Indiana Hoosier Football Blog

Hoosier State of Mind

2010-09-15T14:00:00.001-04:00

All posts will be made at www.hoosierstateofmind.com

New Blog Site

2010-09-06T09:32:00.001-04:00

Starting today all new posts will be made at HoosierStateOfMind.com here is the link in case you visited this site. Link

NFL Roster Cuts

2010-09-04T10:16:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the deadline for NFL teams to make there final roster cuts and unfortunately a handful of former Hoosiers found there names on those lists. Yesterday is was announced Ray Fisher was let go by the Colts, and the Texans cut both Nick Polk and Will Patterson. Former tight end Troy Wagner was also cut earlier by the Browns. Matt Mayberry suffered an ankle injury and was waived a couple of weeks ago by the Chicago Bears. I don't believe Demetrius Mccray made into onto Tampa's squad either. Jammie Kirlew was also let go recently on the last wave cuts. That leaves Saffold as the only Hoosier who is still on a team. I will do my best to track where everyone ends up.

What we learned from Towson

2010-09-03T14:45:00.003-04:00

1. Ben Chappell has added another weapon in red shirt freshman tight end Ted Bolser. His first career catch happened to go for a touchdown and he did a great job stretching the field. He came in as a freshman around 220 pounds but now is up over 250 pounds. Lynch has said some great things about Bolser and I believe he could be a very special player at IU and will add another dimension into the offense that we haven't had in the past.

2. The defense will be just fine filling in all the spots where we had players graduate. Yes, the Hoosier defense did give up two big plays that we don't want to see. Lynch believes what happened will be easy to correct and they are in a good starting spot after week one. We lost a lot of production on defense after last year but it looks like there are plenty of guys who will be able to step up this season. This Hoosier defense also has much more depth than in years past and did a good job forcing turnovers and stopping the run.

3. The offense is going to be tough to stop. Obviously, Towson is not a great team but we still put up over 50 points without our number one receiver Tandon Doss, and most of the second and third stringers saw extended action. Darlius Willis really changes the offense so keeping him healthy will be key. Chappell did what we expected out of him and the offensive line didn't give up a sack. If everybody stays healthy this offense could put up some big numbers.

Indiana Towson Highlights

2010-09-03T12:12:00.001-04:00

Indiana Towson Highlights
Bill Lynch Press Conference

Final Game Stats

2010-09-03T11:56:00.003-04:00

Passing:
Chappell 16-23 182 yds 2 TD
Kiel 1-5 21 yds
Baker 1-2 2 yds

Rushing:

Willis 14 carries 102 yds 2 TD
Davis-Walker 2 carries 28 yds
Burgess 2 carries 17 yds 1 TD

Receiving:
Belcher 7 catches 92 yds 1 TD
Bolser 4 catches 68 yds 1 TD

Defense:
Tyler Replogle 10 tackles 1 INT
Evans 7 tackles 1 INT
Team had 6 TFL 3 INT (1TD)

Hoosier Articles

2010-09-03T11:47:00.002-04:00

Good win for the Hoosiers last night. Here are a handful of articles written about the game this morning.

Chappell, Willis help IU steamroll Towson (IndyStar): Link
Hoosiers defense spearheads opening win (J-G): Link
Hoosiers trounce Towson 51-17 at Memorial Stadium (Courier Press): Link

Bob Kravitz's 2-Minute Blitz: IU and Purdue football preview

2010-09-01T23:29:00.000-04:00

kenny mullen interview on choosing iu football

2010-09-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

Big Ten Divisions

2010-09-01T15:00:00.001-04:00

Here is the link if you want to read more.

Here is what it looks like.

Division 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota

Division 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois

What do you guys think?

Game Week

2010-08-31T14:01:00.002-04:00

The season is finally upon us. Thursday will begin the start of another Hoosier season with hopes of making a bowl trip at the end of the year. Before kickoff on Thursday here are a few things you should know.

-With the first depth chart released it looks like Aaron Price and Marc Damisch will be starting at guards. Justin Pagan and Cody Faulkner were hurt most of the off season so it shouldn't be a huge surprise that the hard work of Price and Damisch have gotten them a spot with the starters for week 1. The coaching staff will be rotating many players on the o-line throughout the game so expect to see a handful of different combinations of players on the field.

- Matt Ernest got the nod at the corner spot opposite of Richard Council. Ernest had a good spring and followed it up with a good fall as well. There was great competition at the corner position this off season and like most of the other positions, the coaching staff will rotate a handful of guys. JUCO Andre Kates has been playing well but has only been here since the summer so I'm not too surprised he didn't crack the starting lineup week 1.

- With Tandon Doss being held out of the starting lineup due to an injury look for Duwyce Wilson to step up and have a big game. The Hoosiers are loaded at the WR position so there will most likely be a handful of players that get playing time. This will be a great opportunity for Duwyce in particular to really show what he can do.

- At the running back position there could be the possibility of freshman Antonio Banks or Matt Perez seeing some playing time. Banks came here in the spring so he probably has a leg up on Perez at this point but don't be surprised if some young tail backs get a look.

Hoosier Sports Nite Indiana Football Preview

2010-08-31T00:24:00.000-04:00

Espn Bowl Predictions

2010-08-30T15:06:00.002-04:00

Obviously it is very early to make bowl predictions but it can't hurt to see espn pick IU to go bowling. Click on the link to see the rest of the list.

On another note it is taking longer than expected to get everything transferred to the new blog site hoosierstateofmind.com but I will keep you posted when I have a better picture of when that will happen.

Chappell A Candidate for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award

2010-08-24T23:00:00.001-04:00

Per IUHoosiers.com: Link

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana fifth-year senior quarterback Ben Chappell is one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in football. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

Chappell is IU's third nominee in the award's three years of existence, following finalist Austin Starr in 2008 and Jammie Kirlew in 2009. The Bloomington native also was nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® and named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List earlier this preseason.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.    

The 2010 candidate class includes 10 American Football Coaches Association Allstate Good Works Team® nominees. Nine of the 30 have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better. Five of the candidates were recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America as 2009 Academic All-Americans, and 10 are members of teams ranked in the USA Today coaches preseason top 25 poll. Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner at the conclusion of the regular season.    

The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.    

"The young men in our football candidate class are excellent examples of student-athletes who spend quality time helping improve their communities," said Tom Lamb, Lowe's senior vice president of marketing. "We are pleased to recognize them and excited to see what they accomplish during their senior seasons." 

For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com

Hoosier Nuggets

2010-08-23T23:16:00.002-04:00

Just a couple of notes from the Hoosier Scoop. Link
Due to Chris Adkins injury both Lawrence Barnett and Yatta Kiles have been moved to the safety position. This shouldn't be a big surprise due to the depth we have developed at the corner position and the improvement Richard Council has made this off-season. If the position switch doesn't work out for either of them there is always the possibility that they could be moved back because of all the quality reps they have had at the corner position.

On another note defensive end Fred Jones is really starting the emerge as the anchor of the defensive ends. Andrew Mcdonald is ahead of the game at the left tackle position and Freshman Chase Hoobler and Kofi Hughes will likely make the travel roster and not the scout team. The back-up quarterback spot is still going back and forth between Dusty Kiel and Ed Wright-Baker.

Rittenberg has Hoosier WR Ranked Second in Big Ten

2010-08-23T15:01:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to Adam Rittenberg's blog where he has a done a great job ranking the top 5 schools at each position in the Big Ten. Finally the Hoosiers make one of the lists with their talented wide receiving core, and here is what Adam wrote about the top 2 teams. Follow the link above to read the rest of the rankings.

The position rankings move on to the wide receivers and tight ends, who will be grouped together. The Big Ten remains a defense-first conference, but I really like the depth at receiver and, to a lesser extent, tight end throughout the league. Although star power was considered, I put a very strong emphasis on overall depth and 2010 potential here.

This was the toughest position to whittle down to five (actually, six), but here goes ...

1. Michigan State: Sure, there's a lack of star power entering the season, but trust me, that will change. There's not a deeper group of receivers and tight ends in the Big Ten than this one. Veterans B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell anchor the receiving corps, and dangerous speedster Keshawn Martin will play a much bigger role in the offense this season. Converted quarterback Keith Nichol also joins the mix there. Michigan State also boasts three talented tight ends, including Mackey Award watch list members Charlie Gantt and Brian Linthicum.

2. Indiana: The Hoosiers return two of the Big Ten's top five receivers in Tandon Doss, a first-team all-conference selection, and Damarlo Belcher. They also add experience with Terrance Turner and exciting young players like Duwyce Wilson and Dre Muhammad. Overall depth is a bit of a question mark, but both Doss and Belcher will get the attention of opposing defensive backs after combining for 1,732 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last fall. Max Dedmond returns at tight end after recording 18 receptions in 2009.

Sunday Morning Reads

2010-08-22T10:12:00.002-04:00

CB Richard Council has really stood out this off-season and the IndyStar writes a good article on him

Lynch's reaction to the younger players performance at the scrimmage: Link

Hoosiers focusing on limiting mental lapses: Link

Coach Lynch Meets with Media After 8-21 Scrimmage

2010-08-22T01:35:00.000-04:00

Scrimmage Recap

2010-08-22T01:17:00.001-04:00

Per iuhoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With the season opener against Towson just 12 days away, the Indiana football team held a scrimmage at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Some of the younger players received a chance to shine and Head Coach Bill Lynch came away impressed with what he saw.

"We saw a bunch of young kids flying around and playing hard," Lynch said following the scrimmage. "It was really good to give them all a lot of reps. As a result, we held out a lot of our experienced guys to see what the younger guys can really do."

Two redshirt freshmen stood out offensively, as quarterback Dusty Kiel and tight end Ted Bolser turned in big afternoons. Kiel completed 14-of-16 for 129 yards with one touchdown. Bolser was on the receiving end of that TD pass and hauled in five catches overall for 46 yards.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Ben Chappeall played one series and went 6-of-7 for 42 yards, and redshirt freshman Edward Wright-Baker completed 5-of-7 for 26 yards and one scoring strike.

True freshman wide receiver Kofi Hughes pulled in three catches for 13 yards and picked up a fumble and raced it 92 yards for a touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, junior linebacker Leon Beckum and freshman defensive tackle Marlandez Harris led the way with six tackles apiece. Fifth-year senior cornerback Richard Council, junior cornerback Matt Ernest, redshirt freshman linebacker Damon Sims and fifth-year senior safety Aaron Burks each had five stops.

Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Deonte Mack recorded the only sack of the scrimmage, while true freshman linebacker Chase Hoobler and true freshmen cornerback Brian Williams both forced a fumble.
Sophomore Nick Freeland and redshirt freshman Mitch Ewald each connected on both of their field goal attempts.

"We have had a great camp," Lynch said. "We made a real emphasis on giving the young kids a lot of reps. Some of them really showed themselves well today, on both sides of the ball. We'll give them tomorrow off, and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be the final three days of camp, and then we'll start to focus on Towson."

Indiana opens the 2010 season against Towson on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling 866-IUSPORTS. Students can also add season tickets to their Bursar account during class registration.

IU had the third-largest one-year percentage increase in average attendance nationally in 2009, increasing by 10,051 to 41,833. It marked the Hoosiers' largest home attendance since 1992 (44,074) and the first time they exceeded 40,000 since the same year.

Indiana also sold out an expanded student section twice, against Ohio State (11,000 seats) and again vs. Purdue (15,200 seats). The Purdue total was the fourth-largest student section in Memorial Stadium history and the largest since 1989.

WR Leaves Program

2010-08-19T23:41:00.002-04:00

It has been announced that Tyler Adetona has left the Hoosier program. Personally I think he could have developed into a good slot receiver for the Hoosiers. Although it is never good news when a player leaves the program, due to the Hoosiers quality depth at the position it would have made it difficult for him to see extended playing time. Stay tuned for updates.

Phillips Brothers Remember Fallen Father

2010-08-18T23:17:00.004-04:00

A very sad loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Phillips family.

http://spty.tw/7Yr

Getting to Know Andre Kates

2010-08-17T23:28:00.002-04:00

One of the players I am most excited for this season has to be Andre Kates. Once a big time heralded recruit coming out of high school, Kates has definitely had an interesting road to Bloomington. Here is a great article written by Adam Rittenberg to help you get to know him better:

Indiana has spent most of the training camp practicing in oppressive heat, but Andre Kates doesn't mind.

When the Hoosiers' strength and conditioning staff demands one more rep in the weight room, Kates willingly obliges.

And when Kates' new teammates whine about the size of their uniforms, the cornerback just shakes his head and smiles.

"They're like, 'Man, it's too tight,'" Kates said. "In junior college, we had to put tape around our uniforms to try to make it tight."

Kates has no complaints about the rigors of preseason camp at a Big Ten school. After what he has been through the last few years, this is the easy part.

Kates' road to Indiana started near Washington D.C., made a U-turn in Gainesville, Fla., nearly stretched to California and eventually reached junior colleges in upstate New York and Brooklyn. He faced academic hurdles and, for a time, questioned whether he still wanted to play, but he's finally ready for the spotlight.

"I have big plans," Kates said.

Kates also had big plans at Surrattsville High School outside Washington D.C., where he thrived in a number of positions, including quarterback, wide receiver, return specialist and even long snapper. Recruited as an athlete, Kates verbally committed to play for national powerhouse Florida.

But he failed to qualify academically, putting his plans on hold.

"I thought I was going to get away with it," he said. "Since I was a big-time football player in high school, I thought, ‘Aw, man, I’m alright. They’ll let me through, they’ll let me through.’ But it didn’t happen. It was real tough, thinking you’re about to go in and play at a big-time program like that, and then you turn around and realize you’re not eligible.

"After the Florida thing, I was done. I didn’t want to play any more."

Kates considered "life as a regular teenager" but was steered back by several people, including his uncle, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis, and his best friend, Joe Haden, who went on to star for Florida at cornerback.

"They were saying, ‘Dre, you’ve got to stick in there. Go to a junior college, get your mind right," Kates said.

