Big Ten Tourny Bracket

I am finally making my glorious return to the Website. Why is that? It’s March Madness BABY! March is my 2nd favorite month of the year, mainly for the madness. I have already enjoyed some of the mid major brackets, 2 OT games last night and there’s a W. Kentucky blog sighting on ESPN2 right now. I am looking forward to Valparaiso Detriot tonight and pretty much any other action I can watch.

The main reason for this article though is, BIG TEN TOURNY!

Fodor and I are going head to head (If other ACSS writers want in cough Ryan cough cough Tim) we’d be down too.


Scoring is as follows.

Round 1: 1 Point
Round 2: 2 Points
Semi: 3 Points
Champions: 4 Points

1 Bonus point for correct upset picks.


Game 1.

#8 Iowa vs #9 Illinois

The Pick: Illinois

The Reason: I actually think Iowa will win this game, but I’m making this pick for 3 reasons.

1. The whole Leornard Meyers and his brother’s surprise story (http://deadspin.com/5890234/illinois-sophomore-meyers-leonard-gets-surprise-visit-from-marine-brother
2. Illinois’ campus is actually pretty close to Indy, so they should have a decent showing of support
3. This game is kind of a tossup in my mind, so I’ll take the bonus point for picking the upset.

#5 Indiana vs #12 Penn State

The Pick: Indiana

The Reason: Hoosier biased pick here. Penn State could give the Hoosiers some headaches and it is really hard to beat 1 team in the same season 3 times. Saying that, this is practically a home game and Indiana is way better.

#7 Northwestern vs #10 Minnesota

The Pick: Northwestern

The Reason: Part of me really wants to pick Minnesota, but Northwestern needs a win or two in this tourney to get their first ever ticket punched. What more motivation then that.

#6 Purdue vs #11 Nebraska

The Reason: Practically a home game for Purdue, Hummel will be motivated after fouling out in his last Big Ten regular season game. Also does anyone in Nebraska even know their team is playing? Purdue wins big


Round 2

#1 Michigan State vs #9 Illinois

The Pick: Michigan State

The Reason: Day Day is the best player in this game and won’t let his team lose their opening round game. Izzo excels in the tournaments. Just don’t see how Illinois wins

#4 Wisconsin vs #5 Indiana

The Pick:

The Reason: I actually think Indiana is the better team even though they are the lower ranked team. Wisconsin did better in the Big Ten but Indiana has the better overall resume. Indiana did lose to Wisconsin earlier in the year in Madison. Bo Ryan does get his team to play very smart and make no mistakes, but I don’t see them winning this game.

#2 Michigan vs #7 Northwestern

The Pick: Michigan

The Reason: I do feel Northwestern is a tournament team, but Michigan is the better overall team. I love watching Novak and Hardway Jr play and think they take care of business here.

#3 Ohio State vs #6 Purude

The Pick Ohio State

The Reason: Jared Sullinger. Purdue doesn’t match up well against Ohio State. They have no one who can really guard Sulligner and aren’t nearly as deep as the Buckeyes.


Round 3

#1 Michigan State vs #5 Indiana

The Pick: Indiana

The Reason: I think Indiana is going to play MSU the same way they did the last time they played each other. They will let Day Day get his, but play lock down defense on every other Michigan State player. The Hooisers have been playing with a little bit of swager lately and will use the friend neutral court crowd to advance to the Big Ten Finals

#2 Michigan vs # 3 Ohio State

The Pick: Ohio State

The Reason: Despite the fact Ohio State lost the last game of the season and finished last in the 3 way tie for first, I still think they are the most complete team in the Big Ten and that is why I’m picking them to win this game and…..

#3 Ohio State vs #5 Indiana

The Pick: Ohio Sate

Kevin Wilson Gets Pissed At Radio Hosts Making Fun of IU

Some Fox radio show call Zakk and Jack invited Kevin Wilson on to do an interview. After an intro where they left Wilson on hold for about a minute and a half Wilson went on the attack.

Listen Here

Even though Zakk and Jack went on the rip on Wilson after they kicked him off the show, many other people in the Media have defended Wilson including Dan Dachich on his radio show, SI's Stewart Mandel and Andy Staples.


Mandel via Twitter


Wilson > condescending radio jocks RT @JimmyTraina: Train wreck sports talk radio w/ Indiana coach Kevin Wilson. http://t.co/qARzwtC

Staples has a Lot of back and forth via Twitter I am only including his comments. You can follow is hole chain here



RT @JimmyTraina: Train wreck sports talk radio at its finest here w/ new Indiana football coach Kevin Wilson.

@HawkeyeNation Agreed. Don't start ripping after you hang up on the guy. Hit him with that on the air if it's that important.

I know how Kevin Wilson feels. Last year, I lit up a host off-air for doing no prep before I came on. Should have done it on-air

Not so sure. Think he endeared himself to IU fans. RT @dcvol: If you're Wilson, though, you've got to bite your tongue.


prefer these guys. http://youtu.be/ws58s9wzYsA RT @turnershow: Trudeau and his wingman absolutely brutal


@andy_grey You're underestimating the public's mistrust of the media. Pit yourself against a media member and you look like a hero


@andy_grey He got more buzz by doing what he did than if he had given a sunny, cheery interview

Indiana Football Recruiting

Here is a quick update on Scout discussing Indiana's recruiting.

