Football
Big Ten Preview - No. 6 (tie) Indiana Hoosiers
By Tony "88" GerdemanPredicted Finish 7-5 (3-5)
Two-Cent Overview
Second-team All-Big Ten quarterback Kellen Lewis returns, but James Hardy and 60% of the offensive line are gone. The defensive line is as deep as it has been at Indiana in years, and the linebackers can play with just about anyone. The secondary has some concerns as both starting cornerbacks are gone. Fortunately, both safeties return and hopefully they can provide some sense of calm to the defensive backfield.
Schedule
Aug. 30 Western Kentucky (W)
Sept. 6 Murray State (W)
Sept. 20 Ball State (W)
Sept. 27 Michigan State (L)
Oct. 4 at Minnesota (W)
Oct. 11 Iowa (W)
Oct. 18 at Illinois (L)
Oct. 25 Northwestern (W)
Nov. 1 Central Michigan (W)
Nov. 8 Wisconsin (L)
Nov. 15 at Penn State (L)
Nov. 22 at Purdue (L)Goal
Win the thirteenth game. Last season, the goal and the motto was "Play Thirteen". This year, that's slightly changed. Obviously it can't be "Win Thirteen" in total, but the goal in mind is to win their bowl game. This means that going bowling is already assumed and the only thing left is to win it.
Five Questions Looking For Answers
1. How long will it take quarterback Kellen Lewis to win his job back?
2. Is there a Big Ten running back on this team?
3. How will James Hardy be replaced?
4. What can defensive end Greg Middleton do for an encore after leading the nation in sacks last season?
5. Will the Hoosiers' two new corners hold this defense back?Something To Look For
The no-huddle offense. That's right, not only will the Hoosiers be running their familiar spread, but now they'll be utilizing the no-huddle. Kellen Lewis has come back from suspension, but right now he's behind current "starter" Ben Chappell, who had all spring to get the nuances and terminology down. Right now, however, it's mainly a language barrier for Lewis as the physical part is still there. Once he gets the little things down, this offense should be right in his wheelhouse.
Returning Starters
Six on offense, seven on defense and the place-kicker.
Best Player
Quarterback Kellen Lewis. Yes, Lewis is currently the back-up quarterback, however, common sense tells us that it is only a matter of time before he gets his timing back and regains the form that makes him the most dynamic quarterback in the league. If Lewis picks up the no-huddle and plays as well as he's capable of, there are eleven winnable games on this schedule--twelve if Penn State can somehow implode.
Second-Best Player
Defensive end Greg Middleton. Middleton led the nation with 16 sacks last year, though seven of those came in the Hoosiers four non-conference games. However, that's still better than one sack per game in the Big Ten, so let's not scoff. We probably shouldn't be surprised if Middleton's numbers drop this year because he won't be sneaking up on anybody in 2008. Offensive coordinators will focus on him, which should allow the rest of the front four to have a bit more room. Great players don't always have to make the plays, but they always have to make their teams better--Middleton does that.
Best Chance For a Big Loss
At Illinois. The Hoosiers will head to Illinois to face a defense that will attack all game long and field a secondary good enough to stay with the Indiana receivers. Juice Williams' mobility will give the pass rush fits and the secondary could get caught looking into the backfield on scrambles, which is when Williams is at his most dangerous. Right now, the Illini are just too brutish compared to the Hoosiers.
Most Important Game
Wisconsin. A win over Wisconsin would be more than just a win. It would be a statement. The Badgers will likely come into Bloomington ranked in the Top Ten and the Hoosiers will have a chance to show where they stand in the big picture of the Big Ten. But if they lose badly, expect the season to end with a thud.
Best Road Game To Pack Up The Family Truckster And Travel To
At Purdue. Last year's battle for the Old Oaken Bucket was one of the games of the year. This year, there should be just as much on the line as last season.
Best Reason They Won't Be Undefeated
The final three games on the schedule. Ending the season with a home game against Wisconsin and then road games at Penn State and Purdue wouldn't be good for anybody, let alone a team looking to make it into the upper division of the Big Ten.
Best Reason They Will Be Undefeated
They play eight games at home. They won't be favored in all eight home games but they definitely have more than a chance to win them all. If they can defend The Rock completely and pick up a road win, they'd have the same number of wins as the Illini did last year.
Game They Shouldn't Lose, But Could
Central Michigan. Anything can happen in a shootout, especially when it happens the week before Wisconsin comes to Bloomington. Get your DVRs ready for this one.
