Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz was encouraged by Indiana's 20-13 victory at Central Michigan. "A couple of years ago, they would have lost to anybody. And failed to cover the spread." Well, they didn't cover Friday, either.
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Got bowl game plans? Don't book a hotel yet
Bob Kravitz Indianapolis Star
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- So here's the question after the first victory of the Terry Hoeppner era: Would the Hoosiers rather play in the Fiesta Bowl or Rose Bowl?
Personally, the dry weather in Tempe, Ariz., does wonders for my sinuses, but, you know, if the BCS sends IU to Pasadena, Calif., well, we'll just have to make the best of it.
Will you please stop this?
C'mon. Can't an alum have a little fun? How often do the football Hoosiers win on the road? Never? Almost never? Pretty close. Before Friday night's 20-13 victory over Central Michigan, IU had won just one road game in 18 tries over the previous three years.
When you're a Hoosier, it doesn't matter if it's Central Michigan, Florida State or Joe's Barber College. A spotless record is a rare thing.
Now, if we're going to get serious about this -- and I can't really imagine why -- the truth of the matter is, IU is a work in progress. And that's being awfully charitable.
"We made lots of mistakes," quarterback Blake Powers said. "We did a few good things, but we've got a lot to fix."
For the better part of a quarter and a half, they were being blown off the field by a second-tier MAC team. Understand, this wasn't Bowling Green or Marshall, two MAC teams who've pulled big-time upsets in recent years. This was Central Michigan, also known as the "IU of the MAC," owners of nine losing records in the past 10 years.
In the local morning paper, it was reported this was one of the biggest games in CMU history, which is like being the best-conditioned writer in the press box. According to the story, a Chippewas' victory would put the football program on the map.
When a victory over IU rates as a milestone, a program-maker, you're not exactly Oklahoma.
Still, there were the mighty Chips, as they're called here, muscling up on the Hoosiers in the early going. The IU offense didn't manage a first down the first 17 minutes.
The Hoosiers were fulfilling just one element of the Hoeppner promise: they had shown up. And even that was debatable.
Somehow, though, IU hung around and caught a break when Central Michigan was penalized after recovering a kickoff fumbled by the Hoosiers. It was the first of a number of fortuitous breaks that fell in IU's direction.
Shortly thereafter, the game turned, and suddenly it looked like a Big Ten team playing a MAC team -- or at least a less-than-ordinary MAC team. The Hoosiers' defense began to cave in on quarterback Kent Smith.
The running game began to show signs of life. James Hardy, the wide receiver, showed he's better at football than basketball. And Powers, getting his first start at quarterback, exhibited something resembling promise.
This clearly won't go down as one of IU's signature victories, but it's a start, exactly the kind of start this retooled program needed.
Was it impressive? No.
Was it better than the alternative? Absolutely.
Most important, it buys this team some time to figure out how to become a football team. Next week, they play Nicholls State, a Louisiana-based school that canceled its opener because of Hurricane Katrina. Then comes Kentucky at home, a loss at Wisconsin, and a chance to win at home against fellow Big Ten bottom feeder Illinois.
A 4-1 start is not out of the question. A 3-2 start ought to be viewed as a modest expectation. It won't matter that they haven't played anybody. A couple of years ago, they would have lost to anybody. And failed to cover the spread.
As for Central Michigan, well, the evening wasn't a complete loss. It might not be on the football map, but at least it can still call itself the Chippewas. Before the game, it was learned it won its appeal to the NCAA to keep its nickname.
If you're keeping track at home, it took the NCAA's pointy heads four years to come up with this policy on nicknames, and within a month, three of the 18 teams on The List -- Florida State, Utah and Central Michigan -- have won back the right to use their existing names. And they won't be the last.
The NCAA's original rule was brimming with honorable intentions, but the deep thinkers completely miscalculated how passionate college fans can be when it comes to their traditions. The moment the angry letters and calls started coming in, the NCAA hid for cover under mommy's skirt.
But we're not here to take issue with the NCAA. We're here to talk about IU football.
After the game, a representative from the Motor City Bowl hung around outside IU's interview room. It must have broken his heart to see that his Hoosiers are going to end up in Pasadena or Tempe. Poor guy.