No, Gunner Kiel has not signed yet, but two of his teammates did. That could be helpful in beating out Alabama or Oklahoma for the highest ranked QB recruit. I personally think that Gunner wants to go to Indiana, but knows his talent level is too high to go there right now.

On the plus side if he comes, he can lead the team and potentially turn around the program. On the down side, he might not have any protection or people to throw the ball to which could hurt his draft stock compared to the other two power house programs. I still don't see him coming, but there's always hope.



Lastly. Indiana has started recruiting another Randle El. That's right, Antwaan's kid who plays WR.

From the Big Ten Blog: Iowa drop motivates IU's Damarlo Belcher

From the Big Ten Blog
After the 2010 season wrapped up, Damarlo Belcher had Indiana's video staff compile cutups of all his catches and drops from the previous 12 games.

The catches far outnumbered the drops. Belcher had 78 receptions last fall, tops among Big Ten players. He ranked 19th nationally in receptions per game (6.5) and finished fourth in the league in receiving yards per game (69.3 rpg). The 6-foot-5, 214-pound Belcher emerged as the most consistent pass-catcher on the league's top passing offense.

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Darron Cummings
Damarlo Belcher led the Big Ten in receptions last fall, but is motivated by his drop against Iowa.Belcher reviewed every play, but he spent more time on the drops. Specifically, he watched The Drop.

Indiana fans don't need further explanation. Anyone who watched the end of the Hoosiers' Nov. 6 game against then-No. 15 Iowa understands.

After Iowa scored a late touchdown to take an 18-13 lead, Indiana responded with a drive to the Hawkeyes' 18-yard line. After three incompletions, quarterback Ben Chappell lofted a pass to the end zone on fourth-and-10. Belcher leaped above the defenders to grab it for the game-winner.

But the ball bounced off of his hands. Iowa ran out the clock, and another chance for Indiana to turn a corner had disappeared.

Belcher hasn't forgotten what happened that day.

“I can't," he said. "But it won't happen again, I'll tell you that. That’s the one I watch the most."

Belcher felt understandably sick after the drop, but his coaches and teammates rallied around him. Indiana's leadership council unanimously voted him a game captain the next week against Wisconsin.

Belcher finished the season with an eight-catch, 83-yard performance as Indiana knocked off Purdue in overtime to reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket. But Indiana fell a win shy of bowl eligibility, and the school fired coach Bill Lynch the day after the Bucket game.

The Drop has lingered in Belcher's mind throughout the winter and spring.

"I think about it every day," he said. "Whenever I'm in the weight room or out at practice, I think about it. It gives me an extra effort or motivation to just go hard."

Belcher will be Indiana's clear-cut No. 1 receiver this fall after teammate Tandon Doss declared early for the NFL draft. Belcher also considered bolting after the coaching change.

Indiana's hiring of offensive guru Kevin Wilson helped keep Belcher in Bloomington.

"That was a big part of the reason why I stayed," Belcher said. "Coming from where he came from, I couldn't do anything but stay."

Wilson has talked to Belcher about former Oklahoma star tight end Jermaine Gresham and other standout pass-catchers he coached in Norman. Belcher has responded well to the new staff this spring.

"He's the oldest guy in the group, the most experienced, and he's been great to work with," co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach Kevin Johns said. "For someone who led the Big Ten in receptions, who made All-Big Ten recognition, he's very hungry to learn. He comes into meetings with wide eyes, not a guy who feels, 'I already know everything.'"

Belcher's hunger stems in part from the drop against Iowa. He can't wait for the season and a chance for redemption.

"If it can be close, man, I want it, I want the ball in my hands," he said. "That's how much it affected me. Whenever it's crunch time, I'll be ready."

IU New Coach, Living in A Van in Memorial Stadium

This article from Indiana Daily Student is Awesome. Fodor find some pictures!

IDSnews.com | Ekeler’s arrival from Nebraska has him ‘living in a van down by the river’

For the last two months, through snow and ice and arctic winds, IU’s new co-defensive coordinator lived and slept inside an RV parked just beyond the south end zone of Memorial Stadium.

Every morning before dawn, Mike Ekeler emerged from his Holiday Rambler Navigator and clicked the remote to lock his temporary motorhome.

Determined to arrive in the weight room before his players, Ekeler would wake early and walk 100 yards along the FieldTurf to work.

He arrived in Bloomington on Jan. 4. Since then, he has been hustling from 5 a.m. to midnight, launching into a mission many would call impossible: Turning a team that has spent the last three years in the basement of the Big Ten into a powerhouse.
***

The grind of Big Ten football comes with sacrifices. New IU coach Kevin Wilson and his staff left successful programs to come to Bloomington, a program known mainly for its losses. Most coaches are separated from their families while they scramble to recruit and coach a team, while living out of temporary residences. They are all trying to settle into their new lives.