The original plan called for Kates to attend Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, Calif., but financial issues forced him to stay home and help support his family. He eventually enrolled at Erie Community College, which has campuses both in and near Buffalo, N.Y.

Kates recorded three interceptions in his first season as a defensive player, earning all-conference honors. He also became Indiana's first commit for the 2010 class, pledging in May 2009, but his academics remained an issue.

"When he first committed to us, I traveled to Erie and his first transcript wasn't great," Hoosiers co-defensive coordinator Joe Palcic recalled. "I told him, 'Hey, you need to get this many hours and a C or better in all your classes to transfer. He told me, 'Coach, I can do it.'"

Kates needed 61 transferable credits to enroll at Indiana and no grades below a C. After a year at Erie, he transferred to ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., which could offer him scholarship money. The problem: ASA only accepted six of the 24 credits Kates had earned at Erie.

Kates began taking a full course load at ASA and also enrolled in online courses elsewhere to make up ground. He finished junior college with a 3.4 GPA and earned his associate's degree.

"I was taking 18 credits during the school year and six credits on the side, just to get here," he said. "So I had the will to want to do it."

On the field, Kates continued to excel, earning junior college All-America honors for ASA with 64 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups, four blocked field goals and two blocked punts. Named Junior College Player of the Year by Triumphant Sports, he received 18 offers from FBS programs, including Miami and Clemson, but stuck with Indiana.

Having the chance to face the Hoosiers' talented wide receivers in practice lured Kates, but Palcic was the biggest reason why he came to Bloomington.

"He was one coach I always respected," Kates said. "Every contact period he had, he gave me a call and let me know they really need me, and now I’m here."

Although Kates was Indiana's first verbal, he took visits elsewhere and raised anxiety among Hoosiers fans, not to mention Palcic.

"I wasn’t 100 percent confident," Palcic said. "He kept telling me, ‘Indiana's it, Indiana's it,’ but until that final week, I wasn’t sure."

Kates now finds himself in a six-man cluster for two starting cornerback spots that Palcic calls the most competitive position race on the team. Indiana returns two veterans in Richard Council and Adrian Burks, and brought in another juco corner, Lenyatta Kiles, who went through spring drills.

Kiles and Kates have bonded, reviewing video of every practice together after the regular review with the team. Both players should see plenty of field time this fall.

"He came in surprisingly polished," Palcic said of Kates. "He has great backpedal, quick feet, he's explosive coming out of his breaks. I'm impressed with his ability to pick up the defense."

Kates credits his support system for helping him to this point: Portis, Haden, his parents and his sister. He also continues to play football as a tribute to his brother, Cameron, who died of a brain tumor in 1996.

"He's been a big-time motivation," Kates said.

It has been a long road, but Kates has no regrets.

"I've started a new chapter," he said.

Saffold Gets Injured

2010-08-17T10:13:00.002-04:00

According the nbcsports.com former Hoosier left tackle Rodger Saffold has suffered a back injury that could leave him on the sidelines for a while.

Due in large part to the failure of last year's pick in the first round, Jason Smith, to develop quickly as a left tackle, the Rams had to use the first pick in the second round on another potential left tackle.

And now said left tackle, Rodger Saffold, could be out for a while after suffering a back injury in practice on Monday.

"[W]hat I was told was somebody fell into his back when he was engaged," coach Steve Spagnuolu said in comments distributed by the team. "It's a concern. We'll see what happens when they take an x-ray."

The injury could force Smith to flip from the right side back to the left side.

Big Ten Network: Indiana Preview

2010-08-17T01:53:00.003-04:00

An interview with Tandon Doss.

Big Ten Network: Indiana Preview

2010-08-17T01:53:00.001-04:00

An interview with Bill Lynch.

Big Ten Network: indiana Preview

2010-08-17T01:52:00.001-04:00

Interview with Ben Chappell.

Big Ten Network: Indiana Preview

2010-08-17T01:51:00.001-04:00

An interview with the Big Ten Network crew and Tyler Replogle.

Official 2010 IU Football team song (video)

2010-08-16T10:15:00.000-04:00

A great video to get you hyped for the season.

Ranking Big Ten QB's

2010-08-13T17:16:00.001-04:00

Do you guys agree? Disagree? From Adam Rittenberg:

As you might have noticed, we're all about quarterbacks today at ESPN.com, and it's time to rank the Big Ten signal callers.

This hasn't been a Big Ten strength in recent years, but things could change this fall. Quarterbacks like Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, Iowa's Ricky Stanzi and Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien all have proven they can win at a high level, and Ben Chappell (Indiana) and Kirk Cousins (Michigan State) put up some strong numbers last fall.

The criteria are the same I used for the top 25 preseason rankings: past performance and 2010 potential. You can gripe all you want about the top four choices, but you shouldn't be surprised because all four quarterbacks were ranked in the exact same order in June/July. The Big Ten blogger is not a hypocrite. One final note: These are individual player rankings, but I consolidated the quarterback candidates at Michigan and Penn State to make it easier.

I fully expect this list to be different in early January, but here goes:

Terrelle Pryor's performance in the Rose Bowl solidified his rank as the Big Ten's best quarterback.
1. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State: How can I rank Pryor at No. 1 based on one great performance? For starters, it took place in a huge game, the Rose Bowl, against a top 10 opponent in Oregon. Plus, I think Pryor will go forward rather than backward and become a more complete quarterback this fall. He has more natural ability than anyone else on this list, and while he'll never be a model passer, he only needs to improve a little to become a lot more dangerous.

2. Ricky Stanzi, Iowa: It's very close between Stanzi and Tolzien, but Stanzi's 18-4 mark as Iowa's starting quarterback sets him apart. Yes, you can point to the mistakes, and there were a lot of them, but no quarterback in the country made more big plays in the fourth quarter than No. 12. I expect a smarter and more efficient Stanzi in 2010. Plus, he's a damn fine American.

3. Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin: Simply stated, he's the perfect quarterback for Wisconsin. Tolzien is smart, extremely efficient and totally aware of his role in the offense. He executes the play-action well and can thread the needle when he needs to. Tolzien still needs to prove himself against the Big Ten's best defenses, but I expect a very strong senior season from him.

4. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State: Take away a few late-game mistakes and a poor second half against Penn State, and Cousins turned in a very strong season as a first-year starter. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is strong (19-9), and he'll only get better with more experience. Plus, he has an excellent group of receivers and tight ends at his disposal this fall.

5. Ben Chappell, Indiana: Chappell is the Big Ten's leading returning passer (2,941 yards in 2009), and he ranks second in completion percentage (62.6) among returning starters. He needs to cut down on his interceptions and make better throws in the red zone, but all that should come this fall. Chappell has some great receivers to work with, namely Tandon Doss, but would really benefit from a consistent run game.

6. Adam Weber, Minnesota: Some Gophers fans have given up on Weber after a poor junior season, but I still have faith in No. 8, who happens to be a record holder at the U. It hasn't been easy with three offensive coordinators in as many seasons, and the system last year would have been tough for any quarterback to run. Weber still has a ton of talent, but he needs to regain the confidence we saw for most of 2008, when he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. He also needs to prove himself without star receiver Eric Decker.

7. Robert Marve, Purdue: Marve clearly doesn't grade high in past performance after struggling at Miami in 2008, but his potential this fall is very high. He'll benefit from working in Purdue's spread offense, and he'll have no shortage of targets in Keith Smith, Justin Siller, Cortez Smith and others. The ability always has been there with Marve, and we'll start to see results this fall.

8. Tate Forcier/Denard Robinson, Michigan: No starter has been named, and while head coach Rich Rodriguez has a bit of evidence from 2009, he'll be selecting a No. 1 quarterback based on who he believes has greater potential in 2010. Both players can run, although Robinson is more explosive on the move. Forcier was far and away the better passer in 2009, but he struggled to make plays when he wasn't freelancing. Robinson should be a better passer this fall.

9. Dan Persa, Northwestern: This isn't a knock against Persa, who has done everything right to prepare himself for this moment. I just need to see more from him in game situations, especially if Northwestern relies on him as much as it did Mike Kafka in 2009. Persa very well could be the most ideal fit for Northwestern's spread offense since Zak Kustok.

10. Kevin Newsome/Matt McGloin/Paul Jones/Robert Bolden, Penn State: The competition remains wide open, and the group has virtually no game experience aside from Newsome. Talent shouldn't be a problem, as Newsome, Jones and Bolden all were highly-touted recruits, while McGloin, a former walk-on, has made significant strides in State College. Who can handle the pressure of quarterbacking in the Big Ten? We'll find out soon.

11. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois: Again, not a knock against Scheelhaase, but his past performance is confined to practices and scrimmages. He's one of the most mature redshirt freshmen I've covered, but he's obviously got to prove himself in the game spotlight. Offensive coordinator Paul Petrino sees shades of Stefan LeFors in Scheelhaase. If that's the case, he'll soar up this list.

IndyStar Article on Replogle

2010-08-13T07:54:00.001-04:00

A good article from Terry Hutchens. I will be coming back from vacation in a few days and will start writing my pieces to gear you up for the season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- If senior linebacker Tyler Replogle had opted to redshirt this season, he could have had the rare opportunity to play college football alongside two brothers.
Call it Replogle cubed.
As it is, Tyler and Adam Replogle will start at linebacker and tackle at Indiana. A third brother, Mike, a high school senior linebacker in Centerville, Ohio, has committed to IU and can sign in February. That could assure the Replogles having at least one IU player for eight consecutive seasons through 2014.
As much fun as three Replogles roaming Bloomington could have been, Tyler is focused on a different goal. He hopes to finish his career the way it started -- by playing in a bowl game. And he wants to do it in four years.
"We've worked really hard this summer and the one thing that I've found about this group is that they like to work hard and they like to have fun," Tyler Replogle said. "I'm really close to my brothers, and while playing with all of them would have been neat, I want to finish what I started with the guys I came in with."
Replogle was a freshman on the 2007 IU team that broke a 14-year postseason drought by playing in the Insight Bowl. IU finished 7-6 that season but has combined to win just seven games in the past two.
Changes in personnel and scheme will make a return to a bowl game more challenging. Gone are defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, linebacker Matt Mayberry, and defensive backs Ray Fisher, Austin Thomas and Nick Polk. There's a new 3-4 scheme, too.
"I like the 3-4 from the point of view of the linebacker because with so much movement the offensive line doesn't really know where we'll be coming from," Tyler Replogle said. "It should cover up the linebackers more and let the defensive linemen get through more."
Both brothers played well last season. Tyler was second on the team with 80 tackles. Adam, who started 11 games as a freshman, was third with four sacks.
They huddle up off the field, too. About the only time they are apart is in class. Tyler is an accounting major while Adam's major is criminal justice.
"It has been great to play together and have each other's backs the way we have in college," Adam Replogle said. "That definitely makes the whole experience that much more fun."

Coach Lynch Talks About Training Camp

2010-08-11T17:32:00.000-04:00

Best WR's in the Country?

2010-08-11T17:08:00.001-04:00

From LaMond Pope | The Journal Gazette

BLOOMINGTON – Ben Chappell smiled as the question was asked: Does he think Indiana has the best group of receivers in the Big Ten?

“I think it might be the best in the nation, personally,” Chappell said. “I’m a little biased.”

Whether he’s biased or not, the statistics are impressive. The combined yardage of Tandon Doss (962), Terrance Turner (443) and North Side graduate Damarlo Belcher (770) is the sixth most for a returning trio nationally (2,175). Their combined 184 receptions rank fifth nationally.

“It’s good to have that (status) in the preseason,” Turner said. “Hopefully it will lead to some wins and people can remember us as the group that led Indiana to our dream goal.”

Doss pointed to depth as the strength of the group. Expect Harding graduate Dre Muhammad and freshman Duwyce Wilson, who was redshirted last year, to be among those playing large roles.

“We are truly a group,” Belcher said. “We all believe in each other. We all know we can make plays.”

No one on Indiana’s roster made more plays than Doss. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media after leading the Hoosiers in yards and catches (77). He finished tied with Belcher for the team lead in touchdown catches with five.

“He’s a really good route runner,” Turner said. “He’s a fast guy and big for his size. To have that speed and size is an added bonus for him. And he has really good hands. He has the whole package.”

Juniors Doss and Belcher are two of the six Hoosiers who have played since they were true freshmen in the last three years.

Belcher used his size (6-foot-5) and strength (215 pounds) to haul in 61 passes.

“Jump balls, ain’t nobody going to jump with him,” Doss said. “He’s a great catcher, got great hands. And his after-yard moves, he’s a little flashy.”

Turner is the veteran of the group. The senior had 46 catches last season, including his first career touchdown.

“He’s a great leader,” Belcher said. “When I came here freshman year, I didn’t know anything. He helped me out a lot.”

It’s a role he enjoys.

“It’s easy to get juiced up on Saturdays, but during practice, there are days you don’t feel like running 100 routes. To be the group we want to be, we have to do that,” Turner said. “I tell them to keep their heads straight, stay focused.”

Like Turner, Muhammad provides an inside target.

“He’s a very crisp route runner,” Doss said. “When I run my routes, I’ll watch him and take stuff from him.”

Wilson, who is 6-foot-3, is more of a deep threat. Chappell called him the darkhorse of the group. Tyler Adetona and Jamonne Chester are also listed as backups on IU’s preseason depth chart.

It all adds up to lofty expectations.

“It puts pressure on you that you like,” Turner said. “It’s a good pressure.”

Thoughts and Prayers to the Phillips Family

2010-08-11T07:14:00.001-04:00

A statement from IU's media relations department:

The father and brother of Indiana freshman tight end Paul Phillips were among nine passengers aboard a small plane that crashed in the Alaskan wilderness on Monday evening. Phillips' father, Bill Sr., was among five, including former United States Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), who passed away in the crash, while his brother, Willy, was among the four survivors. IU Football Head Coach Bill Lynch informed the team of the tragedy in a meeting this evening and Paul has left Bloomington to be with his family.

