The Crimson Quarry: FanPosts

IU Soccer Returns to the Yeagley Family

2009-12-19T04:08:38Z

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a fanPost by Tacojohn that has been promoted from the sidebar. Thanks again, Tacojohn, for the fine IU soccer content.]

I'm firmly of the believe that every coaching fire is only as good as the subsequent hire. Change for change's sake is bad, the change needs to be positive. If IU was introducing Caleb Porter right now, just days after he came agonizingly close to winning a national title, the question of whether the decision to axe a coach just five years removed from a national title was a good idea would have been answered with a resounding yes.

With Todd Yeagley, the jury is still out.

Todd Yeagley brings a legendary name to the program, as well as promising performances as an assistant with IU, having been on the staff for IU's last two national championship teams. What he doesn't bring is the one thing that Caleb Porter could have brought: an established track record as a head coach of success at the highest levels of the sport. As the most decorated program of the last 35 years, you would have thought that IU would be able to land such a coach.

Perhaps it's the money. Yeagley will receive the same $95,000 (give or take) base salary that Mike Freitag received. Camps and promotional money pushes that figure over $100,000. But Caleb Porter recently received a significant raise on a contract that already paid over $100,000 and got the security of a five-year deal while Yeagley is on a year-by-year contract.

It's impossible to avoid questioning whether IU take soccer as seriously as Akron. The firing of Mike Freitag suggested that Indiana Soccer was not just another nonrevenue sports program. It was a program where extremely high expectations had to be met. But in order to demand that, the athletic department must commit resources to give the coach a reasonable chance at success. Right now, it looks like Akron is doing that while Indiana is not.

A contract for a certain number of years also would have answered a very thorny question: how long is this turnaround supposed to take? If you believe that Jerry Yeagley orchestrated this whole episode, you would expect Todd to be a fairly long leash. As a fan who can't escape that conclusion, it would be nice to know exactly how long that leash is.

Now Yeagley must assemble a staff and build or maintain IU's recruiting class. IU has a strong, but unspectacular class, while Yeagley put together one of Wisconsin's best classes in a while by cleaning up in the fertile recruiting grounds of Chicago. As soccer does not have an early signing period, none of these players have signed on the dotted line and cannot until February. The hard work then begins in the spring and in August as Yeagley will be expected to show promise with a talented group that underachieved over the last few years.

Todd Yeagley was never going to be the slam dunk hire that reenergized IU Soccer fans. Whether you're in support of this hire largely depends on what you felt Mike Freitag's major failing was. To those who believe it was a lack of adjustments and preparation, it makes little sense to replace him with a second-year head coach. To those (including me) who believe it was because Freitag had gotten away from Indiana's core values of hard work, rock solid fundamentals, and technical ability (embodied in Jerry Yeagley's manifesto "The IU Soccer Player"), then returning to the program's roots makes perfect sense.

We'll know in a few years if the decision to fire Mike Freitag was a smart one. Indiana Soccer experienced a similar drought a few years ago, not as severe but longer as the program failed to deliver a national title for a decade as IU's athletes and conditioning played catch-up with the rest of collegiate soccer, especially Bruce Arena's Virginia teams. Even as the patriarch's son, Yeagley will be expected to deliver. And he will be expected to deliver a lot very quickly.

BOB KNIGHT HAS NO RIGHT!

2009-12-18T22:16:30Z

Being a former Hoosier, what the heck is Bob Knight thinking? He has no right to criticize anybody after all the crap he pulled during his coaching career, and if he wanted to really make a statement, he would have gone after former Indiana coach Sampson for his shenanigans. This whole thing is out of whack, and now Calipari is responding. Check out some of these comments

http://www.tauntr.com/content/bobby-knight-disappointed-quality-ncaa-cheating

Mike Freitag, Unplugged

2009-12-04T21:19:31Z

Mike Freitag had every reason to blast Indiana. He certainly could have fired back at the Indiana University administration and point out that not only had he compiled a record over the last six years that the vast majority of schools would be thrilled to have, he also graduated players and conducted himself like a gentleman. And certainly men's soccer has seen vivid examples of not acting like a gentleman recently.

But Freitag's teary comments at Armstrong today showed why many people thought he would have no trouble continuing the legacy Jerry Yeagley had established at IU. While he made it absolutely clear he was unhappy with his dismissal and the way it was carried out, he also refused to add to the negativity.

Freitag started off by thanking the university for the opportunity. Importantly, Freitag made it clear that he understood the expectations of the job. It would certainly be understandable for a coach to wonder what was expected of him when he was fired after coming within two minutes of going to a Final Four.