Ekeler, 39, traded his Cornhuskers red for the traditional IU crimson when he left his job at Nebraska, the latest in a line of stops at powerhouse programs — Oklahoma (’03-’04), LSU (’05-’07) and Nebraska (’08-’10) — to join IU.

IU hasn’t been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in 22 years. Nor have they won, or even shared, a Big Ten crown in 43 years. In fact, the Hoosiers won one Big Ten game in each of the last three seasons.

Ekeler’s rise to coaching success took just seven years, but after the 2010 Big 12 Championship game, the 39-year-old said he knew he needed a change.

In fall 2010, he told the Lincoln Journal Star that Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David, a kid who came from junior college ball, was the best linebacker in America.
He felt comfortable.

“If I had stayed, I would have become as big as my linebackers,” Ekeler said. “Instead of coaching, I would have gained 300 pounds. I’d’ve ate eight hot dogs and smoked two packs of Marlboro’s on game day because I would have nothing to coach. There was no challenge.”

A guy who once had a pet piranha, he likes life outside the comfort zone. So he left Nebraska for a program full of challenges.

Wilson said the team should perform at a successful level in the 2011 season.
“Then again talk is cheap,” Wilson said. “So the way we practice and prepare over time will show how we can be in the Big Ten.”

IU Athletics Director Fred Glass said Ekeler hasn’t even watched game tapes on his guys. He’s waiting to judge their on-field talents when spring ball starts at the end of March. Ekeler said he will work from 5 a.m. until midnight. He wants to change the program that has seen only eight bowl games in its 126-year history.

Ekeler said there’s no doubt in his mind that IU will turn it around.

“No, it’s going to happen,” Ekeler said. “The change starts this coming fall.”
***

A yellow electric cord wound from the left side of Ekeler’s Navigator to Memorial Stadium, giving the motorhome its power. He said he was a little disappointed he couldn’t hook up the sewage too.

“Oh, that uh, that there’s an RV ... it’s a good-looking vehicle, ain’t it?” Ekeler quoted from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when discussing the Navigator.

But unlike a Chevy Chase character, he’s not embarrassed by his RV — a Mother’s Day gift for his wife. On the University of Nebraska’s website, Ekeler said the Navigator is his third RV and it drives like his F150. The Navigator, white with champagne trim, is 45 feet long. Its MSRP lists at $592,649.

Dirk Ochs, Ekeler’s former K-State teammate, laughed when he heard Ekeler is living in his RV at Memorial Stadium. But he said he takes seriously Ekeler’s guarantee that the new coaching staff will change IU football into an elite program.

“When you go to a program that hasn’t had success and then you have success, there’s something to be said for that,” Ochs said. “We’ve done that before. That’s why all of us went to K-State — to build up a program that was never very good.”

Tom Osborne, Nebraska’s athletic director, said Ekeler would always boast with confidence before games against good teams.

“He’d think we were gonna win 50-0,” Osborne said. “It always made me feel good to talk to him, but it didn’t always turn out that well. However, I’d rather be around someone who is optimistic then always negative. Mike sees the glass half full.”
The comedy and charisma Ekeler used at K-State has never left him.

His new IU linebackers are already playing jokes on him, so he said the fun will continue. It’s who he is, it makes him happy and so does living in that RV.

“And I live in a van down by the river ... I’m going to live down by the river eating governmental cheese.”

“I’m a comedic coach,” Ekeler said after quoting a classic Chris Farley skit from “Saturday Night Live.”

According to Ekeler, a linebacker won’t amount to anything unless he laughs at his jokes.

“I kept a linebacker from playing for three games because he wouldn’t laugh at my jokes during a meeting,” Ekeler said about a former Nebraska player. “He just needed to figure it out. Now, the guy’s a linebacker for the New York Giants.”
***

The cherry wood of his new desk gleams with the morning sun. The back glass wall of his office gives Ekeler a view of the North End Zone. He hasn’t called the off-white rectangle his work space for more than a month, but already his four children, J.J., 10, Cameryn, 9, Abigail, 7, and Bella, 3, added a family touch.

On their first trip to their dad’s new office, they started to turn the place into home.
“I <3 you. You rock,” written in red marker, accompanied by a red smiley face with green eyes remained untouched in 3-week-old dry erase ink.

Eventually, the drawing will be replaced with names of players, opponents or the other work of a 5 a.m.-to-midnight job. Eventually, IU will become home. And Ekeler said he hopes eventually IU will turn into a championship team.

A video of a recruit played on an LG flat screen as Ekeler slightly reclined in his chair. Although the weather outside said 28 degrees, he said it feels tropical and those winds are nothing like the ones in Nebraska, or to Ekeler, “N-Alaska.”

As nice as the RV might be, the south end zone wasn’t a permanent location. Ekeler and his wife, Barbie, have already found a home near College Mall. Ekeler’s last night sleeping beside the football field in his Navigator was Sunday. He, Barbie and the kids moved into the new house Monday.

Even though his walk will increase from 100 yards and his home will no longer be powered by IU Athletics, Ekeler is determined to give his all to IU.

“We’re going to do it,” Ekeler said. “We have the right players and leaders. The staff really doesn’t care what happened in the past.”