"The thoughts and prayers of the entire Indiana University community are with Paul, his family and everyone touched by this tragedy," Lynch said. "Please be respectful of the family as they deal with this private matter."

Paul Phillips, a native of Darnestown, Md., is in his first year with the Hoosiers after starting for three years at Georgetown Prep. He was a first team all-state selection his senior year. His father played football at Evansville from 1972-76, while his mother, Janet, was a swimmer in college and is a competitive equestrian. His two older brothers, Andrew and Colter, are football players at Stanford University and the University of Virginia, respectively. Andrew is a senior offensive guard and Colter is a sophomore tight end.

Willis Going Green?

2010-08-10T19:52:00.001-04:00

A good article by Terry Hutchens.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Nobody will ever mistake Darius Willis for a vegetarian.
Indiana's Darius Willis rushed for 67.4 yards per game last season. His plan to stay on the field for the Hoosiers this year? More vegetables (sometimes smothered in hot sauce), less pizza and wings.
Not a chance.
The Indiana redshirt sophomore tailback has spent his life despising vegetables of all shapes and colors. Carrots? Not happening. Green beans? Not in this mouth. Broccoli? He'd probably rather wear black and gold.
But in the past few months, Willis has learned he no longer has a choice. What his mother couldn't force him to do as a child, football might.
After suffering a variety of injuries, IU's leading returning rusher has decided healthier eating could improve his chances of staying on the field. That means limiting fried foods and revamping a steady diet of wings, pizza or sandwiches.
"I'm convinced that not eating well was hurting my recovery time on some of my injuries," Willis said. "I think eating better could make me a different player."
So he is going green. Kind of.
"I cut the vegetables into small pieces and then I mix everything with hot sauce," Willis said, sporting a sly grin. "When I finally get around to eating them, I just take a lot of little baby bites until I get used to it."
Willis' aversion to vegetables started early. When he was a toddler, the smells drove him a different direction and no matter what his mother tried, Willis wouldn't budge.
"He would eat corn, either in the can or on the cob, but that was it," said Tracy Wynn, Willis' mother. "I tried and tried, but I couldn't get him to eat them. A few times I would catch him scooping the vegetables off his plate and on to the floor so the dog would get them.
"He was pretty much impossible when it came to vegetables of just about any kind."
Now he's eating asparagus, carrots, celery, collard greens, green beans and peas.
He hopes the ankle, rib and shoulder problems will become a thing of the past. Even with those injuries, the former Franklin Central High School standout ran for 607 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He topped 100 yards against Michigan, Northwestern and Purdue.
"I just want to play all four quarters of every game so I can help my team out as much as I can," Willis said. "I missed too many games last year and I just don't want that to happen again."
IU opens practice today, and a healthy Willis thinks he has the potential to be a part of a potent offense.
"When you have playmakers like Tandon (Doss), Damarlo (Belcher) and (Ben) Chappell, we have a chance to be in every game,'' Willis said. "And when you have that kind of talent at receiver, I just think it opens up a lot more things for the running game. I think we could score a lot of points this year.''

Doss Gets Pre-Season Publicity

2010-08-10T19:42:00.001-04:00

From iuhoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana junior wide receiver Tandon Doss has been named to the 2010 Biletnikoff Award Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced today. The award is presented annually to the top receiver in college football.

This is the fourth time in five seasons a Hoosier has appeared on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. Doss joins James Hardy (2006, 2007 - semifinalist) and Andrew Means (2008).

From the initial list, the Biletnikoff Selection Committee will trim the list to 10 semifinalists on Nov. 15 and from there, three finalists will be announced on Nov. 22. The Biletnikoff Award winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 9.

Doss, a first team All-Big Ten selection by the conference media in 2009, led the Hoosiers in receptions in nine games and receiving yards eight times. He paced the team with 962 yards, 77 receptions, five touchdowns and 80.2 yards per game. Doss finished second in the Big Ten and 27th nationally in yards per game and third in the league and tied for 21st nationally in catches per game (6.64).

The Indianapolis native's 962 yards were 14th in the country and the second most for an underclassman. Doss closed out the year second on IU's single-season receptions list, just two shy of Hardy's record of 79 in 2007, and fifth in the school's single-season yardage rankings.

Along with his three 100-yard receiving games, Doss owned 533 kick return yards, 127 rushing yards, 44 punt return yards and led the conference with 138.8 all-purpose yards per contest. He finished ninth on IU's single-season list with 1,666 all-purpose yards, surpassed 100 all-purpose yards in seven of the last nine games and eight times in 2009, including a season-best 242 against Purdue.

ESPN Power Rankings

2010-08-10T15:28:00.001-04:00

From Adam Rittenberg:

It's that time again. Let's take a look at the power rankings as camps are under way throughout the Big Ten.

1. Ohio State: There isn't a glaring weakness on this team. History shows the defense will be extremely stingy, and if quarterback Terrelle Pryor continues to develop, the offense should be more than capable of putting up points. A bona fide national title contender.

2. Iowa: The core from the Orange Bowl championship team returns, led by defensive end Adrian Clayborn and quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Iowa must reload at offensive line but has a strong tradition there. A Week 3 test at Arizona could be tricky, but Iowa will be a BCS bowl contender if it defends its home turf.

3. Wisconsin: No Big Ten team returns more individual stars than the Badgers. A balanced offense led by one of the nation's best lines could be unstoppable if John Clay, Scott Tolzien and others can stay healthy. The defense is young in spots but talented, and safety Jay Valai promises me they'll lay the wood. Can head coach Bret Bielema take this program from very good to great?

4. Penn State: I had the Lions tied with Michigan State coming out of the spring, but Penn State's historic success on defense and its superior line play provides an ever-so-slight edge right now. Given the inexperience at quarterback, Penn State will need to rely on its run game and its defense. Joe Paterno has won that way a few times before.

5. Michigan State: The Spartans boast more depth at the offensive skill positions than any Big Ten team. Linebacker Greg Jones returns to lead the defense. My only hesitation here is the line play on both sides of the ball. I'm tempted to buy into Michigan State, but I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach for now.

6. Northwestern: Quarterback Dan Persa has done everything right in the offseason. Now he needs to prove himself when it really counts. The secondary and the rushing game concern me, but running back Arby Fields is poised for a big year. This isn't a championship-level team but one that should make a school-record third straight bowl.

7. Purdue: Like Persa, Robert Marve has established himself as a leader before starting his first game at quarterback for the Boilers. If Purdue fills a few gaps on the offensive line, its offense could be very good. The defensive front seven should be better against the run, but Purdue must replace its entire starting secondary, which is never easy.

8. Michigan: Regardless of who wins the starting quarterback job, Rich Rodriguez's offense will put up points. But if the defense doesn't make a major jump in 2010, nothing else will matter. Demar Dorsey's departure from the secondary could hurt, and while I'm interested to see what Cam Gordon and others can do on the field, it's hard to buy into this unit right now.

T-9. Minnesota: There has been too much change in personnel and on Tim Brewster's staff the last two years for me to give the Gophers a stamp of approval at this stage. Quarterback Adam Weber certainly is talented enough to turn things around, especially with some help from the run game and the offensive line. I'm not counting out Minnesota by any means, but a very challenging schedule combined with a lot of new faces creates some concern.

T-9. Indiana: I'm buying into Ben Chappell and the Hoosiers offense. If the unit stays healthy, Indiana will put up points and improve in critical situations (third down, red zone). Not surprisingly, the major concerns come on defense, where Indiana hopes a switch to the 3-4 alignment pays off. A very favorable schedule gives IU a chance to make it back to a bowl game.

11. Illinois: The Grand Experiment begins Sept. 4 against Missouri in St. Louis. Great recruiting classes haven't translated into on-field success for the Illini. Perhaps an upgrade in coaching will make the difference. Linebacker Martez Wilson's return provides a boost, but Illinois needs to help young quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase as much as possible.

Reactions?

Mitchell Evans - IU Football Training Camp

2010-08-08T19:10:00.000-04:00

Head Coach Bill Lynch at Big Ten Media Days

2010-08-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

Football Players at Big Ten Media Days 8-3-10

2010-08-07T08:46:00.000-04:00

Blog Update

2010-08-07T08:32:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to give everybody an update on the blog etc... I apologize for the lack of information throughout this summer, I've been interning in Asset Management working some grueling hours. I will also be taking a week long vacation next week and most likely will not have internet access. Once I come back, I am in the process of moving everything over to what will be the new site for the blog HoosierStateOfMind.com. I will be spending a lot of time gearing everybody up for the start of the season and will have another writer with me who will focus on Indiana basketball as well. Once I get back from vacation, it should be Hoosier overload on the site.

2010 Big Ten Kickoff

2010-08-07T08:29:00.001-04:00

Big Ten Media Day

2010-08-05T22:34:00.001-04:00

New Scoreboard Update

2010-07-21T23:00:00.001-04:00

From Ken Bikoff and rivals.com: Click on the link for pictures

The IU athletic department announced Wednesday that a new scoreboard would be going up in Memorial Stadium in mid-August, but the first order of business was the removal of the old scoreboard. Beyond just that, a few other changes have come to "The Rock."

Ray Fisher Inks Deal

2010-07-21T22:58:00.001-04:00

From National Football Post:

The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms on a four-year, $1.83 million deal with seventh-round cornerback and kick returner Ray Fisher, according to a league source.
Fisher received a signing bonus slightly higher than $41,500 as well as the standard base salaries of $320,000, $405,000, $490,000 and $575,000 and a fourth-year escalator clause that can significantly boost the maximum value of the contract.
The former Indiana University standout visited the Colts prior to the draft.
Fisher is a converted wide receiver who ran the 40-yard dash unofficially in the low 4.3 range at his Pro Day workout.
The honorable-mention All-Big Ten conference selection also registered a 38-inch vertical leap and a 10-2 broad jump.
The 5-foot-8, 171-pounder is being evaluated as a returner and at cornerback.
Fisher played three seasons at wide receiver before making the transition to cornerback as a senior.
In 19 starts at wide receiver, the Cleveland native caught 118 passes for 1,070 yards and nine touchdowns.
He returned 18 kickoffs for 650 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 36.1 yards per return and 9.7 yards on 17 punt returns.
His kick return average led the nation and set a Big Ten single-season record.
In six starts on defense, Fisher registered 49 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

IU Recruiting Article

2010-07-19T22:30:00.002-04:00

A good article from Adam Rittenberg in regards to the recent surge in IU football recruiting:

Indiana coach Bill Lynch remembers eleventh-hour recruiting. Until recent years, he found himself right in the thick of it. For decades, Lynch anticipated his schedule in late January and early February to be consumed with finding high school players to fill the final few spots of a recruiting class. It was standard procedure during his tenure as Ball State's coach from 1995-2002. The down-to-the-wire scramble continued when Lynch arrived at Indiana in January 2005, and remained for several years as the program made another transition from Terry Hoeppener to Lynch. "Shoot, man, we were looking for guys the weekend before signing day," Lynch recalled. "We were scrambling to fill a class."

Bill Lynch has already collected 20 verbal commitments for the 2011 class.Of the 24 players Indiana signed in 2005, 14 committed in January or early February and another didn't sign until after National Signing Day. Things improved for the 2006 class, but Indiana still got seven commitments after Jan. 1, plus a junior college addition in June. Back then, the idea of wrapping up a recruiting class in July or August sounded laughable. Fast-forward to last week, as Lynch talked about where Indiana stood for its 2011 recruiting haul. "We're right at the end," he said. The calendar read July 15. Indiana has turned heads in Midwest recruiting circles by already collecting 20 verbal commitments for the 2011 class. The Hoosiers' total leads the Big Ten and ranks among the national leaders. Indiana has 17 more commits than Penn State and 14 more than archrival Purdue.

Although the class likely won't rank among the national leaders come February, Lynch and his staff have unquestionably upgraded their overall talent, landing decorated prospects like linebacker Zack Shaw, athlete Raymon Taylor, tight end Jake Reed and running back D'Angelo Roberts, who pledged last week. "We've been fortunate to kind of jump ahead," Lynch said, "but throughout the process, we felt like there were kids we had targeted who we felt like we could get. We felt like we could get a good number." Safe to say, 20 is a great number for Indiana. And this isn't new for the Hoosiers, who received 21 verbal commitments for the 2010 recruiting class before the 2009 season kicked off. Lynch attributes the surge to several factors: good early scouting by his assistants, getting a lot of prospects on campus with their families for unofficial visits and the school's recent facilities upgrades. But perhaps Indiana's strongest assets are continuity and stability, traits rarely associated with the program in the past 15 years. "We've been able to keep our staff together for the most part," said Lynch, who has lost only two assistants to the NFL in his three seasons as head coach. "We've also been able to maintain the consistency in our strength and conditioning staff, our academic staff, so we're all on the same page.

When kids come on campus and visit with us, they and their families are hearing the same message. "The last two, three years, we've built a foundation, and philosophically, we're on the same page about who we're looking for and where we're going to recruit." Early commitments are commonplace in today's recruiting. Texas has 22 commits for 2011, while Ohio State and Oklahoma both have 17 verbals. The difference is Indiana has gone 7-17 during the past two seasons and reached just one bowl game since 1993. Lynch has two years left on his contract but has been mentioned as a coach on the hot seat entering the fall. And yet the verbals keep rolling in. Lynch doesn't concern himself with negative recruiting against Indiana. And although the program has lost some early verbals -- Jibreel Black decommited last year, eventually signing with Michigan -- it's not an epidemic. "That's certainly part of it nowadays," Lynch said. "Nothing is binding until February, but the last couple years, we've done a pretty good job of being able to hold onto the guys we've gotten commitments from."

The NCAA is currently considering a proposal that would scale back the recruiting calendar, prohibiting teams from offering scholarships until July 1 between a prospect's junior and senior years of high school. Obviously, Lynch prefers the current setup, yet he wouldn't stand in the way of a change, as long as it applies to everyone. But until a change is made, Indiana's coaches will keep breaking down junior tape, scouting prospects, landing unofficial visits and staying ahead of the curve. "We're just further along," Lynch said. "We're where we want to be."

