im not an IU fan. 2-10 at best, they wont beat a soul in the b10 and Western Michigan is good.
I didnt know Lewis was kicked off the team, what a blow. Anyone care to fill me in?
Too many violations of team rules. They moved him to WR in the spring, but he didn’t last and now will be at Valdosta St. for his senior season.
The BTN is the conference’s network, not just Ohio State’s network. Indiana just upgraded its stadium, and is hosting the conference’s powerhouse program, just one year after a bowl appearance, which will get its fans excited and in the stands. Therefore, this is to market Indiana, its facilities, and its fans in order to say to potential recruits – hey, even though you’re at Indiana, our network allows your talents to be showcased in Prime Time in a sweet-ass facility! Come to a Big Ten school, and you’ll definitely get on TV.
I think this is brilliant, and it’s what the network was intended for.
Would’ve much rather seen OSU/Illinois under the lights in September. But, I guess it wont be sooo bad watching the decimation under the lights. The Hoosiers are the prototypical whipping boys of the B11 now, and forever. On the plus side, Bauserman may get to play an entire half of football for his efforts…..
Look at it this way: it will be one night game where you can get your buzz-on with little stress as to the outcome.
No way those pieces of crap at ESPN give OSU a night game. Let’s see the last couple of years
06 at Texas, at Iowa
07 at Purdue, at Penn St.
08 at Wisconsin, At USC
No way they would give us two night games at home in one season.
The University of Chicago still has more Big 10 football championships than Indiana, and they dropped big time football in 1939.
Does anyone know if WBNS will pick up the Toledo game that’s suppose to be on ESPN Plus?
http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=914
The SEC is S-M-R-T smrt!
S E C … where men are men, and sheep are nervous……….. are you my daaaaaaaaady???
SEC…where moufs are purty!
Sorry, every time I think of the Hoosiers now, I think of the time the guys from Inside the Hall stopped by to flame Corey for saying Kelvin Sampson was dirty.
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2008/02/gameday-preview-13-indiana-vs-osu.html#comment-15832
And two weeks later, everything came out and Sampson was out of a job.
That was classic!
Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that Hendrix signed with ND. Id give you a link, but I just heard that on the radio
and yeah, not many people are surprised Im sure.
Totally off topic but does anyone remember the BTN Fan Council contest?
I got an e mail today … I’m in!
Nice Shock-G, we were hoping one of our readers would get on and represent the Buckeye faithful…make us proud!
Wow, I take back any bad thought I ever had about Daequan Cook:
http://www.miamiherald.com/592/story/1110239.html
He is truly a class act.
I want Jim Tressel to order 105,000+ towels, air horns, mega-phones, and tell everyone to wear their scarlet under the lights in September!
Michael Jackson dead?
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/
just confirmed by LA Times and CBS
getting a head start on Thriller 2
the weird, erm, i mean, good, always die young
You are now one of my favorite people of all time.
I like your style Anonymous. As soon as I heard it I sent texts to almost everyone in my phone saying
“I heard Michael Jackson is remaking thriller as a real Zombie”
So much for BJ’s promise from the Bulls.
BJ is slipping!
Welp, BJob slipped out of the top 20, probably cost himself, 5 or 10 mil by leaving early. He wasnt at OSU for his brains, thats for sure.
beej to the mavs, and as much as me and pretty much everyone else in the free world thinks he shoulda stayed another year at least, i honestly hope the dude does well. he and his family deserve it.
okay, OKC trade then. good place for him to be, low pressure, young talent, not subject to the whims of a nutjob
Bup, I’m right there with you. Wish he would have stayed, but no problem with him trying to get paid to take care of his family. Even if he did cost himself some coin by leaving early.
yeah. i mean, i’ve never been anything close to rich, but my family also has never been anything close to impoverished. i can’t even begin to imagine how mullens felt about the potential of getting NBA dollaz and the chance to pull his family out of poverty. i honestly can’t say i’d do it differently if i were in his shoes.
collegefootballnews.com has some good arguements about why the big ten stinks.
Actually, man, I’d say they had some good arguments about why the Big Ten DOESN’T stink…at least, not as bad as a large number of people have made it out to be.
yes – I stand corrected. If you at all our losses we are just two possible three plays away from turning those games we lost around except fla.
I think a 6-6 surprise season is in order. Chappell behind a decent offensive line jumps out to a 4-0 start, including an upset over our favorite team to hate until they come to the bulk of the conference schedule, but finish out with a win over Purdue to go bowling
W – Eastern Kentucky
W – Western Michigan
W – Akron
W – Michigan
L – Ohio State
W – Virginia
L – Illinois
L – Northwestern
L – Iowa
L – Wisconsin
L – Penn State
W – Purdue