Then with another laugh he added, “I’m an optimist. A three-quarters full kind of guy.”





Luckily he's not like this guy

SI's Stewart Mandel Talks IU Coaching Search

Thanks to yours truly, who sent in an e-mail to Stewart Mandel's Podcast, Stewart Mandel discusses IU's coaching search on his podcast this week. I am unsure how to get it to play on the blog, so please use this link, find the 12/01 Mandel Podcast labeled Iron Bowl, Boise State, Civil War Preview - Dec. 1, 2010, go to the 28:35 mark and listen for my question. I listen to his podcast every week and recommend it to any college football fan out there.

Noffke

OK, Hoosiers Fans, The Season Has Now Started

Indiana coasted through its first six home games, mostly allowing lesser teams to test their mettle in the first half before pulling away down the stretch. An undefeated (and untested) 6-0, the Hoosiers proceeded to let Boston College dictate the tone of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge game on the road this Wednesday, mounting a desperate second half comeback that fell short.

No, I'm not writing for Bleacher Report this year. So, now that I think about it, screw the formalities.

What do y'all think about this IU team? Okay, not this one exactly, but the 2011 edition.

I've got a couple of thoughts, which I will now obligingly share with you, in classic Peter Kingian Style:

1. Tom Crean and staff (and team!) have done a fantastic job on the recruiting trail. It's not just Cody Zeller and Yogi Ferrell, either. Ron Patterson and Hanner Perea are big-time signings. Austin Etherington is no joke. I'm not even going to talk about the Class of 2014, because hopefully I will have escaped this black hole of a college town by then.

1a. However, if the big-time recruits become the only positive of this season, I will not be pleased. If IU keeps losing and waiting on saviors, we're screwed. This sophomore class was ranked No. 5 nationally when they came in, and it's time for some results.

2. Speaking of which, Christian Watford has been an absolute beast so far. If he can stay healthy and maintain this intensity, he's in the running for some kind of All-Big Ten honors, even in a ridiculously stacked year.

3. Maurice Creek is not all the way back yet. The rust from a year of rehabbing really shows.

4. Don Fischer is still the best in the business. So far I've listened to almost every game on the radio while delivery driving - the addition of Coach Rory (and subtraction of Todd Leary) as the color man lets The Fish relax and have some fun with his job while Rory plays straight man - plus, considering he was coaching middle school ball this time last year, Rory knows his stuff.

5. I expect Jordan Hulls to stay in the starting lineup all year, along with Verdell and Watford. At some point, unless Creek starts to heat up, Oladipo is going to take his job. Same goes for Derek Elston with Tom Pritchard.

6. Ken Pomeroy's rankings are still the most valuable resource for college basketball fans on the interwebs. You can find them at www.kenpom.com. Presently, Pomeroy (who, yes, I have emailed back and forth with - does that count as name dropping? If so, I'm an ass.) has the Hoosiers at a shockingly decent No. 62 in the nation, with a projected final record of 16-14 (6-12). These projections are constantly being adjusted by algorithmical (HOW is that not a word, blogspot??) magic, so check back often.

6a. That No. 62 puts us ahead of Iowa, Penn State, and Michigan in the Big Ten. Frankly, we should be better than all of those teams this year.

6b. Our next true road game is against Kentucky, and I want to go. Pom has them at No. 6, and I believe the pollsters mostly agree, yes? Anyone up for a li'l Lexington road trip next Saturday?

6c. Ohio State at 3, Wisconsin at 5, Illinois at 11, Michigan State at 12. Ladies and gentlemen, the Big Ten's torchbearers for 2011. (Purdue is 18th, Minnesota 35th, Northwestern 52nd, then comes the Hoosiers. Eight bids? Hey, we can dream, right?)

7. I will be buying my tickets for this year's Big Ten Tournament as soon as they come out. Last year was a blast, so anybody that wants to join in on the quarter-betting tailgating action at Conseco in March, let me know! (Below: Devoe Joseph, probably my favorite guy to watch at the tourney last season.)

8. Yeah, yeah, I know, King does ten. But I'm not giving you any BS-y travel complaints! Okay, just one. I have travelled up and down I-65 six times in the last week and a half. The good exits? 140 (Starbucks, Taco Bell, Burger King), 168 (clean restrooms), 201 (subway at Pilot), 240 (Great big clean gas stations, and, umm, the Lion's Den, not that I've ever been there.). Also ate at the Chili's at 172, the Lafayette exit.

9. Hey, how 'bout Adam Dunn and AJ Pierzynski? I think Pauly is getting wooed pretty hard right now by a number of teams, but hopefully Kenny "All In" Williams can get the job done and get the Captain back on board.

9a. Bobby Jenks, good luck in middle relief in the NL.

10. According to scuttlebutt from my fellow senior writer Steve 'Snuffles' Noffke, Tommy Bowden is in the mix for the IU Football job. I'd be okay with that, but Mike Leach is still my favorite, if he would be willing to come north.

Rumors on Indiana's Head Football Coach

ACSS reporter Derek Wilson has been doing some digging around the status of Bill Lynch's future as Head Coach. According to this twitter page Lynch might not return next year.