Big Ten Media Day

2010-07-19T22:27:00.001-04:00

From Adam Rittenberg and the Big Ten Blog: Click here to read the rest

Big Ten media days are the unofficial start to the 2010 season, and they're rapidly approaching. The league today announced the 33 players who will be attending the media sessions, held Aug. 2-3 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago (new location this year). They will join all 11 Big Ten head coaches.

Representing Indiana will be:

Ben Chappell, QB, Sr.
Tyler Replogle, LB, Sr.
Terrance Turner, WR, Sr

Hoosiers get Commitment from Talented In-State RB

2010-07-13T22:32:00.000-04:00

D'Angelo Roberts from Bloomington North High School has announced he will commit to the Hoosiers. He chose the hometown Hoosiers over an offer from Cincinnati among others and interest from Penn State, Purdue, and Ohio State. D'Angelo had a big 2009 year finishing with 2,600 yards and 32 touchdowns. This was a very important commit considering the Hoosier staff is trying to keep the top talent within the state from leaving to out of state programs.

Marcus Thigpen Update

2010-07-06T20:28:00.002-04:00

I have posted a link below to a video that you may or may not have seen make it to Sportcenter. Thigpen returns a 93 yard kickoff for a touchdown followed by a 118 yard missed field goal.

Link

IU Ticket Sales Improving

2010-07-04T00:16:00.000-04:00

From the IBJ Blog: Link

Indiana University had its best year in football ticket sales last year since 1992, and school officials think they’re in line for an even better year this year.But when it comes to football, there’s still no comparison between Indiana University and Purdue University.On the field, Purdue wins more games, and in the accounting columns the Boilers scores more cash.IU Athletic Director Fred Glass and his staff hope to change all that. And a quick look at the books would indicate IU is closing the gap.For the record, Glass and his staff said they don’t measure themselves against other programs, only their own standards. OK, whatever.But if Purdue is the gold standard so-to-speak, let’s take a look at what IU is chasing.

Take it easy Notre Dame fans, IU isn’t anywhere near ready to take on that gridiron behemoth. So let’s forget about the Golden Domers for the time being.Last year, Purdue had average football attendance of 49,800, ahead of IU’s 42,000.Remember in 2008, the Hoosiers averaged 31,782 fans per home game at Memorial Stadium. So not a bad uptick.Every sports marketer knows the key to building attendance is season ticket sales.

Single-game ticket sales are simply too labor intensive. So the summer is a key selling period for IU and Purdue.Last year, Purdue sold 34,523 season tickets, 8,930 of those to students. IU trails those numbers too, but Pat Kraft, IU senior assistant athletic director for marketing, has high hopes for this year.“The big goal is to average more than 42,000 per game and to get our student attendance up to 10,000 to 13,000 per game,” Kraft said.Kraft and his staff have a long way to go.IU did a back flip last September when it sold nearly 6,000 student season tickets. Kraft knows he’ll have to do better than that this year to make his goal. He has reason for optimism. Last year, IU sold about 10,200 student tickets per game, up almost 3,000 from 2008, and the most since 1992, when 11,389 student tickets per game were sold.Still, too many of those sales last year were due to deep discounts and single-game sales. IU sold a total of 17,301 season tickets last year, 5,993 to students.

Considering IU's fan base, it's difficult to understand why the Cream and Cimson would sell only half as many season football tickets as the Black and Gold. I guess winning, and tradition, matter.Kraft said ticket sales “are tracking far ahead” of where they were a year ago, and the school is preparing to launch a viral marketing campaign featuring a video including football coach Bill Lynch that IU officials hope can close the gap to its cross-state rival.“The key is we want a lot of students at our football games,” Kraft said. “The energy they bring is just unparalleled. We think it’s a big part of creating the atmosphere we want.”

FLO HARDIN HIGHLIGHTS

2010-07-03T10:35:00.000-04:00

Another Commit for the Hoosiers

2010-07-02T18:26:00.000-04:00

"Flo" Hardin makes it another commit to the Hoosiers. He is brother of incoming Hoosier Drew Hardin. He chose IU over an offer from Kentucky. More info to come.

Pair of Players Won't Return to IU Football

2010-06-30T22:34:00.002-04:00

Reported by scout.com and John Decker: Link

Bloomington – A pair of players won’t be returning to the IU football program this fall. Indiana officials announced Wednesday that sophomore Shane Covington and senior Jarrod Smith won’t be with the team in the fall. Covington has decided to transfer, while a history of back injuries has brought an end to Smith’s collegiate career. A native of Milwaukee, Covington played sparingly during his two seasons in Bloomington. After redshirting in 2008 Covington saw action in five games last fall, all on special teams. Indiana’s depth at wide receiver prompted him to switch from wideout to safety this spring, but he didn’t make a dent on Indiana’s two-deep and appeared unlikely to play a significant role on IU’s defense this fall.

The 6’4”, 310-pound Smith, meanwhile, has been saddled with back injuries throughout his four seasons in Bloomington. He arrived at IU as one of the “Seven Blocks of Limestone” in 2006, and after a redshirt season saw action in 13 games from 2007-08, including a pair of starts. He moved to defensive tackle prior to the 2009 season and started the season opener against Eastern Kentucky, but finished the year with only two tackles and missed games with the back injury. While Smith’s departure have an impact on the available scholarships for the currently 2011 recruiting class, Covington’s departure does open an additional slot. Indiana has already secured 18 verbal commitments, putting them very close to the 85-man limit based on projected departures at season’s end.

Thoughts?

Coach Lynch Discusses Offseason

2010-06-25T18:51:00.000-04:00

Indiana Best/Worst Case

2010-06-23T22:13:00.001-04:00

See why Adam Rittenberg thinks IU can go 8-4 or 9-3 in a best case scenario.

Link

A look at the Big Ten's 3-headed monsters

2010-06-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

Per Adam Rittenberg and ESPN Big Ten Blog:

A few weeks ago, Rivals.com took a look at the nation's top triplets: the best quarterback/running back/wide receiver combos. In ranking college football's top 15 triplets, Rivals singled out both Ohio State (No. 7) and Wisconsin (No. 9) from the Big Ten. The Badgers' triple threat of quarterback Scott Tolzien, running back John Clay and wide receiver Nick Toon "isn't as flashy as some others on this list but ... get the job done." For Ohio State, Rivals lists Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and DeVier Posey, noting that Pryor could be a Heisman candidate and Posey "has big-time speed and is a top-flight deep threat." Whether Herron or Brandon Saine is the running back, the Buckeyes' offensive combo has the potential to be dangerous. Both groups are deserving, although I'd probably put Wisconsin's group ahead of Ohio State's, mainly because of Clay. Who are some other notable three-headed monsters in the Big Ten? I came up with a few. Note: I only considered teams that had quarterbacks with Big Ten experience and weren't significantly lacking at one of the positions.

INDIANA QB: Ben Chappell RB: Darius Willis WR: Tandon Doss Rationale: I really, really like this group, especially if Willis can stay healthy. Chappell passed for 2,941 yards last season, and Doss averaged 12.5 yards per catch while ranking third in the league in receptions. Willis has home-run ability, as he showed against Michigan, Northwestern and others, and if he can develop some consistency, Indiana's combination should be very dangerous.

IOWA QB: Ricky Stanzi RB: Adam Robinson or Jewel Hampton or Brandon Wegher WR: Marvin McNutt or Derrell Johnson-Koulianos Rationale: Stanzi can be criticized for his interceptions, but he also made a ton of big plays for the Hawkeyes last season. Both McNutt and DJK can really stretch the field -- McNutt averaged 19.8 yards a catch, DJK averaged 16.7 yards a catch -- and all three running backs have proven themselves to varying degrees in big games. If pressed to choose a big-play running back and wide receiver, I'd probably go with Hampton and McNutt.

MICHIGAN STATE QB: Kirk Cousins RB: Larry Caper or Edwin Baker WR: Keshawn Martin or Mark Dell or B.J. Cunningham or Keith Nichol Rationale: Michigan State might have more overall depth at these three positions than any team in the Big Ten. Cousins passed for 2,680 yards last season, and Martin has the potential to be a major big-play receiver this fall. Both Caper and Baker showed flashes as true freshmen. If pressed to choose a running back and a receiver, I'd go with Caper and Martin.

MICHIGAN QB: Tate Forcier or Denard Robinson RB: Vincent Smith WR: Roy Roundtree Rationale: Forcier and Robinson both showcased big-play ability in 2009, the former with his arm and legs and the latter mostly with his legs. Michigan obviously has several running backs competing for playing time, but Smith boasts a lot of potential after averaging 5.8 yards a carry in limited work in 2009. Roundtree averaged 13.6 yards a catch last fall and hauled in a 97-yard touchdown from Robinson in the spring game. If I had to decide a QB, I'd go with Forcier, although both are good big-play options.

IU with another rapid recruiting start

2010-06-23T22:06:00.000-04:00

Per Adam Rittenberg and the Big Ten Blog:

It's no longer a coincidence. Indiana's approach to recruiting can now be labeled a strategy, and it appears to be paying off. Of the 25 players Indiana signed in February, 21 made verbal commitments before the 2009 season kicked off. Head coach Bill Lynch and his staff received six commitments last June and a whopping 11 commits last July. Tight end Paul Phillips was the only Hoosiers recruit to say yes after the calendar flipped to 2010. And Indiana's total doesn't even include players like Jibreel Black, a decorated defensive end who committed to IU in June before re-opening his recruitment and eventually landing at Michigan. The Hoosiers once again have started extremely fast for 2011 recruiting, landing their 17th verbal commitment Tuesday from offensive lineman Jalen Schlachter, who had offers from Wisconsin and Missouri, among others. Indiana has surged past Ohio State (15 verbals) for the most in the conference. The Hoosiers have more commits than Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Penn State combined. They have 16 more verbals than the Nittany Lions (1). Does a bunch of early verbals equate to a great recruiting class? No. But Indiana seems to be doing a job of not only targeting solid prospects, but ones who will say yes early in the process. The Hoosiers also have covered themselves if a few commits decide to sign elsewhere. Colleague Bill Kurelic writes:
Other than Schlachter, Lynch's other big commitments include one of the top athletes in the state of Michigan in defensive back Raymon Taylor (Highland Park, Mich./Highland Park) who picked Indiana over Wisconsin and Illinois, linebacker Max Pirman (Orrville, Ohio/Orrville) who turned down offers from Nebraska and Kansas, as well as in-state prospects quarterback Tre Roberson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central), defensive back Ken Mullen (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers), tight end Jake Reed (Columbus, Ind./North) and defensive back Nick Stoner (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove). Lynch and the Indiana staff have a very solid base of commitments. They can now hone in on prospects to fill their remaining open spots and have plenty of time remaining to do so.The (Bloomington) Herald-Times' Chris Korman further explains Indiana's approach (subscription required):
Five years into the post-Gerry DiNardo era -- and those years, of course, were not stable due to the illness and death of Terry Hoeppner -- this staff has established strong roots in the area around Detroit. It has mined Ohio heavily, and especially the smaller schools; several of IU’s coaches played college ball in the state and most of them coached there. That they have an intimate knowledge of parts of the state that aren't tread upon regularly by other major programs has become quite apparent.The final verdict on Indiana's recruiting class won't be known until February. But you have to like the aggressive approach and early scouting from a program that doesn't have the luxury to sit back and wait for prospects to come knocking on its door.

Hoosiers Add WR

2010-06-23T22:03:00.001-04:00

Per the Hoosier Scoop: Video Link

It’s been apparent for most of the offseason that Indiana has been focusing its recruiting efforts on defense and the offensive line, essentially anywhere but the offensive skill positions.
Through Tuesday night when word of offensive lineman Jalen Schlachter’s commitment broke, the Hoosiers had 17 recruits for the Class of 2011 and only two of them were in an offensive skill position — Lawrence Central quarterback Tre Roberson and Columbus North tight end Jake Reed, expected by many to serve as a blocking tight end.
But on Wednesday afternoon, word surfaced that IU had also received a commitment Tuesday night from Jay McCants, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound wide receiver from Princeton High School in Cincinnati. He’s the first player the Hoosiers have added in more than two months who will be getting the ball in his hand by design.
“He’s a big possession receiver,” Princeton coach Bill Leach said. “So we just split him out wide and forced teams to match up. He’s got the speed to stretch the field, and he’s a big physical target to. Most of the time, we split hm out by himself, but sometimes we would bring him in and put him in different places to get mismatches. We would move him around and create problems.”
McCants was the primary target for Spencer Ware, a dual-threat quarterback who signed with Louisiana State for the 2010 class and will play running back for the Tigers. McCants had 29 receptions for 446 yards and a touchdown in Princeton’s spread offense.
“We can line him up on the boundary right now, and just run a 7-yard hitch to him until they come up on it or drop somebody underneath,” Leach said. “And if they cheat, we can just have him run a go route. … We can just throw it up to him and have him go get it. He’s a great athlete.”
McCants reportedly had an offer from Buffalo and interest from Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia.

Schlachter Gives IU Another

2010-06-23T22:01:00.000-04:00

Per Scout.com: A video is posted on the site.

Corunna (Mich.) offensive tackle Jalen Schlachter committed to Indiana today. The 6'6, and now 300-lb senior to be told Scout.com the news.
"I committed just a little bit ago. The coaches are really excited." he reported.
At the recent Sound Mind, Sound Body camp, Schlacther pointed to the coaching staff and the campus as major pluses for the Hoosiers. He chose them over offers from Central Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
Schlachter recently camped at Michigan State, and although he was not offered, it was possible that he could have earned one down the line. Still, he decided that he had found the right place for him in Indiana.
"No hard feelings to MSU. I still have a lot of respect for them and wish them the best."
Scout's Take: Indiana now has three commits from Michigan with Raymon Taylor and Shafer Johnson as the others, and all three can play. Schlachter is getting bigger and bigger. The more I see him, and the more he grows, the more I think he could play guard too. He's a strong kid who does well in track and field, and I think the work he has put in to get stronger and add weight this off-season has made him more college ready. He's also a great kid who will fit in well and be a positive locker room presence in Indiana.

