College Football!!!! (A quick look at IU)

While sitting on my couch and watching the awesome show that is “Wipeout” is fun and all…the start of football is less than 1 day away! And for the first time ever (total guess) IU is opening its season on a Thursday night. This season IU has a new stadium addition, a renewed hope for the season, and pretty much the same team that went 3-9 last year…

Anyone who watched an IU game last year got a dose of some terrible football. What started as a promising season, coming on the heels of the teams first bowl game in over a decade, quickly turned into a nightmare. IU began the season with a couple wins over some terrible teams and things were looking up…that is until the Hoosiers ran into the buzz saw that was the Ball State Cardinals. That game started a tumultuous run that included ACL tears for 3/4ths of the secondary as well as a disappearing act by All-American-turned-magician Greg Middleton. The Hoosiers finished off the season 1-9 with the lone win coming against the Northwestern Wildcats. There were a few bright spots in 2008, most notably an All-Big Ten season by DE Jammie Kirlew and the emergence of a few talented WRs, but there is no doubt that the season left a bad taste in every Hoosier’s mouth.

The bad taste continued this past off-season as once again there was a Kellen Lewis controversy, only this time the coaches officially dismissed him from the team. With his dismissal the Hoosiers lose their most dynamic player since Randle El, however, the move seems to have been addition by subtraction.

The Hoosiers enter 2009 with a sense of continuity on both offense and defense as the team returns quite a few starters, most of whom were a large part of that bowl game team in 2007. Book-end All-Big Ten defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton along with MLB Matt Mayberry anchor the defense, while my favorite ginger, Ben Chappell, leads the offense.

Without further ado, here are my IU predictions for 2009.

IU vs Eastern Kentucky: IU 45-EKU 13 (1-0)
The Hoosiers running game and Demarlo Belcher put up big numbers as IU destroys EKU.
IU vs Western Michigan: IU 34-WMU 27 (2-0)
The Hoosier defense stumbles vs the MAC. The Hoosiers recover from a 24-10 deficit.
IU @ Akron: IU 27-Akron 10 (3-0)
The Hoosiers play some un-hoosier like ball control offense after the WMU scare.
IU @ Michigan: IU 31-Michigan-28 (4-0)
Last second field goal propels IU to first win in Ann Arbor since the 60s and a 4-0 start.
IU vs OSU: IU 17-OSU 30 (4-1)
IU hangs tough for 3 quarters…but can’t keep up with the Pryor-led Bucks.
IU @ Virginia: IU 27-Virginia 28 (4-2)
A last second TD by Virginia shatters the hoosiers hopes.
IU vs Illinois: IU 24-Illinois 38 (4-3)
U of I’s explosive receiving core storms through the IU secondary.
IU @ Northwestern: IU 33-Northwestern 27 (5-3)
IU plays Northwestern tough once again and beats them in Evanston
IU @ Iowa: IU 20-Iowa 24 (5-4)
Defensive struggle eventually goes the Hawkeyes way.
IU vs Wisconsin: IU 38-Wisky 17 (6-4)
IU destroys Wisconsin for the first time in a looong time to become bowl eligible.
IU @ Penn State: IU 24-PSU 37 (6-5)
PSU methodically beats up on the Hoosiers.
IU vs Purdue: IU 48-Purdue 0 (7-5; 8th in the Big Ten)
Nuff said.

The Hoosiers make their second bowl game in 3 years…playing against some crappy Big East team in some whoknowswhat.com bowl game…but it’s a step in the right direction.

Offensive MVPs: Ben Chappell to Demarlo Belcher yields double digit TDs on the year.

Defensive MVP: Jammie Kirlew puts up double digit sacks once again…but the MVP goes to Nick Polk at Safety who picks off 6 passes on the way to an All-Big Ten season.

Offensive Feshman of the Year: Darius Willis runs for 900 yards and 8 Tds.

Defensive Freshman of the Year: Adam Replogle plays a tough DT for the Hoosier.