"If there is an opening at Indiana, I hear Glen Mason and Brady Hoke could be prime targets."

Of the two Targets, I would prefer Glen Mason over Brady Hoke. Glen Mason led some good Minnesota Teams and was able to recruit NFL talent there. Before Minnesota he was at Kansas where had some minor success. Brady Hoke has done a good job at Ball State and now at San Diego State. After the "success" of Lynch, I would like to avoid hiring another former Ball State Coach. Also, I would prefer someone with more Power Conference or Programs to some one who has had success at the mid level.

My ideal choice would be Mike Leach, which would be fantastic in terms of trading dysfunctional coaches between Texas Tech and Indiana.

Big Ten Blog Previews IU vs Michigan

ESPN's Big Ten Blog previews the IU vs Michigan game this weekend and it starts out this way.

Fact No. 1: Michigan brings the nation's leading rusher and the nation's No. 2 rush offense to Bloomington to face an Indiana defense ranked 92nd nationally against the run.

Fact. No. 2: The Hoosiers counter with the nation's No. 11 pass offense against a Michigan team ranked 105th nationally in pass defense.


I know this is the game I am most excited about for this year! GO HOOSIERS! O and bet the over

Indiana University Basketball Preview

I know it's still a few months away, but this is awesome.

Big Ten Power Rankings, Week Three

This is just going to be a quick ranking, since the games start soon. Every Big Ten team is in action this Saturday. The top six teams are all undefeated.

1. No. 2 Ohio State (vs. Ohio) - The Buckeyes are fresh off a big win against Miami at home and get their in-state patsies at the Horseshoe. They'll be 3-0 by the second quarter, unlike two years ago, when they let the Bobcats (I think that's Ohio's mascot) hang in until almost the end of the game. Ohio already got their massive upset of the year when they beat Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament.

2. No. 11 Wisconsin (vs. Arizona State) - Ah, home cookin'. If Bucky Badger had to go to Tempe, this might be a more frightening matchup, but I expect Ball and Clay to run the ball about 66% of the time in this one, put us all to sleep, and leave Wisco undefeated at the end of the day.

3. No. 9 Iowa (at No. 24 Arizona) - The lone Big Ten team with a road game against a decent opponent this week, Iowa looks to prove itself and get a quality win that they can point to down the road.

4. Michigan State (vs. Notre Dame) - I know what the Noffkes will be watching. Prime time, ABC, 8 PM. After Sparty wins this one, I expect to get some offers on firebriankelly.com. Oh wait, I haven't bought it yet? Crap...

5. Northwestern (at Rice) - Dan Persa has looked like the real deal so far, as has the 'Cats defense and the new crew of wide receivers. The lack of a star running back will be NU's only Achilles heel this year. I expect a comfortable win against the Owls, even on the road.



6. No. 20 Michigan (vs. Massachussets) - Shoelace for Heisman? How ironic would it be if Denard Robinson beat out Terrelle Pryor for the trophy this year? Obviously UMass is a patsy, so you can expect the overhyping of Michigan to continue for another week, despite the fact that their defense is terrible and their offense is one-dimensional.

7. No. 22 Penn State (vs. Kent State) - Going from No. 1 Alabama on the road to Kent State at home is about the biggest dropoff in opponent quality I can imagine. This Nittany Lions team is one of the weakest I can remember, but they will look better today.

8. Indiana (at Western Kentucky) - Fred Glass has been so busy rebuilding the IU football culture (and doing a great job, by the way), that he forgot to schedule a Week Two game, and settled for a road date down in bluegrass country today. The Hoosiers had better win this game and stay undefeated.

9. Purdue (vs. Ball State) - They stink less than Illinois.

10. Illinois (vs. Northern Illinois) - Ron Zook gets a look at the type of team he'll probably be coaching next. A directional university, that is.

11. Minnesota (vs. No. 18 USC) - Who remembers Minny-Cal last year? Yeah, I'm expecting about the same. If the Gophers win this one, it would be one hell of a turnaround after losing to South Dakota State last week.

Indiana University Football and Basketball Links

I know I haven't written a good post since my College Football preview part 1, but I'll be back with plenty of College Football stuff soon.

In the mean time read this article about IU Marketing including a discussion of the new scoreboard, one of the 10 biggest in the nation, and the new changes to the student section.

In IU Basketball News


According to this article, IU will be playing Notre Dame next year in the Crossroads Classic, and could have a potential non-conference game with Butler this year. Also, IU will play Butler next year in the Crossroads Classic.

Big Ten Power Rankings (Early Edition)

There's some easy parts and some tricky parts about deciding who the favorites are in Big Ten football this year. The easy? Well, you know Ohio State's gotta be the favorite. And you know who the top also-rans are -- it's Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin in some order.

Oh, and Illinois is terrible.

But the tough part? Deciding what to do with rankings number 5 through 10. Here's how I think the Big Ten is looking going into the 2010 season. Just for fun, I'll throw Nebraska in there too.

1. Ohio State - Terrelle Pryor is the conference's best Heisman candidate, although there are several others worth consideration.