Commits Keep Rolling

2010-06-22T22:24:00.003-04:00

The Hoosier got another commitment today from offensive lineman Jalen Schlachter. He is listed at 6'6 and 273 lbs from Corunna (MI). He had offers from Wisconsin, Missouri and Central Michigan. So far, the coaching staff is putting together a very impressive class. If we can hold on to everyone, the coaching staff will have a very talented group coming into the program. He is a 3 star recruit and rated the 16th best prospect in the state of Michigan according to rivals.com.

Rodger Saffold Press Conference

2010-06-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

4 Star Commits to Hoosiers

2010-06-19T18:08:00.002-04:00

4 star defensive back Raymon Taylor from Highland Park H.S. in Detroit announced his commitment to the Hoosiers earlier today. He is listed at 5'10 and 167 lbs. He had offers from Wisconsin, Illinois and Cincinnati among others. The Hoosiers now have 16 commits to there recruiting class. Here is the breakdown by stars so far.

4 Stars- 2

3 Stars- 9

2 Stars- 3

2 players have yet to be rated.

This class is shaping up to be a very good one. The staff has done a great job attracting solid talent to the 2011 class despite the recent struggles on the field. Everything is set in place to move this program forward. All that is left to do is to prove it on the field next season with victories.

Mark Murphy 2009 Highlights - St. Vincent St. Mary Football

2010-06-19T01:21:00.000-04:00

KENNY MULLEN OF BISHOP LUERS HIGH SCHOOL PICKS INDIANA UNIVE

2010-06-19T01:20:00.000-04:00

Hoosiers Class up to 15

2010-06-19T01:07:00.002-04:00

If you blinked... you probably missed a Hoosier commit. The Hoosiers got 3 more verbals this week. The Hoosiers grabbed 2 more players for the secondary and defensive end/offensive lineman. DB Mark Murphy is listed at 6'2 195 lbs and a 3 star from rivals.com. He also attends St. Vincent-St. Mary, which couldn't be a bad thing with a certain someone as an alumni. He also had offers from Arizona, Kent State and Air Force. The other defensive back is Kenny Mullen from Bishop Luers High School in Indiana. The Hoosiers currently have DB Lawrence Barnett from the same school. He is a bit undersized at 5'10 158 lbs but looks to be very quick and has time to put on some weight before he sees the field. The last Hoosier commit for the week is defensive end/offensive lineman CJ Robbins from LaSalle Peru High School in Illinois. He is 6'4 240 lbs and also a 3 star recruit on rivals.com. He had 6 other offers from mostly MAC schools. I will upload some video on the recruits shortly.

Tandon Doss Ranked #14

2010-06-16T23:11:00.001-04:00

in the Big Ten for the 2009 season according to Adam Rittenberg and the ESPN Big Ten Blog:

The Big Ten preseason player rankings, based on past performance and 2010 potential, continue with ... No. 14: Tandon Doss, WR, Indiana, Jr., 6-3, 195 2009 numbers: Finished second in the Big Ten in receiving average (80.2 ypg) and third in receptions per game (6.42); his 962 receiving yards ranked ninth nationally among underclassmen; eclipsed 100 all-purpose yards in eight games, including seven of Indiana's last nine contests. Most recent ranking: Unranked in the 2009 postseason player rankings. Making the case for Doss: My hope is that the preseason rankings are somewhat educational for those who don't closely follow the entire league. Here's another name you need to get to know right now. Doss came out of nowhere to record an extremely impressive sophomore season, and he should be even better in 2010. He finished just two receptions short of James Hardy's single-season team record and recorded five or more receptions in 11 of Indiana's 12 games. Doss earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and drew some attention from NFL personnel evaluators, who want to see how he can build off the 2009 season. Indiana will throw the ball a ton this fall, and Doss will be Ben Chappell's No. 1 target after turning in a very impressive spring. The Hoosiers are making red zone offense a focal point after struggling near the goal line last year, and Doss' size and skills should provide a boost for Chappell.

Big Ten Schedule Realignment

2010-06-16T21:41:00.002-04:00

Per Adam Rittenberg and the ESPN Blog

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Big Ten had neatly drawn up its football schedules for the next three seasons before Nebraska joined the conference.
Now those dates and travel plans have all been tossed to the wind.
When conference officials and member athletic directors meet in late July or early August, they'll face a thicket of questions in a brave new world for the Big Ten.
With Nebraska on board as the Big Ten's 12th member, most likely starting in 2011, what will be the divisions in football? How should the conference schedule be set up? Where will the football championship game be played? Will there be different divisional alignments to balance other sports?
"We'll meet, talk about divisions, try to figure that piece out and talk about a process for a championship game and a location process," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Wednesday. "There'll probably be other opinions in the room."
No doubt. Some will want the divisions based on geography. Others favor a balance of power.
"I honestly think it will be amenable," Minnesota AD Joel Maturi said. "We have a great group of AD's who see the big picture and get along. It may not be easy, but that is only because it is difficult and challenging. I really have no strong preference except the hope to continue some of our strong relationships/rivalries."
Even once a consensus is reached on a divisional setup, there are a multitude of other considerations.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany acknowledged that just bringing Nebraska into the fold was only the first step.
"Making the integration successful, smooth and quick is the second," he said in announcing the expansion.
Conference officials and ADs are trying to set up a workable date to meet and discuss the concerns.
For instance, how many games will teams play within and outside their divisions?
"Really, it's probably our major focus," Smith said.
The general assumption is that the Big Ten will follow other conference models, splitting into two six-team divisions, with teams playing each of the other five teams in their division and then three teams in the other division on a rotating basis.
There is also some talk that football teams might eventually play a nine-game Big Ten schedule, five in the division and four out.
Even arriving at names for the divisions could be contentious -- North and South? East and West? Bo and Woody? Paterno and Osborne?
No matter how the schedules are drawn up, some schools likely will grumble quietly. The conference will try to preserve old rivalries, but there are no guarantees that all will be played annually. There's no question that new ones will be created.
"Rivalries grow up over time," said Tom Osborne, Nebraska's AD and the former coach of the football Cornhuskers.
Because they are in different conferences now, the enmity between Nebraska and Oklahoma may dim. Perhaps neighboring Iowa will offer a bit of bad blood for the Huskers.
"As time goes forward, because of proximity, because they're a very fine program, I would imagine it could grow into a rivalry of some kind," he said. "We've only played each other four times in the last 25 years or so, so there isn't quite the history, but we're looking forward to playing them, and there will be a lot of interest in those games."
Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis already have expressed interest in hosting the Big Ten football championship.
After all the problems in football have been resolved, the ADs will address what to do with the 24 other Big Ten sports. The divisions set up for football might not work for women's volleyball or baseball.
"Just because it works for football doesn't mean it's going to work that way for everybody else," Smith said.
And there's always the possibility the conference could expand to 14, 16 or even more schools, creating a whole new stadium full of questions.

Big 12 Conference Survives

2010-06-14T22:26:00.002-04:00

Per espn.com

The Big 12 is alive and kicking.
The University of Texas on Monday said it was staying in the Big 12, followed moments later by pledges from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M to remain in a league that had seemed to be falling apart last week when Nebraska (Big Ten) and Colorado (Pac-10) decided to leave over the next two years.
The Texas announcement came shortly after Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott confirmed that Texas had declined an invitation to become the 12th member of his conference.
"University of Texas President Bill Powers has informed us that the 10 remaining schools in the Big 12 Conference intend to stay together," Scott said in a statement. "We are excited about the future of the Pac-10 Conference and we will continue to evaluate future expansion opportunities under the guidelines previously set forth by our Presidents and Chancellors."
Powers wouldn't give any details about why the school decided to stay put when asked by the AP. The school has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning.
Now the Big 12 its back, though there are still questions about how it will conduct its business.
Among those that still need to be answered by Big 12 commissioner Don Beebe is how and why the Big 12 will be more lucrative now, especially when it cannot hold a conference title game with only 10 members.
Beebe did not return phone messages Monday, but plans to hold a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.
Texas had a meeting Monday with the other remaining nine schools in the Big 12 about a TV deal included in a plan put together by Beebe that would keep the league intact with its current programs, according to multiple reports. The Dallas Morning News reported the cable TV deal is with Fox Sports.
Based on a TV deal in the works that could pay upwards of $25 million per year, Texas leaned toward staying in a 10-team Big 12 for the foreseeable future, Orangebloods.com reported, citing sources familiar with negotiations.
Texas stands to earn between $20 million and $25 million annually in television revenue in the reworked deal, including money from its own network, according to Orangebloods.com.
Millions of Reasons
Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma would reportedly each receive at least $20 million annually from a new Big 12 TV contract, comparable with what the top conference deals pay now.
BCS conference
Amount of contract
Big Ten
$242 million
SEC
$205 million
Big 12
$78 million
ACC
$67 million
Pacific-10
$58 million
Big East
$33 million
The Longhorns' network figures to generate between $3 million and $5 million, according to the Orangebloods.com report. Because the Big 12 has unequal revenue sharing, the deal will mean more money for Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, who all would receive at least $20 million annually from the new deal.
The other seven schools in the Big 12 would make between $14 million and $17 million, doubling what they currently receive in TV revenue.
Big 12 officials told member schools that the loss of the Denver television market and Nebraska would not weaken the league's negotiating position with TV networks as much as feared, a person with direct knowledge of discussions told The Associated Press.
Last year, Big 12 schools divided between $7 million and $10 million each depending on how many appearances they made on regional and national TV. At Big 12 meetings earlier this month, Beebe said he expected huge increases in rights fees from both Fox and ESPN.
The more lucrative contract with ESPN runs through the 2015-16 academic year, while the Fox deal is reportedly in its final two years.
The Big 12 has increased the financial reward for every one of its members since it began play in 1996. The Big 12 distributed $139 million to its members this past fiscal year, more than ever.
The news about the Longhorns, Sooners and the rest of the Big 12 South powers staying put was especially good for Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State and Missouri -- the five schools in danger of being left homeless if the conference dissolved.
Baylor football coach Art Briles, a Texas native who has spent his entire career in the Long Star state, put it this way: "I got resuscitated. You can take your hands off my chest. ... I'm extremely excited, it's like being given new life."
As for the Pac-10 and Scott, who was trying to pull off a bold move that would have dramatically changed the landscape of college sports, they are left looking for at least one more member to get to 12 by 2012 when Colorado is set to join.
Scott's next target? Utah from the Mountain West Conference would seem a likely candidate.
Scott's plan was to add Texas (with Notre Dame the big prize in the conference expansion game) along with its main Big 12 South rivals -- Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Because Texas is the richest and most powerful of the Big 12 schools, the Longhorns were seen as the lynchpin to the deal. Wherever Texas decided to place its cash cow football program, the rest of the schools would seemingly fall in line.
But Texas A&M had represented a wild card, with school officials meeting with Pac-10 and SEC officials in recent days. If the Aggies were serious about leaving for the Southeastern Conference, no matter what Texas did, it was unclear whether that would have prompted the Longhorns, Sooners and the rest to decide the Big 12 was not worth saving with only nine members.
But that SEC flirtation turned out to be nothing more.
"Texas A&M is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference and will continue to be affiliated with the conference in the future," school president R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement.
Officials at Oklahoma State and Oklahoma issued similar statements, with OSU president Burns Hargis singling out Beebe for his "bold moves and intense efforts."
"The decision to stay in the Big 12 represents a consensus position which resulted from a collaborative effort with our colleagues in the conference," Oklahoma president David L. Boren and vice president and director of athletics Joe Castiglione said in a joint statement. "We value the strong working relationship that has been reaffirmed during this process among the conference members. We intend to work very hard to make the conference as lasting and dynamic as possible. We appreciate the respect and interest that has been shown to OU during this process."
The news that the Big 12 survived spread quickly.
"That's great news," said Scott Drew, whose Baylor men's basketball team advanced to the South regional final in the NCAA tournament a few months ago. "Obviously, we're very excited and pleased about the 10 schools staying together. It will be great to continue the rivalries and traditions."
Earlier Monday, ESPN reported the departure of Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to the Pac-10 was "imminent," citing four sources within the Big 12.
A source told ESPN's Joe Schad that Powers was taking a "global view" of the landscape, excited about the importance of aligning his school with research opportunities and academic reputations of schools in the Pac-10.
But clearly being able to come at least close to the Pac-10 financial projections, while being able to still launch a network, may have swayed Powers to change his mind.

Donte' Phillips 2011 DL: 09 Jr Highlights

2010-06-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

It has just been announced that Wisconsin DT Donte' Phillips has just committed to Hoosiers. Check back later for more info on him.

Introduction to Nebraska Athletics

2010-06-12T09:14:00.001-04:00

Potential Big Ten Divisions

2010-06-12T09:12:00.003-04:00

Press Conference: Nebraska Joins the Big Ten

2010-06-12T09:12:00.001-04:00

Nebraska a Phenomenal Fit

2010-06-12T09:01:00.002-04:00

Link

They met last month at a secret location to exchange materials on mission and branding and culture and finances — all those athletic-department buzzwords that make you want to flip the channel.But what struck Jim Delany, the Big Ten's buttoned-down commissioner, was something more emotional, something that led him Friday to call Nebraska a "phenomenal fit."Delany recalled Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne telling him about how Cornhuskers fans gave Texas' Ricky Williams a standing ovation after he rushed for 150 yards in a 1998 game — a 20-16 Longhorns victory.

"I thought: 'Wow, that's special. They get it,' " Delany said. "When you are proud of something like that, it's a distinguishing characteristic."It's not (about) dollars or cents or television or even academics. It's about culture and values. They thought a lot like we did in what we are trying to achieve in our venues."