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Got bowl game plans? Don't book a hotel yet
Bob Kravitz
Indianapolis Star
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- So here's the question after the first victory of the Terry Hoeppner era: Would the Hoosiers rather play in the Fiesta Bowl or Rose Bowl?
Personally, the dry weather in Tempe, Ariz., does wonders for my sinuses, but, you know, if the BCS sends IU to Pasadena, Calif., well, we'll just have to make the best of it.
Will you please stop this?
C'mon. Can't an alum have a little fun? How often do the football Hoosiers win on the road? Never? Almost never? Pretty close. Before Friday night's 20-13 victory over Central Michigan, IU had won just one road game in 18 tries over the previous three years.
When you're a Hoosier, it doesn't matter if it's Central Michigan, Florida State or Joe's Barber College. A spotless record is a rare thing.
Now, if we're going to get serious about this -- and I can't really imagine why -- the truth of the matter is, IU is a work in progress. And that's being awfully charitable.
"We made lots of mistakes," quarterback Blake Powers said. "We did a few good things, but we've got a lot to fix."
For the better part of a quarter and a half, they were being blown off the field by a second-tier MAC team.
Understand, this wasn't Bowling Green or Marshall, two MAC teams who've pulled big-time upsets in recent years. This was Central Michigan, also known as the "IU of the MAC," owners of nine losing records in the past 10 years.
In the local morning paper, it was reported this was one of the biggest games in CMU history, which is like being the best-conditioned writer in the press box. According to the story, a Chippewas' victory would put the football program on the map.
When a victory over IU rates as a milestone, a program-maker, you're not exactly Oklahoma.
Still, there were the mighty Chips, as they're called here, muscling up on the Hoosiers in the early going. The IU offense didn't manage a first down the first 17 minutes.
The Hoosiers were fulfilling just one element of the Hoeppner promise: they had shown up. And even that was debatable.
Somehow, though, IU hung around and caught a break when Central Michigan was penalized after recovering a kickoff fumbled by the Hoosiers. It was the first of a number of fortuitous breaks that fell in IU's direction.
Shortly thereafter, the game turned, and suddenly it looked like a Big Ten team playing a MAC team -- or at least a less-than-ordinary MAC team. The Hoosiers' defense began to cave in on quarterback Kent Smith.
The running game began to show signs of life. James Hardy, the wide receiver, showed he's better at football than basketball. And Powers, getting his first start at quarterback, exhibited something resembling promise.
This clearly won't go down as one of IU's signature victories, but it's a start, exactly the kind of start this retooled program needed.
Was it impressive? No.
Was it better than the alternative? Absolutely.
Most important, it buys this team some time to figure out how to become a football team. Next week, they play Nicholls State, a Louisiana-based school that canceled its opener because of Hurricane Katrina. Then comes Kentucky at home, a loss at Wisconsin, and a chance to win at home against fellow Big Ten bottom feeder Illinois.
A 4-1 start is not out of the question. A 3-2 start ought to be viewed as a modest expectation. It won't matter that they haven't played anybody. A couple of years ago, they would have lost to anybody. And failed to cover the spread.
As for Central Michigan, well, the evening wasn't a complete loss. It might not be on the football map, but at least it can still call itself the Chippewas. Before the game, it was learned it won its appeal to the NCAA to keep its nickname.
If you're keeping track at home, it took the NCAA's pointy heads four years to come up with this policy on nicknames, and within a month, three of the 18 teams on The List -- Florida State, Utah and Central Michigan -- have won back the right to use their existing names.
And they won't be the last.
The NCAA's original rule was brimming with honorable intentions, but the deep thinkers completely miscalculated how passionate college fans can be when it comes to their traditions. The moment the angry letters and calls started coming in, the NCAA hid for cover under mommy's skirt.
But we're not here to take issue with the NCAA. We're here to talk about IU football.
After the game, a representative from the Motor City Bowl hung around outside IU's interview room. It must have broken his heart to see that his Hoosiers are going to end up in Pasadena or Tempe. Poor guy.
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