Freitag's biggest complaint was the meeting between the players and administration that occurred shortly after their loss to UNC. His comments make it sound like he thought he was railroaded, ambushed by an administration that had made up its mind and then gathered the evidence to fit the conclusion.

But Freitag seemed to be missing the point on two issues. First, he specifically focused on scheduling. Yes, IU scheduled a tougher than normal slate this year. The games against Wake and St. John's in the Classic are par for the course, but normally IU would play away games either at UCSB or at Akron, not both. In addition, the Big Ten had a great year this year (5 of 7 teams going to the tournament) and teams IU plays regularly like Butler and Louisville are on the rise. But the difficult schedule did its job: IU hosted two tournament games and having the #6 RPI (when last published) probably helped them get that Butler game at home.

And a note to Fred Glass: that's the schedule that IU fans expect. Sure, raking up 15-18 wins against Evansville, IUPUI, Oakland, etc. would be a gaudy record. But for IU to be battle-ready for the tournament, the team needs that sort of schedule. And for IU Soccer to be a successful commercial and spectator venture, the schedule needs to feature the premier teams in the country.

Second, Freitag seems shocked that the players were unhappy with him. I think the information vacuum is causing the problem here. Glass can mention that the players were dissatisfied, but he can't address specific issues they voiced. Freitag then can't respond to issues if he doesn't know they exist. If a player is angry at Mike Freitag, I would have to think it's partially because IU recruits are sold on the idea of winning titles and going to the Final Four. And once again, a group of recruits didn't get to experience that.

Freitag's statement is all you could want from a departing coach. It's honest, but professional. It shows a fire and passion for the game, as well as a pretty good understanding of why he was fired (with some gaps). Too often in recent past, IU fans have been quick to transform professional failures into personal ones. Mike Freitag has earned better even if his performance is not good enough to deserve another year of employment, and hopefully his statement today showed that.

Freitag Era Over at IU

2009-12-02T17:20:46Z

[Editor's note: this is a FanPost by TacoJohn that I have bumped to the front page, and adds some much-needed content on IU's most important non FB/BB sport] Mike Freitag's firing as the head soccer coach at Indiana University ends a tenure that while not disastrous, was certainly nowhere near what IU had come to expect historically. The story of the decline of IU soccer from the top of the mountain to its present level is a curious one as well. In the end, too many signs pointed to the head coach as the problem, ultimately why athletic director Fred Glass made the change.

When Freitag was elevated to head coach as Jerry Yeagley's handpicked successor in 2004, all was right with IU Soccer. Yeagley had retired in storybook fashion. Following the worst start in school history, the team rebounded to sweep through the Big Ten and Big Ten Tournament, winning both titles. Along the way, the Indy Star helped out with an assist that resulted in the NCAA statistic being changed and Yeagley earning the title of winningest coach ever. IU played survive and advance (outside of a 5-0 thrashing of VCU) to win the program's sixth national title and send its patriarch out on top.

Freitag kept the ball rolling in 2004. Arguably a more dominating regular season ended with IU capturing yet another Big Ten title. A slight hiccup in the Big Ten Tournament saw IU ousted in the second round after a bye by Michigan State. But momentum returned, and IU rolled to the College Cup without conceding a goal before two thrilling victories in double overtime against Maryland and in penalties over UC-Santa Barbara to win the seventh national title. Midfielder Danny O'Rourke added the cherry on top winning the MAC Hermann Award, the Heisman of college soccer.

2005 was supposed to be the beginning of a dynasty. O'Rourke, defender Drew Moor and goalkeeper Jay Nolly were big losses to graduation. But with forward Jacob Peterson and midfielder Brian Plotkin returning, most of the firepower was back. And there was a major addition in the form of Lee Nguyen, the national player of the year. But the team never gelled. It lacked a hard nosed ball winner like O'Rourke or veteran leadership in the back. A loss to Penn State and ties against Northwestern and Ohio State denied IU a Big Ten title, and Penn State took the tournament crown. IU started the NCAA tournament with a dominating 45 minutes that didn't produce a goal followed by Notre Dame getting two goals in the second half to send IU home.

2006 and 2007 were remarkably similar. Freitag continued the pattern he had started with Nguyen of targeting the US Youth National Team residency program for his top recruits, with players like Daniel Kelly, Ofori Sarkodie, and Kevin Alston. Both teams won the Big Ten title, and in 2006 the team captured the Big Ten tournament crown. But each team showed signs of weakness. The 2006 squad was pushed to overtime far too often, including a bizarre 5-4 overtime loss to Notre Dame. The 2007 team dropped games IU should traditionally have rolled through, namely UAB and Louisville.