Player People Are Expecting Too Much From
Wide Receiver Andrew Means. Means nearly left the team to pursue semi-professional baseball (he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds), but chose to come back for his junior season. Means was third on the team in receptions this year, but ever since he decided to come back, people have been talking more and more about him. He is a good receiver--he is not a great receiver. This team will need more than just Means. Ray Fisher must also play a key role--and he will. However, between he and Means, they only averaged 10.4 yards per reception last season. Without James Hardy to stretch the field, the short passing game will become even more congested. As an aside, watch for sophomore Terrance Turner to emerge after tearing his ACL last season.
Player People Will Be Pleasantly Surprised By
Linebacker Matt Mayberry. Mayberry played in all 13 games last year, starting none. He finished with 42 tackles last year and much, much more is expected of him this season. Mayberry is the biggest and fastest linebacker on the team, and he'll step into the middle this season alongside two returning veterans Geno Johnson and Will Patterson. The fans and the media are raving about him, so they must be onto something.
Best Newcomer
Running Back Darius Willis. Indiana has struggled to produce at the running back position and Willis comes to Indiana as their highest-profile running back recruit in years. At 6'0" 220, he provides the power that is sorely missing from this offense and still has enough speed to break away. Lately, however, the Hoosiers have been redshirting their freshmen, though it remains to be seen if they can afford to redshirt Willis.
Something They Do Well
Sack the quarterback. Last season, the Hoosiers finished third in the Big Ten with 42 sacks. Even if you take Greg Middleton's 16 sacks away, they still finished with just two fewer sacks than the Wisconsin Badgers. Back-up defensive end Ryan Marando actually finished second on the team in sacks with five, and he returns as well as does Middleton's book-end partner Jammie Kirlew. If the linebackers get involved in the pass rush, this could be a fun defense to watch.
Something They Don't Do So Well
Get production from the running backs. The Hoosiers haven't produced a 1,000-yard rusher since 2001 when Levron Williams rushed for 1,401 yards with the aid of the great Antwaan Randle El. In fact, they haven't even had a running back lead the team in rushing since 2005. Head coach Bill Lynch and staff addressed the running game in recruiting last year and they're hoping they've found some pieces to work with, because it's doubtful that there are any veterans on this team capable of turning the running game around.
What's Improved?
Speed on defense. This is a common theme this year as nobody wants to get slower. Everybody that returns this season knows their job better than they did last season, so they'll play faster. Add to the fact that they have also actually gotten faster, and you've got a defense that should be much better this year. Even the replacements at cornerback have plenty of speed, and fifth-year senior Chris Phillips has ten starts to his credit, so he’s got the experience to boot.
What's Gotten Worse?
The security blanket. Now that James Hardy is gone, somebody else is going to have to be the man in the red zone and on third down. Perhaps it will make the offense better that the defense can't focus on one player, but it didn't really seem to matter over the last couple of years as Hardy put up three straight years of ten touchdown catches or more. The good thing for Kellen Lewis is that he has a group of receivers who are physically strong and should be able to create space when the referees aren't looking--which is 92% of the time in the Big Ten.
Anything Else We Should Know About?
Tight end Max Dedmond playing the role of a wanna be Dallas Clark. Dedmond is a redshirt freshman who was impressive in the spring, and it has carried over through the summer. This Hoosier offense doesn't normally employ tight ends, but the plan for Dedmond is to flex him out and use him in the slot to try and find mismatches. Having him out wide could also strengthen their screen game. And as Purdue has shown over the years, an effective tight end makes a spread offense very difficult to defend.
Anything Else?
The offense and special teams may not be doing the defense any favors. With the planned no-huddle attack, the Hoosiers offense could be getting off the field quicker than normal, which means the defense will be on the field longer than normal. That's not a good thing for any defense, especially one from the state of Indiana. Add into that a spotty punting game, and field position could be a factor as well. A defense that doesn't get enough rest and is repeatedly given a short field makes for a long season.
One Prediction
Take the "Over" when Central Michigan comes to town.
Did you know (Media Guide factoid)
The fewest completions ever "completed" in a game by the Hoosiers (or anybody) is zero, which they have done six times, most recently against Minnesota in 1985.
Coach Speak
What Bill Lynch says about the quarterback battle: "It's going to be a competitive camp because one of the things that happens, if you miss spring practice, you miss all those opportunities to get better, but it also gives somebody else a chance to prove they can play.
What Bill Lynch means about the quarterback battle: "It's going to be a competitive camp...for a while. Then Kellen will get the majority of the reps and things will return to normal and his punishment will be over. But never for a second did we ever plan on going with Ben Chappell over Kellen. Nothing against Ben, but c'mon, we're talking Kellen Freaking Lewis here. I mean c‘mon."
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