With WR Dane Sanzenbacher back (and I didn't even look up that spelling!) as well as Rolle at linebacker, the Buckeyes are what we always expect them to be - a great team with great depth who won't spend any time outside of the Top Ten nationwide.

2. Iowa - Adrian Clayborn was the best defensive player in the Big Ten last year, and proved it with his highlight reel field goal block and TD return against Penn State. He's back this year to make his case as a top five NFL draft pick.

Ricky Stanzi? I'm not quite as sold. But the Hawkeyes are aiming for ten wins and a BCS game.

3. Wisconsin - John Clay is the Big Ten's best running back and a dark horse Heisman candidate - think Toby Gerhart, but Clay does it against better defenses. Wisco is coming off a big bowl win and looking to improve.

4. Penn State - Even though they lost a ton of players, JoePa recruits better than anyone not named Sweater Vest in the conference. Plus, that home field advantage at Happy Valley is awesome.

5. Northwestern - My love for Pat Fitzgerald is well-documented. He's Joe Paterno in diapers. The Wildcats are marketing Chicago hard this year, with hopes of improving attendance at Ryan Field, and I believe there are plenty of wannabe fans in the area that should flock to what is a thoroughly enjoyable gameday experience.

Dan Persa is more than capable at quarterback. The biggest question is whether the 'Cats can rely on Arby Fields to actually gain yardage at RB. Northwestern hasn't really had a good running back since Damien Anderson. Finding one would be a huge plus.

5a. Nebraska - That defense was one of the best in the nation last season, but loses Ndamukong Suh and Barry "Bears Practice Squad" Turner, and their offense is nothing to write home about.

However, cornerback Prince Amukamara (yes, I cheated here) is a superstar in waiting, and I expect the Blackshirts defense to make the Huskers' last season in the Big 12 a memorable one.

6. Michigan State - Kirk Cousins returns at quarterback, and is probably the Big Ten's biggest darkhorse Heisman hopeful as a junior. But Sparty has had a ton of offseason controversy and I just don't see them sneaking up on anyone.

7. Purdue - Miami transfer Robert Marve (QB) is carrying the hopes of Boiler Nation. Danny Hope is a good solid coach, but I don't know that Purdue has the depth or talent to do much more than hope for six wins.

8. Indiana - With Ben Chappell back at QB, and probably the best wide receivers in the entire Big Ten, Indiana figures to score a ton this year. Fred Glass has done a great job getting butts in seats at Memorial Stadium.

But after losing DEs Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, LB Matt Mayberry, and safeties Austin Thomas and Nick Polk, the Hoosiers will have some serious issues on defense. Can the Replogle Brothers become the faces of a retooled D? They'll put up great stats, but IU looks to be giving up 28+ a game this year in the Big Ten.

However, soft out of conference matchups (Arkansas State is the best of the four) should guarantee at least four wins, or else Bill Lynch is a goner. Is it wrong to say that my heart wouldn't exactly be broken by that?

Whatever, I bought my season tickets.

9. Michigan - I thought Rich Rodriguez was amazing at West Virginia. What happened? It's looking more and more like Carr should have stayed in Ann Arbor, and Rich Rod should have stayed in Morgantown. Capital One Bowl > No Bowl.

10. Minnesota - If you can't win with talent like Eric Decker, you can't win without talent like Eric Decker. Tim Brewster is gone after this year.

11. Illinois - After a train wreck in 2009, Illinois isn't looking a whole lot better in 2010. It may be a long year in Champaign. And, by the way, I do expect Ron Zook to join Brewster on the firing line.

Does Indiana Need a Mascot

As college football nears us again, I wanted to take up the cause again that Indiana needs a Mascot. I know most people hate mascots and relative new comers to the Chicago scene SouthPaw (White Sox) and Tommy Hawk (BlackHawks) have not been welcomed with that much enthusiasm. That’s the pros though. College is way different and Mascots are cool. FSU’s Chief Osceola rides into the stadium an plants a flaming spear into ground. Not to be out down, Southern Cal has Tommy Trojan in full war gear who rides around the stadium on Traveler (who ironically doesn’t go on road games) and plants his sword into the ground before every game. Colorado is led onto the field but a friggin Buffalo for crying out loud, how awesome is that.

Now I know what you’re thinking. The reason Indiana doesn’t have a mascot is because what the heck is a Hoosier? It’s a person from Indiana. Great, so our mascot will basically be Herbie the Husker. While this might be true, let’s look around the College landscape some more. The Alabama Crimson Tide have and Elephant, Alabama’s biggest rival Auburn has a War Eagle to go along with its Tiger. Another SEC team the Tennessee Volunteers have a Coon Hound. Even the Navy Midshipmen have a goat. So clearly there is precedent for Indiana to have a mascot that has nothing to do with anything. Here are my top three choices for IU’s new mascot.

Indiana Jones (Dr Henry Jones Jr, not the dog)

I know what you’re thinking, That is the stupidest suggestion you have ever heard. However, admit it, you laughed when you read it. Also, think of the possibilities with having Indy as the mascot, no more boring halftime shows at assembly hall. Instead we could have Indiana performing various stunts from his various movies.