So there you have it: Delany was turned on by Nebraska's sportsmanship. Probably didn't hurt that Nebraska has some of the nation's richest football tradition, has sold out 304 consecutive games at 81,067-seat Memorial Stadium, is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and resides in the Midwest.All those factors contributed to Nebraska's joining the league of Bo and Woody on Friday — the Big Ten's first addition since Penn State in 1990.And the Big Ten might not stop at 12, instead following Delany's "act and act again" model/forecast from one week ago.Delany called this period "a pause … a deep breath" and said the conference could take another six to 12 months before deciding whether to add more schools."We're back to the 'slower-tempo' sort of game," he said. "We will continue to study. If an opportunity presents itself, (we will) seize it. But it's very hard to predict the unpredictable. That's the environment we find ourselves in."Missouri is all but out of the picture, a victim of apparent Big Ten ambivalence.

"My understanding," Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said Friday, "is there aren't any other conference members (that will be) considered by the Big Ten."Texas appears headed to the Pac-10 (along with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and possibly Texas A&M), but Longhorns officials won't make that announcement until Tuesday at the earliest.Notre Dame also remains a pipe dream, with athletic director Jack Swarbrick telling the Tribune the school has had "no substantive discussions" with the Big Ten.Sources say the Big Ten remains interested in not only Rutgers, but also Maryland, a school that has not received much attention from expansion observers.Maryland is a large public research institution in a Big Ten border state with two substantial TV markets (Washington and Baltimore) and a decent athletic history.Maryland is an AAU member and ranks 53rd nationally among public universities (tied with Ohio State and ahead of Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa and Nebraska) but has struggled to graduate its football and men's basketball players, producing weak Academic Progress Rate numbers.

But go back to Nebraska. Chancellor Harvey Perlman said a major attraction of the Big Ten was stability "that the Big 12 simply cannot offer."Not only that, but there's a promise of increased revenue once Nebraska becomes an equal member. The Big 12 paid out about $10 million to Nebraska in 2009, half of what Big Ten schools received.Perlman and Osborne also talked about fit."We don't feel like we're walking into a room of strangers," Perlman said.Added Osborne: "We feel we share a lot of common values with what we know of Big Ten institutions."

A few other keys:
•Nebraska will join the conference on July 1, 2011. "A quick turnaround," Delany called it. But not soon enough for Osborne. "Once you make the change, you'd like to do it tomorrow," he said.
•In determining how to break up the 12 (or 14 or 16) teams into divisions, Delany said the first priority will be "competitive fairness." Second is maintaining rivalries. Third is geography.
•Delany said he is "presuming" there will be a conference title game in 2011 and will consult former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer on the logistics. Delany said the conference has not looked into possible venues.
•The vote among presidents and chancellors in favor of Nebraska was unanimous.
•Nebraska has been particularly strong in women's basketball, women's volleyball and baseball. Oh, and the women's bowling team is pretty decent. The men's basketball team, meanwhile, never has won an NCAA tournament game.

Big Ten appears to close the door on Mizzou

2010-06-12T08:59:00.002-04:00

Link

Missouri’s chance of receiving an offer from the Big Ten Conference appeared to slam shut this afternoon when Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said there weren’t any other Big 12 members “being pursued by the Big Ten at this time.”
But MU athletic director Mike Alden told The Star that he is not ready to close the door on the Big Ten.
“We don’t have knowledge of that,” Alden said. “To me that certainly is speculative, that deal. I appreciate the commissioner saying what he said. But we don’t know that to be accurate or not.”
Beebe made his comments on a national teleconference after Nebraska announced it was joining the Big Ten. Beebe said he spoke earlier in the day with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Beebe said he believed the Big Ten was done shopping in the Big 12.
Delany, speaking later in the afternoon at a news conference in Lincoln, Neb., said the Big Ten will adhere to its original timetable when it comes to further expansion possibilities.
“We’re going to pause,” Delany said as he was welcoming the University of Nebraska to his conference on Friday.
In December, the conference said the process would take 12-to-18 months, but the Cornhuskers were fast-tracked.
The Big Ten may not be finished growing after adding the Cornhuskers as its 12th member. Delany said his conference won’t sit idly by if there are other changes in the college sports landscape.
“We’re still open, we’re aware of what’s going on,” Delany said. “Change won’t abate anytime soon.
“But we’re in a great place. We’re stronger today than we were yesterday.”
Earlier in the day, University of Missouri system president Gary Forsee increased his level of rhetoric in assuring that Missouri will not be left without an equitable position in the changing landscape of major college athletics.
Forsee and other MU officials also took issue with the notion — as one questioner put it — that Mizzou may have “started the hillside on fire” in so quickly responding to the Big Ten’s expansion announcement last December.
“I don’t think that would be accurate,” Forsee said during a news briefing at which he and Board of Curators chairperson Judy Haggard fielded questions.
“Trace chapter and verse. That would be very inaccurate.
“The match was the Big Ten talking about expansion. What’s happened since that period of time, if you go back and look at comments made by us or anybody else, we were only doing what you would expect any institution — whether you’re sitting here or in Lawrence, Kansas, or Waco, Texas.
“Did we contribute more or less than any other institution in the Big 12 or nationally? No. I think we’ve all been caught up in now this national discussion that certainly has spread beyond the Big Ten, and the Big 12 is certainly in the middle of that.”
After Nebraska’s exit to the Big Ten was on, Nebraska president Harvey Perlman reminded his regents that Nebraska wasn’t the first to be associated with Big Ten expansion, pointing out Missouri and Colorado.
“Early on, after the Big Ten announced it was considering expansion, officials at Missouri said they wanted to go to the Big Ten, including statements by their governor with comments that were not clearly supportive of the Big 12,” Perlman said. “Colorado has always been mentioned as poised between the Pac-10 and the Big 12."
Alden, aware of Perlman’s comments, later spoke even more forcefully to that issue in terms of Missouri’s expansion stance causing rifts within the Big 12.
“I’ve heard that suggestion out there,” Alden said. “And I would tell you, that’s ridiculous. That is silly.”

It's Official

2010-06-12T08:53:00.002-04:00

Bo Pelini's answer came as no surprise. He's focused on the here and now. So even though the plan is for Nebraska to begin competing in the Big Ten in 2011, Pelini is looking no further than the upcoming season, the Cornhuskers' last in the Big 12.That was his response to a question during Friday's news conference to announce Nebraska's move to the Big Ten. He also was asked his feelings about setting traditions aside."I'm not a real emotional guy," Pelini said with a smile and a nod.Not "emotional?" Then why the laughter as he walked from the podium? Maybe "not sentimental" was what he meant. Who better to address the issue of Nebraska's joining the Big Ten than Pelini, a Youngstown, Ohio, native and Ohio State grad, Class of 1990? Oh yes, he also got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Iowa.

Of course, he's been at Nebraska for only three football seasons, the first as defensive coordinator and the last two as head coach. So setting aside tradition isn't as big of a deal to him.The situation is different for Athletic Director Tom Osborne, however. He grew up in the state and was a graduate assistant on Bob Devaney's first staff in 1962. "There's a little bit of nostalgia because you realize some of the history's going by the wayside," said Osborne. "But for the long-term trajectory of the athletic program and the university, this is really an important day."Tradition or not, Nebraska had to look out for its own interests in the context of unmistakable uncertainty regarding the long-term viability of the Big 12 Conference. "Life goes on," Osborne said. "It isn't that we weren't sensitive (to tradition). Believe me, I agonized about this."But he and Chancellor Harvey Perlman concluded "this probably wasn't going to hold together."

The truth is the Big 12 had become dysfunctional, if it ever had the cohesion, the shared culture among its members, necessary for the conference to survive, much less thrive. Osborne and Perlman never said that. Their comments about the Big 12 were complimentary, devoid of animosity. Their decision to leave for the Big Ten was practical not personal.Nebraska definitely will fit the Big Ten culture. "That's one thing I mentioned quite often was culture today when I was talking, and I just think that it's a comfortable fit," Osborne said. "It doesn't mean that we're going to agree 100 percent of the time, but I do think that there's a lot of similarity, an emphasis on work ethic, a lot of people are fairly blue-collar, pretty good values throughout the Midwest. So I think that's going to help."The Big Ten did its due diligence before accepting Nebraska."I think (Commissioner) Jim Delany is a really bright guy, and when we met with him a week or so ago, I was impressed by the fact he said, 'You know, we've seen so many conferences just kind of get smashed together without any preparatory work, any idea of how you're going to merge these cultures or these philosophies,' " said Osborne. "And he said, 'This is a big deal, and the reason some of these don't work so well is because that forethought and that preparation didn't occur.'"So he's sincere. He wants to make sure our fans and our people really get to know more about him, get to know more about the Big Ten, and he's going to try to make it work."Delany was right, said Osborne, "that sometimes the reason conferences come apart is you assume everybody understands each other and you assume the culture's common, and all of sudden you get thrust together and you realize it really isn't the way you thought."

Delany came to Lincoln for Friday's announcement. And he was impressive, all right. He had a block-N pin on his lapel. He wore a red and white striped tie. And he was conversant with Cornhusker football history. He also was focused on the here and now."Fit is very important," he said.Nebraska is a good fit for the Big Ten, whether or not the move elicits emotion from Pelini."You would've got the same response if we joined the NFL," said Perlman.

More on Vanhoose

2010-06-10T22:10:00.001-04:00

More info:#7 / Graham / Nick Vanhoose / CB & TB / 6' 1" / 188# / Jr-2011 / 4.36-40 /***2009 - 10 games 186 carries for 1,877 yards & 25 TD's on the ground, 6 catches for 50 yards receiving. Vanhoose had 5 games of 200+ yards rushing and broke 2 school season records. As a corner he had 5 INT's and 12 PBU's. Special player that stands out once th tape starts rolling, Vanhoose lights up all the camps coming out on top of the DI & DII Blue Chippers! Vanhoose is also the Falcons place Kicker, #7 is a legitimate candidate for Mr. Ohio Football if Grahams has another good season, can you say 4K yards & 50 TD's in 2 years & he is a legit DI corner. Basketball Nick was the conference player of the year, district 9 player of the year. Nick led the league in steals and broke single game school record for steals in a game with 10. Graham basketball team played top competition this year with games vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary and St. Edward Nick had a fast steal into a fast break dunk against St. Edward to get us within 5 late in the game.

*****Nick ran a 4.36 @ Bowling Green football camp June 2010! "Nick is extremely motivated, comes from a blue collar family, works on his own and does extra whenever possible to make himself better, he is a pleasure to coach because he is so self motivated & ultra competitive. He has a 3.5 GPA and a steal to whoever offers him". Nic Black, HC Graham High School. Offensive Player of the Year CBC in 2009 & 2nd Team All State. ***DI Offers - Ball State U & Indiana!

http://www.swohiofootball.com/...4_2011-SWOF-100

Look out for St. Paris Graham RB/WR/DB Nick VanHoose. He is a gifted athlete at 6'2 170 lbs. and he can flat out fly. I'm trying to get a 40 time but he was just severely under-utilized the past couple seasons and he is finally getting the ball. He had 280 yards and 3 TD's against Tipp City last weekend on 37 carries. I'm going to watch him tomorrow night and I will give a report. The area has fairly weak competition that will produce a D1 player here and there, but I think his talent will be difficult to ignore. He is fast but he doesn't lose speed off his cuts and gets upfield in a hurry. He can also catch the ball and has pretty loose hips in the secondary. He is rail thin but he can put on some good weight when he focuses on lifting in the offseason. He will get some D1 offers imo and he may just end up getting looked at by OSU .I got to see VanHoose last night and man is he a talent. I see a Big 10 caliber player at least, though his name is just starting to surface. He is a toothpick but he'll put on weight in college when he settles on football (he plays bball as well). His acceleration and ability to find the seam and hit full boar is something else. The only question mark may be his position, as he isn't likely going to be an every down back but I think he would make a heck of a slot receiver, as he has good hands.

http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/f...rs-watch-3.html

VanHoose Commits to Hoosiers

2010-06-10T21:46:00.002-04:00

per scout.com

Bloomington – Indiana is getting a little bit of everything in Nick VanHoose. VanHoose, meanwhile, is getting exactly what he wanted. The 6’1”, 180-pounder from Graham H.S. in St. Paris, Ohio, verbally committed to the Hoosier football program Wednesday, becoming the ninth member of Bill Lynch’s 2011 recruiting class.

VanHoose has been a do-it-all player at Graham H.S., starring on both sides of the ball. As a junior he rushed for 1,877 yards and 25 touchdowns on offense, while adding five interceptions and 12 passes broken up as a cornerback on defense. He also handled the team’s kicking and return duties for good measure.

VanHoose’s skills aren’t limited to the football field. He’s also a gifted basketball player, averaging a team-high 15.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.4 steals while earning Area Player of the Year honors this past spring after leading his team to a 20-4 mark.

“He’s one of the highest quality kids they could get,” Graham H.S. Football Coach Nic Black said. “He’s extremely explosive and sudden athletically. He does it all for us, and if we have another good year next fall I think he’s a legitimate candidate for Mr. Football.

“I thought all along he’d be a steal for any program.”

That program is Indiana, a school that isn’t necessarily used to going into Ohio and luring potential players of the year out of the Buckeye state. But a pre-existing relationship helped open the door for the Hoosiers, and a subsequent trip to Bloomington sealed the deal.

IU assistant coach Brian George, a fellow Graham H.S. product, is VanHoose’s recruiter. Black said George’s family has known the VanHooses for years, and the IU assistant coach has known Nick since he was a youngster. That familiarity was big in convincing VanHoose that IU was the right fit.

“Nick said he didn’t want to go more than four hours away, so home is important to him, and having a comfort level is important to him,” Black said. “He had that comfort level with IU, Coach George and Coach (Bill) Lynch. That sold him.”

Another big selling point was a spring trip to Bloomington. That provided VanHoose with an opportunity to see Indiana’s new football facilities, which provided further evidence that it was a good fit.

“When he visited in the spring, the facilities blew him away,” Black said. “I think after that trip that he felt that if IU offered, he was going.