The two seasons ended in similar fashion. At home, against an opponent IU should have been able to take care of, the Hoosiers failed to score a goal and ended up losing in penalty kicks to Santa Clara and Bradley respectively. Over three years, from 2005-2007, IU managed just one win in the tournament, against Northern Illinois in 2006. On average, IU would have been expected to go to a College Cup in at least one of those years.

After three straight disappointments at the end of the season, the pressure was clearly increasing in 2008. Freitag appeared to return to IU's traditional Midwestern recruiting base, nabbing decorated high school players like Will Bruin and Tommy Meyer. But in the regular season, IU was once again wildly inconsistent. IU was walloped by Dartmouth 4-0 and lost three conference games to finished tied for third. But after a first round by in the NCAA Tournament, IU appeared to have exorcised the demons of '05-'07 and beat St. Louis and Michigan handily to earn a trip to St. John's. Up 2-0 with less than three minutes to play, IU collapsed in stupendous fashion. Two quick goals earned the Red Storm the overtime and PK four minutes into the extra frame ended IU's season.

With seven starters returning including stars like Sarkodie, Meyer, and Bruin, IU looked poised to get over the hump and back to the College Cup after graduating the first class in history that didn't go to soccer's Final Four. Once again, IU stumbled out of the gate and never righted themselves. Two wins at the Notre Dame tournament merely balanced a single point earned at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. The low point of the season was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Louisville where afterwards Louisville players said playing IU had no mystique about it. IU rebounded for two good tournament wins against Louisville and Butler (who had also beaten IU) before losing to UNC in the Sweet Sixteen.

The disappointing record is only part of the story. Chris Korman reports that Glass ultimately decided that Freitag had lost the team. More importantly, he had lost the support of Jerry Yeagley. The relationship between protege and mentor appears to have disintegrated as well as Freitag took Yeagley's baby and (at least in Yeagley's opinion) ran it into the ground. We can only guess what the tone of the meeting with the players and administration was, but I doubt it was unanimous support and admiration for Freitag.

The manner in which Freitag was fired also tells a lot about Jerry Yeagley's continued influence on the program. Yeagley clearly is not just around the program, he remains involved and either has some real power to make decisions or an opinion that is valued quite highly. For now at least, we know the head coach of IU men's soccer has to answer to two masters: Fred Glass and Jerry Yeagley.

Not only is this the first coaching hire for Fred Glass, but also the first time IU has truly hired a varsity head soccer coach. Yeagley was in place when the club team was elevated to varsity status 35 years ago, and Freitag was Yeagley's handpicked successor. For both those reasons, IU will be expected to hit a home run.

The smart money would be on Caleb Porter, who has turned Akron into a national power currently steamrolling their way through an undefeated season and looking like the prohibitive favorites for the national title. With Yeagley involved, his son Todd, the head coach at Wisconsin will probably be a candidate, as well as Brian Massinoueve, currently an assistant at Louisville. Or perhaps a successful ACC coach such as Jay Vidovich can be lured to IU. Other dark horses might include Tim Von Steeg of UCSB or John Trask of Illinois-Chicago, another former IU player and assistant.

Above all, Freitag's firing just five years removed from a national title shows that IU is serious about men's soccer. The next head coach will be expected to deliver College Cups and national titles, as well as restoring the mystique surrounding the most successful program in the sport over last 30 years. Maybe Freitag is simply the victim of being "the guy after the legend" or he got caught up in a program that has an outside influence that is simply too strong and meddling.

Unlike Glass, I believe the record speaks for itself. Freitag simply did not deliver the wins, the performances, or the hardware that IU Soccer demands. Having set the standard, it's now on Glass, Chris Reynolds, and maybe Jerry Yeagley to prove that the support of the administration is equal to the expectations.

Big 10 Tour/Indiana Recap Posted!

2009-11-30T18:25:33Z

Indiana Fans,

Wow! Was my visit to Bloomington a pleasant surprise! The stadium was beautiful, the fans were phenomenal, and the tailgating was the best I've seen at any school to date! Thank you to all Hoosier fans that showed us a good time while visiting Indiana.

I posted my recap of my visit to Indiana at the link below if you care to take a look

http://www.thebig10tour.com/indiana.html

Can't wait to return to see a baskeball game!

Take care,

Drew Cieszynski

Big 10 Tour visiting Bloomington this weekend!

2009-11-03T18:28:54Z

Hoosier Fans,

This coming weekend, myself and a group of friends will be visiting Bloomington as the TENTH stop on our 11 stadium “Big 10 Tour.” We’re trying to visit all 11 schools in 11 straight weekends to experience the tailgating, the people, the game, and the sights of each campus.