Plus, you cannot tell me you would look away if you saw Indiana Jones with a basketball running towards a trampoline underneath the basket? His name works perfectly with the school, and he’s a professor. Why wouldn’t a school want to have a professor as a mascot. Academics first right? The biggest setback would obviously be copyright infringement, but I am sure the David Anspaugh can talk to Steven Spielberg and work something out.



Fear the Deer

My number Two entry is a Buck. I think this is a logical choice given the environment around Indiana University. The area is very woodsy and home to many Bucks and Deer. I also cannot think of another school that has a Buck or a Deer as a mascot. In fact the only team I can think of that has a buck as a mascot is the Milwaukee Bucks who’s mascot, Bango, is awesome.







With this you could have the basically the same mascot as the Bucks, but dress him in IU gear as well as have a live Buck on the sideline. I am talking about a big 12 pointer Buck. Yes we’d have to make sure none of the local hunters tried to shoot him and mount them on the wall, but other than that I don’t see the down side. Plus we could use the always fun, “Fear the Deer” phrase. A good name for him would be Bucky, just to piss of Wisconsin.




IU Gorilla

The Gorilla is already the unofficial mascot so this is a solid choice. I would not want this guy, but someone who is part of the band/cheer squad to take over the duties. I know a Gorilla has nothing to do with Indiana or the area around Indiana like me previous two choices, but like the mascots listed in the intro, what does a Gorilla have to do with Phoenix or the Suns




The University could even team up with the Indianapolis Zoo and keep a group of Silverback Gorillas in a habitat somewhere between Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall similar to Mike the Tiger at LSU. As for naming the Gorilla, I am open to suggestions, but right now I am sticking with just calling him the IU Gorilla.

College Football is Coming!

Today we got a dispatch from Iraq (thanks, Alec) reminding us at the Superstar that while it may be 90 degrees outside right now (okay, maybe a bit hotter over there), we're not too far away from September in the grand scheme of things.

And you know what September means, boys and girls.
(that's right... three wins and high hopes for Indiana that will inevitably lead to heartbreak. The annual Bill Lynch tease.)

I digress. Here's a nice article from Hail to Purple regarding Northwestern's preseason rankings in the major magazines and online. Interesting tidbit: Because the big mags (like Athlon) tend to market to bigger audiences, NU almost always gets screwed over.

Also, more evidence that Mark Schlabach is an idiot; he "called NU one of the teams most likely to 'freefall' in 2009 vs. 2008 and predicted no bowl for the 'Cats."

I'm thinking we will have our own college football preview out soon, so let us know what you want to read about.

IU Football’s Crazy June

To the casual Indiana football fan the only relevant months of the year are September and October…I say this because those are the only months that have great tailgating weather (and even October is a stretch sometimes). To anybody like me, who is an actual fan of the team, college football is a year round sport. One of the most exciting times for football fans (even for IU), is tracking the progress of each year’s recruiting class – though it isn’t always good for the Hoosiers.

In a typical year, the recruiting class starts taking shape in the early summer months, but the bulk of visits and commitments take place during the football season. Of course there are teams like Texas and OSU who can hand pick their recruits and are basically wrapped up by the time football season starts…but for most teams this isn’t the case.

That is…Until now!!

The month of June has seen “Wild” Bill Lynch securing football commitments at about the same pace The Jersey Shore’s “The Situation” shacks up with an unattractive, obese, female (also known as a Purdue co-ed…ouch).

Through today – June 24th – IU’s commitment list stands at 18 players. As a point of reference: This is the most in the Big Ten…OSU has 15 commits followed by a slew of schools that are sitting at 5. Some will point to Indiana and say “quantity, not quality” – I disagree. The coaches have done a great job of pinpointing players that they have a shot with but won’t have to compete with the likes of OSU, PSU, etc. To further my point, the last two recruits that Indiana received commitments from had offers from Wisconsin – not exactly one of those MAC schools that we have competed with in the past.

Here’s a quick rundown of IU’s current class – keep in mind that these are verbal commitments and a lot of these kids are already hearing from “bigger and better” programs trying to sway them prior to February’s signing day.

- According to Rivals.com Indiana’s class consists of 2 4 star recruits (rated #243 and #245 in the country), 10 3 star recruits, 4 2 star recruits, and 2 kids that are un-rated.

- Indiana’s class is heavy on defense and the trenches…and very light on skill position players. The only 2 skill position players are a Wildcat QB and a 6’5” WR/basketball player (sound familiar?).

- The class is heavy on the Midwest. The farthest West that a commit hails from is Kansas – with Ohio the farthest East.

- According to Rivals.com IU has gotten verbals from 5 of the top 15 recruits in Indiana, with a few more possibilities in there. (Purdue’s recruiting strategy of avoiding the home state at all costs seems to help here…).

There are a lot of factors that go into recruiting – coaching stability might be the most over-looked…but this year IU has their trump card – the state of the art weight room (and largest in the nation) that was part of the new stadium addition last year. The only thing left to do is go out and improve on the field as well. A bowl season will go a long way in getting these commits to ignore the other schools and sign on the dotted line as a Hoosier in February.