“For him, getting an IU offer wasn’t a bargaining chip for Ohio State or another program. He had a dream in mind, and if he got a chance, he was going to take it.”

That’s good news for Indiana, which is getting a player than ran a 4.36 in the 40 at a recent workout at Bowling Green. While Indiana was one of the first to offer a scholarship to the small school star, Black has little doubt about the number of scholarships VanHoose could have received if he’d opted to wait longer, or about the prospects for him making a major impact at Indiana.

“He’s not a kid who wanted to let it go on and on,” Black said. “He went to Indiana in the spring and fell in love with the whole thing, the atmosphere. Had he not committed when he did, we’d be talking about a kid with 15 offers. I think he was ready for himself to be settled and know where he’s going.”

Colordo to Pac 10?

2010-06-10T21:44:00.000-04:00

Link

Pac-10 officials said Thursday that Colorado will be joining their conference, marking what might be the first in a wave of defections from the Big 12 Conference.

An announcement appeared Thursday morning on the Pac 10 website: "The Pacific-10 Conference announced today that the University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Conference as it's 11th member, the first new member since July 1, 1978."

The Denver Post reported that the expanded Pac-10 -- possibly the Pac-16 -- conference might be ready by the 2012 football season.

"This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth," said Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott. "The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10."

Shafer Johnson / 2011 Graduate / Football Highlights / Positions: NG / T...

2010-06-10T21:41:00.000-04:00

DT Commits to Hoosiers

2010-06-10T21:39:00.001-04:00

It has been announced that defensive tackle Shafer Johnson has committed to the Hoosiers. Johnson is listed at 6'1 and 300 pounds and had interest from Syracuse, Michigan State and Illinois among others. More to come.

Nebraska to make the call?

2010-06-10T00:03:00.002-04:00

According to espn.com Nebraska might beep joining the Big Ten. Keep an eye out for a possible ripple effect of others getting close to making a decision and what the Pac 10 might do. Sources said they might be reaching out to a number of Big 12 teams.

A 3 Star for the Hoosiers

2010-06-06T17:59:00.002-04:00

Rivals.com has now listed Hoosier commit Tre Roberson a 3 star recruit. Tre is listed as an athlete but currently plays QB for his high school team.

Middleton Drafted in UFL Draft

2010-06-05T09:58:00.002-04:00

Greg Middleton has been drafted by Florida in the 11st round of the UFL Draft. The draft consisted of college players and former NFL veterans. Ex-Bengal receiver Antonio Chatman was drafted #28 overall, ex-Oakland receiver Ronald Curry #26, and Chike Okeafor #6. To see the full list click here.

Hoosier Commit Ranked 4 Star

2010-06-05T09:53:00.003-04:00

Slowly but surely the 2011 class is starting to get evaluated. Hoosier linebacker commit Zack Shaw has been listed as a 4 star recruit on rivals.com. He also made the Rivals 250 being ranked 243. Zack is listed as 6'3 220 lbs and had 228 tackles last season.

Ex-Warren Central star Finch leaving IU

2010-05-29T11:29:00.000-04:00

From the Indy Star and Terry Hutchens: Link

When Jerimy Finch transferred from the University of Florida to Indiana following his freshman season, those around the IU football program believed they had inherited a game-changing player.
Two disappointing seasons later, IU announced Friday that Finch will not be returning for his senior season.
No reasons were given in a short, two-paragraph news release.
Coming out of Warren Central High School, where his teams won four state championships and he was a two-time all-state selection, Finch was one of the top-rated players in the country.
Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 1 safety in the nation and both rivals and scout.com ranked him as the top player in Indiana in the 2007 class. Now it appears Finch will conclude his eligibility at a Division I-AA school, according to his former high school coach Steve Tutsie.
Tutsie said he spoke with Finch this week and his former player asked him if he could help make some contacts for possible future playing destinations.
"I think he wants to play Division I-AA because he doesn't want to sit out, and I think that would be detrimental to him," Tutsie said. "I think what Jerimy needs to do right now is to get away and maybe play where nobody knows him. I just think he needs to try and get back to doing the kinds of things that made him a great player in high school.''
At Florida, Finch played linebacker before a broken leg sustained early in the season cost him that year. He transferred to IU in the summer of '08 and was moved to safety. He was never able to put things together at safety or at IU. He played a total of 12 games in two years, and was credited with six total tackles. Last season he played seven games and did not make a single tackle.
Finch will likely have two seasons of eligibility remaining. After he plays his senior year this fall, he could appeal to the NCAA for a medical redshirt for his season at Florida. Under NCAA rules, a player cannot make that appeal until his regular eligibility ends.
"I haven't been privy to how he has practiced at IU or anything like that, but I can't believe there are many players with better ball skills than Jerimy,'' Tutsie said. "Everyone is running a spread offense and that means two things for your safeties. They had better be able to cover and they had better be able to hit.
"I just think he's a good middle of the field guy who can still make plays.''
"We thank Jerimy for his contributions to the program and wish him the best of luck in future endeavors,'' IU coach Bill Lynch said in the news release.

A Bid Farewell to Finch

2010-05-29T01:57:00.004-04:00

Betrayal, Excitement, Anger, Frustration, and Promise are probably all words that have popped in your head regarding Jerimy Finch. Regarded as one of the best prospects in the state of Indiana, many Hoosiers fans felt a lot of excitement when he first committed to the Hoosiers. The excitement was quickly faded when he committed to Michigan and Florida all in the same year. Just when Hoosier fans were getting over his de-commitment it was announced he was transferring back to the Hoosier state. This led to more excitement for Hoosier fans imagining the potential he had and what it meant for the Hoosier squad. After his first season here at IU it was apparent that we wouldn't be getting an instant upgrade at safety and a possible early pick in the NFL draft. His exciting plays on special teams were often over shadowed with frustration and confusion among Hoosier fans when he couldn't get much playing time on defense. After last season most Hoosier fans had very low expectations for him going into the 2010 season.

However, after attending almost all of the spring practices I saw a player that was ready to turn the corner and surprise all Hoosier fans. A few former players had said how great of an off season he had and all the progress he was making understanding the defensive schemes. Finch did a great job this off season and was starting to emerge as a leader on the defense. You could find Finch speaking up more during practices and directing younger players into there proper spots on defense. Many young players started talking about how he was becoming someone that people were looking up to.

As the announcement today that he would no longer be on the Hoosier squad I would like to take this time to bid farewell to Jerimy Finch. Although it has been a roller coaster ride with him I was confident that he was going to surprise people next season. Although he won't be doing it in a Hoosier uniform, I wish him the best of luck on his future endeavors and hope that he flashes the potential that he has wherever he lands. Hopefully Jerimy will be remembered for his contributions on special teams and how hard he worked this off season. It is unfortunate that Hoosier fans won't see him in an IU uniform next season but I wish him the best of luck going forward. Take care of your business off the field and keep working hard on your game and you will be a successful football player.

Finch Leaves Team

2010-05-28T18:14:00.000-04:00

Per ESPN Blog:

Jerimy Finch's arrival at Indiana in the summer of 2008 generated great excitement and anticipation. The Florida transfer was pegged as a difference-maker for Indiana's secondary in his return home (he grew up in Indianapolis).

But things never worked out for Finch at IU, and Friday the school announced that the safety is leaving the team to "pursue other options outside the program." Finch appeared in 12 games for Indiana, mostly on special teams, and recorded two fumble recoveries last season.

"We thank Jerimy for his contributions to the program and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors," Indiana head coach Bill Lynch said in a statement.

Finch dealt with some personal issues during the first part of his Indiana career, but he participated in spring practice and seemed like a good candidate to be Indiana's nickel back this fall. The Hoosiers also must replace both of their starters at safety.

"Jerimy's had a good spring," co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Joe Palcic told me in April. "We've been a little bit down on him, but he's had a good spring, and I think he'll have a chance to help us. ... It's definitely been a process, and he's finally taking it seriously, too. His biggest problem was just his ability to stay on keys and do the right things in coverage. He's doing a good job of concentrating, and he's finally in position now where he's about ready to step up and play for us."

That's obviously not going to happen now. It will be interesting to see if Finch continues his football career, and where he catches on.

2 from Wisconsin to Walk on at IU

2010-05-28T10:44:00.001-04:00

Link

DE John Laihinen (6-3, 240), Homestead and OL Ethan Peck (6-5, 265), Nicolet will be preferred walk-ons at IU next season. I will post up more about then when I get more information.

JoePa Sees 16 Team Conference

2010-05-28T10:37:00.001-04:00

Here are some pieces from the Big Ten Blog.

Paterno said the Big Ten is "on the verge" of a key decision and continued to advocate the need to expand the league. "The Big Ten, with the kind of programs we have, the universities we have, there’s got to be a couple of schools out there that would be an asset to us," he said. "I don’t think it’s fair for me to say which ones, but I hope we get somebody from the East. It’ll help us with the New York and the New Jersey television markets. But [commissioner] Jim Delany’s working hard on this thing and when they come up with some kind of a plan, it will be a good one."

On the potential for superconferences in college football: "I'd like to know the pros and cons if we go to 16 [teams] as opposed to go to 12. The future is probably going to be 16-team conferences. That probably will be the future because of the television markets and the chances to have meaningful conference championship games and things of that nature."

On whether he stumps for Pitt as a Big Ten expansion candidate: "I don’t think coaches have anything to say about that. The Big Ten is not a coaches’ conference as far as setting rules and goals for the conference and so forth. ... Jim Delany knows what he’s doing, he’s got a good staff and he’s working hard on trying to put the best arrangements together. Now if Pitt’s part of it, then that’s fine, but it won’t do me any good to call him and say, 'What about Pitt?' It won't hurt, but it won't do any good."

PSU after Bloomington RB

2010-05-28T01:29:00.001-04:00

It looks like Penn State is also going after Bloomington North running back D'Angelo Roberts.

Per Hoosier Scoop: Link

North running back D’Angelo Roberts was visited on campus today by the Penn State coaching staff.
It is the second visit to North for Penn State as it evaluates the Cougars’ record-setting rusher.
Roberts also spoke with coach Joe Paterno on Saturday

Kirlew Signs with Broncos

2010-05-26T20:34:00.001-04:00

Link

TheBroncosand seventh round draft pickJammie Kirlewhave come to an agreement on a four year $1.84 million dollar contract with a $50,000 signing bonus. With this signing, Denver has signed both of their seventh round draft picks from the 2010 draft. Last week Denver and cornerbackSyd’Quan Thompsonfrom Cal came to terms on a four year $1.8 million dollar contract.

Kirlew was a three year starter and two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection atIndiana University. He tied for third on the school’s all-time sacks list with 23 and tied for second on its all-time tackles for loss list with 52 1/2. In 2009, he tied for sixth in the nation with five forced fumbles and had three fumble recoveries. Kirlew ended the year with 62 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks making second-team all-conference. At 6-foot-3 and 264 pounds, Kirlew has talent as a pass rusher and held his own against the run in theBig Ten conference.

Jammie is a tweener prospect that will be converted into a 3-4 linebacker in Denver’s Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 scheme. He is the type of playerJosh McDanielswants, a tough, hardnosed player with tremendous work ethic and intelligence. He always plays with a high motor and typically wins matchups due to this rather than with athleticism. Jammie has been known to make plays off the edge, but he doesn’t have that initial burst or quickness to close in on the ball. He doesn’t work well in the “phone booth” which is another reason why he will be converted to a linebacker. If you don’t work well in the “phone booth”, you can’t successfully play defensive end in the NFL. Scouts say that he is the typical overachiever and his skill set may not translate to the next level.

Even though Kirlew will be converted to linebacker, he will have to fight for playing time due to his lack of great athleticism. In order for most seventh round picks to make any team in the NFL, they have to be able to contribute on special teams. That’s most likely the path that Kirlew will have to take to make the opening day roster for the Broncos. One thing to keep in mind though, it takes three to four years for college defensive ends to make the transition to outside linebackers in the NFL. So don’t give up on Jammie or sell him short of one day becoming a good or great linebacker for the Broncos.James Harrisonis a prime example of how a late round pick is usually given up on too early and then becomes a force in the league.

Phil Steele names 4 Hoosiers to Pre-Season Big Ten Team

2010-05-25T16:08:00.001-04:00

From Hoosier Scoop:

Tandon Doss’s breakout sophomore season caught the eye of college football preseason magazine guru Phil Steele. Steele named Doss as one of three wide receivers on his preseason All-Big Ten first team along with Purdue’s Keith Smith and Ohio State’s Devier Posey.
Steele gave three other Indiana football players mention on his four All-Big Ten teams. Wide receiver Damarlo Belcher and Darius Willis were both named to the third team. Chris Hagerup was named the fourth-team punter.

The Revolving Door: Indiana

2010-05-24T11:09:00.002-04:00

Per ESPN Big Ten Blog and Adam Rittenberg

Going ...
Rodger Saffold, LT: He didn't get a ton of pub during his college career, but Saffold showed everyone what they missed during predraft workouts. The second-team All-Big Ten selection soared up the draft boards and was the second Big Ten offensive lineman to hear his name called, as St. Louis selected him with the first pick of the second round. Saffold protected Ben Chappell's blind side as Indiana ranked second in the league in fewest sacks allowed (16).

Matt Mayberry, LB: Defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton had value as well, but Mayberry was the heart and soul of Indiana's defense the last two years. He led the team with 108 tackles and ranked second on the squad in tackles for loss (11), sacks (5.5) and interceptions (3). Mayberry started the final 24 games of his career and finished with 251 tackles.

Staying ...
Tandon Doss, WR: If you're in a college football fantasy league and want to beat your buddies, pick Doss if he's available. He quietly earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after recording 77 receptions for 962 yards and five touchdowns, ranking second in the league in receiving yards. This guy has legit NFL potential, and he could produce some big numbers this fall.

Ben Chappell, QB: Chappell finished third in the league in passing average last fall (245.1 ypg), and if he can cut down on his interceptions, he should have a monster senior season. He's no stranger to the spotlight and will have one of the Big Ten's best group of wide receivers and tight ends at his disposal this fall.