I’ll see if I can find some time in the near future to breakdown the class by position. IUs 2011 recruiting class is definitely off to a strong start.

Bawa's A Goner: *tear*

Sad, sad news for the Indiana Hoosiers basketball program today, as sophomore Bawa Muniru has decided to leave the program for greener pastures elsewhere.

/sarcasm.
Bawa is one of those guys who has some of the things you need to have if you wanna ball. He can jump. He is almost seven feet tall.

Unfortunately, he is also missing basic things like, um, the ability for your brain to tell your hands to get to a ball within two seconds, or a shooting eye, or anything resembling rebounding instincts.

We were looking at a kid whose ceiling was best described as "a poor man's Tijan Jobe." At least Tijan was entertaining. At least Tijan looked good playing defense. Muniru never played more than eight minutes in a game (the infamous Bryant game, where we lost Creek) when he managed two rebounds and two blocks to go with an 0-for-1 shooting performance.

With Guy-Marc Michel coming in, our spot for 'token 7-footer with limited offensive skills' was already filled anyway.

Anyway, I wish Bawa the best at St. Cloud State or Mideastern Tennessee State or wherever he ends up. Also, this opens up a scholarship for 2011, which maybe we can fill with somebody who can actually play basketball. How 'bout it, Crean?

Thank Goodness IU is in the Big Ten

After all the hype and guess work followed by intense lobbying and jockeying for position it appears that the conference realignment has settled down for now. I for one have enjoyed most of the talk and am glad that the Big Ten landed Nebraska, my number one choice all along. I think what made the experience even more enjoyable was know my alma mater wasn’t going to be moving anywhere. It’s a good thing Indiana is in the Big Ten already, the reason why? Security.

All the major moves or attempted moves by conferences were clearly about 1 thing and 1 thing only. Football. As we all know Indiana is not a football power house. Of the Six Power conferences I’d say Indiana is the third worst football school. Duke is a clear choice for number one followed up by Iowa State who has never won the Big 8 or the Big XII North. I have Indiana at three but would be willing to listen to arguments about Vanderbilt and Baylor.

Secondly, Indiana is not a school with an extremely desirable television market that conferences might ignore whether the school has been successful on the field, like Rutgers. Indiana is in third place in football in the 16th most populated state and doesn’t exactly carry the TV markets of its two closest metropolitan areas which are Indianapolis (25th nationally) or Louisville (50th). No conferences are going out of their way to try to get a school like this.

If there was a bidding war for Big Ten teams, I see Indiana playing out much like Kansas. Yes the school is a huge brand name for basketball, but without the football to back it up, nobody really cares. Kansas was going to be left on the outside looking in, and I fear Indiana would have been in the same situation.

In all honesty, I think that’s the reason I enjoyed the conference realignment talk so much, cause I knew my school was safe. I think if I had been in a situation like Kansas, K-State or any other school that could have been left on the outside looking in, I would have been terrified about every rumor I heard. Needless to say, I’m glad Indiana is already in, because there would be no invitations coming if they weren’t.

Bears, Hoosiers Will Represent in UFL

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/06/03/2010-ufl-draft-includes-handful-of-nfl-veterans/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002

Whoever wrote this article was kind of lazy, because they mention Dewayne White and Frank Walker (??) being NFL vets, but if you scroll down, there is at least one name I find much more notable:

With the 42nd pick in the Ultimate Football League draft (that's the ninth round), Las Vegas selected former Bears safety (more recently, he was a 49er) Tony Parrish! No kidding! The Las Vegas Locomotives are coached by none other than former Giant coach Jim Fassel. They won the UFL championship last season, just for the record.

Humorously enough, Parrish was drafted 35th overall, in the second round, by the NFL in 1995. That's seven spots higher than the UFL took him.

The clearly clueless author of that article also mentions Parrish as a safety out of Washington, which is technically true, although he graduated, uh, fifteen years ago.

Indiana's Greg Middleton, who you may remember for his one great season -- he had sixteen sacks and was first-team All Big Ten as a sophomore -- went 52nd to Florida.

IU Football Recruiting Update

A few weeks backed I mentioned the fast start that "Wild" Bill Lynch was having on the 2011 recruiting trail, and while there have been no more commitments since then, there is a bit of news on the recruiting front today:
IU officially has a 4 star and top 250 in the nation recruit committed - At least according to rivals.com. (One important thing to note is that signing day isn't until next February...and IU has seen their fair share of 4 star recruits burn them in the past...but it is still news-worthy today.)
The only info that I have on the kid (his name is Zach Shaw) is that he is a 6'3" 218 pound OLB from Coshocton, OH. According to rivals.com his only offers to date are from MAC teams which would make him an "under the radar" type prospect...but the numbers don't lie.

His profile on Rivals lists him with some remarkable stats as a Junior this past season: 228 tackles (228!) and 8 interceptions - he definitely fits the mold of athletic linebackers with incredible ball skills (4.84 40 yard dash, 4.47 short shuttle).

Mark me down as someone who doesn't completely buy into stars and their translation to college success (part of that stems from being an IU fan and convincing myself that there is reason for optomism each year), but this is still a nice development. Seeing this early recruiting success is good for the program.