Coming ...
Jeff Thomas, LB: The junior college transfer should play a significant role this fall as Indiana transitions to the 3-4 defensive alignment. Thomas was on campus this spring and likely will back up Tyler Replogle this season. He boasts good size at 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds, and he earned first-team All-American honors for Foothill Junior College last fall. Thomas recorded four tackles in the spring game.

Andre Kates, CB: After some wavering before signing day, Kates pledged to Indiana and provided a major jolt for the Hoosiers' recruiting class. The junior college transfer not only fills a glaring need in the secondary, but he brings a strong skill set to the defensive backfield. A one-time Florida commit who had to get his grades right at ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., Kates should make an immediate impact this fall.

Former Hoosier Chris Taylor Locks on with Pats

2010-05-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

Per Hoosierhype.com and Ryan Winn

Former IU running back Chris Taylor signed a contract with the New England Patriots, the team announced Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Taylor originally signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2006, and joined the Patriots in training camp last season. After injuring his shoulder, he stayed on New England’s injured-reserved list before his one-year contract expired.

Taylor was last seen by Hoosier fans running for 740 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2005. He broke through in a Sept. 17 game against Kentucky, rushing for 176 yards on 17 carries.

So far in his NFL career, Taylor has accumulated 160 rushing yards and 1 touchdown. He is considered a long-shot to make New England’s roster, as he joins six other running backs looking for playing time.

Ohio North-South All Star Game

2010-05-23T10:54:00.004-04:00

This past Friday 2010 Hoosier commit Harrison Scott played in the Ohio All-Star game. From what I have read on the message boards from people who attended the event they have mentioned how the Hoosiers have gotten a steal in Scott. They note that he seemed much faster in person than he does on tape, he has improved the use of his hands on the line, and that he should be a nice surprise for Hoosier fans down the road. Although the following interview doesn't feature Scott it does do a good job on what the game means to the players participating. I should also mention that 2 other Hoosier commits were listed on rosters for the game, Pete Bachman and Chase Hoobler.

Sidelines with Mike Peticca

http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="movie1274622889635">

Here is the link to the article.

Expansion could hurt Indiana

2010-05-22T12:43:00.000-04:00

Link

With more than enough to keep him busy, Bill Lynch hadn’t spent much time before this week’s conference meetings thinking about the possibility of expansion in the Big Ten.

And now that he’s back from Chicago, the Indiana University football coach will leave that elephant in the room in the hands of commissioner Jim Delany and the Big Ten athletics directors and presidents.

JASON CLARK / Courier & Press Indiana University athletics director Fred Glass, right, shakes hands with Don Fischer of Greenwood, Ind., during Thursday’s IU Athletics Tailgate Tour.

IU football coach Bill Lynch

After all, August is just around the corner and Lynch has a summer conditioning program to implement, a depth chart to update and still plenty of game planning to do for a Sept. 2 home opener with Towson — not a candidate to join the Big Ten, by the way.

Still, expansion at least made for interesting dinner debate earlier this week. It was even good leftover lunch chatter during Thursday’s Greater Evansville Chapter of the IU Alumni Association golf outing at Eagle Valley.

“There was media from all over the country (in Chicago),” said Lynch of the meetings that ended Tuesday. “I guarantee you that was a source of conversation.”

So, of course, was the concept of a Big Ten football championship game — a single event that would add another $15 million payday to the conference coffers each year. But IU athletics director Fred Glass said Thursday that a football title game is just one part of a package deal in the overall expansion discussions.

“I’d say it’s the tail, not the dog,” said Glass, who was also at Eagle Valley along with men’s basketball coach Tom Crean, women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack and soccer coach Todd Yeagley. “That would be a nice bonus. The reason you do it would be to assure the stability of the conference for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years, and that’s not going to happen with a championship game.

“We’ll all make some money, but it’s not a big amount compared to our overall revenue from the Big Ten Network and other sources.”

With a title game likely will come divisional play — and the potential for even more inequity in Big Ten scheduling.

If done purely geographically, Indiana could find itself grouped in a division that includes Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan and Michigan State.

That should be enough to have Lynch pulling for Vanderbilt as an expansion candidate, but that’s a migraine for another day.

For now, Lynch believes that divisional play — as a concept — could be a good thing for the Big Ten as a whole.

“I coached in the Mid-American Conference when there was divisional play and it makes it interesting,” said Lynch. “It keeps people involved throughout the season.”

Which gets us back to Lynch’s present challenge of doing everything he can to make sure the Hoosiers are more than a three-quarter threat this season.

He suggested Thursday that fifth-year quarterback Ben Chappell will have adequate protection and enough weapons at wide receiver to put points on the board in a hurry this season. But if the Hoosiers’ best defense is again a good offense, it might not be enough to make much of a difference.

“We were close and that’s not good enough,” Lynch said of last season’s 4-8 record. “But the positive part of being close is our kids believe that we can win, and believe we can win on the road in the Big Ten.

“And those are the things as you build a program that you’ve got to have to get to that point. Everybody wants it to happen overnight, but there are steps along the way.

“I think we took those steps.”

Expansion or not, the Hoosiers need to step it up to another level in a hurry.

Ray Fisher speaks to Upward Bound kids at award ceremony

2010-05-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

Working Every Day

2010-05-20T10:56:00.001-04:00

From colts.com.

By John Oehser - Special to Colts.comWednesday, May 12 2010
Colts Rookie Cornerback Ray Fisher Trying to Play Role as Kick Returner

INDIANAPOLIS – Ray Fisher doesn't know what his NFL future holds, exactly.
Fisher, a cornerback from Indiana University, said what he does know is he will get a chance to earn a position returning kicks and/or punts for a perennially contending team, one with one of the NFL's most consistently potent offenses.
Fisher said he's grateful for that chance and said the chance is all he expects or wants.
Most importantly, he said, the chance is one of which he must take advantage.
“I really just have a chance to be a kick returner and put (Colts quarterback) Peyton (Manning) in the best situation possible,” said Fisher, a seventh-round selection by the Colts in the 2010 NFL Draft and one of multiple rookies who will be profiled on Colts.com in the coming weeks.
“I'll go out every day, work hard and try to impress the coaches so I can try to earn the position.”
That approach is one those who knew him said he took at Indiana.
And it's a reason he is where is now, with a chance to work his way into playing time at corner and kick/punt returner as the Colts prepare to open organized team activities next week.
Fisher (5-foot-9, 185 pounds), who played his first three collegiate seasons at wide receiver, started 19 games on offense, catching 118 passes for 1,070 yards and nine touchdowns. Indiana coaches approached him about moving to defense before this past season.
Fisher agreed to do so.
“Ray did a great job,” Indiana coach Bill Lynch told the Hoosiers' public relations department. “We felt when we made the switch he would do just that. He was a very, very good cornerback in high school. We played him at receiver and he was a very, very good receiver.
“We had a need at corner and had some depth at receiver, so we asked him to make the move and he did it really well.”
After moving to defense, Fisher started six of eight games this past season before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in November. He made 40 tackles with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He also returned 17 kickoffs for a 37.4-yard average as a senior and had a 9.8-yard average on punt returns.
“He is a kick and punt returner as well as a very good corner,” Colts President Bill Polian said after selecting Fisher. “He played obviously at a high level of competition and had a lot of success in the return game. We felt he was a dual-purpose guy, and a guy that could very likely make our team and contribute in a lot of ways as a 'gunner' on special teams and things of that nature, in addition to the return game.
“He can play corner,” Polian added. “Even though he’s on the small side, he’s a good cover corner. He can cover people. He can run. He’s a good gunner on covering punts. He can block kicks and he’s a dual returner. He can fill a lot of roles. When you’re looking for a player who is not necessarily going to be a starter, you want one who can fill a lot of roles.
“Ray can do that. We are happy to get him.”
Said Lynch, “He is a great competitor and will always compete. When we talked to scouts after he made the move to cornerback, we said we felt he was a good enough player to make it on either side of the ball. Certainly, he has special talents as a returner as well.”
What Fisher said the Colts got was a player not only willing to play special teams, but who very much wants to do so.
“I love playing special teams, even if I'm a starter,” Fisher said. “When I played at Indiana, I was a starter, but I still loved playing all of the special teams. I want to go out and play the whole game. It's fun and I just want to put myself in great shape, so I can be able to do a lot of other things.”
Fisher not only loves returning, he said he believes he is good at it – and believes he can excel professionally. One reason, he said, is he believes he has a knack for it, and another reason is he has confidence in himself – and his physical ability to play the role.
“It's not just running,” Fisher said of returning kicks. “It's not being scared to hit the hole and just using your speed and athletic ability.”
“If I get in the open, I don't think anyone can catch me.”
Said Lynch, “Ray is a great competitor. All great competitors play with confidence, and Ray is a guy that plays with confidence and loves to compete against the best. As we look back at his career, he played well against the best Big Ten teams. The challenge of playing in the NFL is something he has always dreamed of, and I think he will adapt well. . . .
“Ray has a contagious personality. He always has a smile on his face and a bounce in his step.”
How that smile will translate into professional productivity isn't yet known, but Fisher said given the opportunity, he is excited about what his NFL future might hold.
“I bring a lot of excitement,” he said. “I know I can bring a lot of excitement to Indianapolis. Not saying they don't have great players, but they haven't had that big impact kick returner. I think I can bring that to the team.
“I think I have a chance to come in and be the kick returner, but I have to still do it off the field and on the field. I still have a ways to go.”

Population Shift Driving Big Ten Expansion Study

2010-05-18T16:21:00.001-04:00

From ESPN Big Ten Blog and Adam Rittenberg.

CHICAGO -- Commissioner Jim Delany outlined two major forces behind the Big Ten's expansion study in his meeting with reporters Tuesday. The first is obvious: The Big Ten Network, a project that faced plenty of initial skepticism but has not only survived, but thrived. The potential to grow the network in new markets or potentially strengthen existing markets is a huge part of what the Big Ten has been studying the last five months. The second force is bigger than the Big Ten and impacts numerous industries in America. People are heading south in larger numbers, and the population shift has put northern institutions like the Big Ten on notice. "As far as the shifting population, that is reason, by itself, enough, to look at the concept of expansion," Delany said. "We've been blessed in many ways by the economy and the density of the population in the 20th century.

Our schools have benefited by healthy economies, by strong markets, by growth, by integration. ... In the last 20, 30 years, there's been a clear shift in movement into the sun belt. The rates of growth in the sun belt are four times the rates they are in the East or the Midwest. "You do want to look forward to 2020 and 2030 and see what that impact would be on our schools." Delany has brought up the demographic shift several times in recent years when talking about recruiting and other topics. He knows that in order for the Big Ten to maintain its national standing, its alumni base and its brand, the league might need to get bigger.

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said shifting demographics were one of the first subjects brought up when league officials decided to push forward with an expansion study. "Without going into any specific school, it's just projecting ahead," Barta said. "Do we need to grow the business in the next 20 years, and, if so, does adding schools make any sense? That's part of the principle of whether or not we look at expansion." Aside from Texas, most of the rumored expansion candidates are located in the Midwest or toward the East Coast. It begs the question: Should the Big Ten look to the South to capitalize on the population shift, or is the league best served by getting stronger in its existing footprint? "It depends," Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith said. "You could address the census issue by getting [stronger] where we are."

Rankings Starting to Come Out

2010-05-18T16:05:00.002-04:00

Rankings for the 2011 football class are slowly but surely starting to unravel. So far 2 Hoosier commits have been evaluated. Offensive Tackle Ralston Evans from Arlington High School in Indianapolis is listed as a 3 star recruit, according to scout.com, and the 38th best prospect in the country at his position. Tight End prospect Jake Reed is also ranked a 3 star and 24th best tight end prospect nationally. I would guess that in the next month or so most of the Hoosier class will have been evaluated. There are a lot of prospects out there for recruiting services to look at and it will take some time before the top recruits get evaluated.

Analyzing 2010 Schedule

2010-05-16T11:38:00.002-04:00

Now up on the front page of collegefootballnews.com. Link

CFN Blog - Analyzing and breaking down the Indiana schedule

By Matt Clark 2010

Hoosier Schedule Analysis

The Hoosiers have followed up there 2007 Insight Bowl appearance with seasons of 3-9 and 4-8. The bowl season gave Hoosier fans optimism on the future of the program, and since then has taken a few steps back. It is imperative that the Hoosiers get back to a bowl game to excite the fan base again and for the coaching staff to get off the hot seat. Here is a break down of the Hoosiers 2010 schedule.

Sept. 2 - vs. Towson
Sept. 18 - at Western Kentucky
Sept. 25 - vs. Akron
Oct. 2 - vs. Michigan
Oct. 9 - at Ohio State
Oct. 16 - vs. Arkansas State (Homecoming)
Oct. 23 - at Illinois
Oct. 30 - vs. Northwestern
Nov. 6 - vs. Iowa
Nov. 13 - at Wisconsin
Nov. 20 - vs. Penn State @ FedExField (Landover, Md.)
Nov. 27 - at Purdue

The Hoosiers non-conference schedule yields a 2009 record of 9-38. This should set up nicely a 4-0 record in non-conference. Again, the Hoosiers bye week comes too early being in week2. The game that Hoosier fans should have circled on there schedule is the October 2nd matchup against Michigan. They almost pulled off the upset last year at the Big House and will have an opportunity for a revenge game in Bloomington. The other winnable conference games should be at Illinois, Northwestern, and at Purdue.

Illinois has really struggled since their Rose Bowl Appearance a few years ago and they lose a dual threat of Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn among others. Northwestern also loses starting QB Mike Kafka and stand out defensive end Corey Wootten.

If the Hoosiers can pick up wins against those teams in conference it should set up a possible bowl eligibility game at Purdue to end the year. They were very close in many games last year in conference and hopefully they can get over the hump next season and some of the close games. Best case scenario seven wins and a bowl game would be realistic, but 6-6 might be a bit more probable.