You can see the recaps of my 9 previous stops at www.THEbig10tour.com, but my question to all of you is

I’m asking Hoosier fans: What would you recommend seeing/doing if you had 24 hours in Bloomington? Any great sights to get a photo with? Any great foods that must be tried? Bars that are necessary to stop and have a drink?

If anyone has suggestions on where to tailgate or even wants to join our tailgate party (we’ll have bean bags, ladder toss, flip cup, pong, etc), feel free to contact me through our website.

Thanks

Drew Cieszynski

THE Big 10 Football Tour

www.THEbig10tour.com

Wish Legendary Coach John Wooden a Happy 99th Birthday

2009-10-07T21:58:50Z

The most well-respected coach of all time, John Wooden, turns 99 next week. A special website has been developed for fans to send him a birthday wish. Click here to say “Happy Birthday Coach.” HappyBirthdayCoachWooden.com

An Evening With Tom Crean

2009-09-24T02:42:41Z

Tonight I ventured over to the IU Auditorium to listen to Tom Crean address the public about a variety of issues. Since I’ve written 19 different papers in the last few weeks, I’m sick of the whole writing process. Screw real paragraphs, here’s some bullet points…

Firstly, and most noticeably, there was an unexpectedly low turnout. Come on, not only is he the head basketball coach but he's TOM FREAKIN’ CREAN, who I believe is as charismatic a speaker as anyone. Even from a non-basketball standpoint he's still entertaining. Tonight only confirmed my thoughts. Definitely a little disappointed with the number of people there.
Unsurprisingly, the gorilla costumed guy was there -- he was actually riding his moped around campus (fully costumed, of course) before coming in.
Coach Crean came dressed in jeans and a super cool adidas zip up track jacket with the five banners on the back which he proudly showed off. Crean said his wife told him, "You’re going to talk to the students, not dress like them." His response: "You’re beautiful, but you know nothing about fashion."
Near the beginning he made a point to drop a line about people not asking questions about the current recruiting situation (there was a short Q&A session that followed at the end). Safe to say there likely won’t be any compliance violations ever (knowingly) committed on this campus ever again.
"You and I both know the result last year was poor." Also, he mentioned that there was no handbook on how to deal with the situation the program currently finds itself in but everyone all around has done a great job. In the words of Fred Glass, IU has essentially been given the "death penalty" and needs to dig itself out.
Let it be known once and for all – Tom Crean is crazy. And I completely mean it in a good way and it’s clear he’s the guy we want leading this program back to glory. But we all knew that already, right?
Among other quips: when referring to his desire to win big right away but having such a young team "I’m not patient but I’m realistic."
Crean had a "eureka(!)" moment when he realized what the core issue was – there was no player to show everyone how it’s done. No player that had won at this level and no one to show them how things get done.

He then went into some details about specific players. Some of the general details:

Jeremiah Rivers is the best player that everyone forgot about, which echoes what he said at "Traditions & Spirits of IU" back before school started.
Tom Pritchard won’t play by default and will be pushed to get better by the younger players. Also, he needs to get better using his right hand – we can all help him accomplish that by making him shake our hands with his right "because he never uses it around me."
Bobby Capobianco could be a tight end for Bill Lynch. He’s not as athletic as they’d like but that will be improved with time.
Christian Watford is a complete player; he can do it all. One day he works out with the guards, the next day with the swing guys, and the next day with the bigs.
"If you see one of our guys at a party, kick them out. And girls, don’t smile at them – they haven’t done anything yet."
During the Q&A we learned that Bawa is not yet cleared but Crean isn’t worried.
Crean was given a red sport coat as a present from Fuzzy Zoeller – look for it on the sidelines at some point.
As part of IU’s contract with adidas, we will be seeing new basketball uniforms next year.
On Bobby Knight: he will likely call or send a letter but doesn’t want to force him into doing anything.
Power forward (4 spot) is probably most important in IU offense
He likes guards who can drive through the lane and really handle the ball.

Lots of info thrown at us tonight but it was great fun to watch him talk. He really has a lot of passion for anything that comes to his mind.

Questionable Playcalling

2009-09-04T11:20:16Z

I'll confess right now that I watched the first quarter of last night's game and listened to the fourth quarter (God bless you, Don Fischer; I have missed you). I missed the second and third quarters. Based upon what I saw and heard, though, I am questioning the play calling from last night's game. Perhaps those of you that saw or heard the whole thing, and may be more familiar with the pistol can educate me.

Seems to me that an advantage of the pistol, having the quarterback in the backfield, rather than under center, is that it gives you the opportunity to adjust and adapt more readily, and do multiple things from the same set. Perhaps that's a misunderstanding on my part.

In last night's game, McCray showed that he has the lateral speed to get outside and make cuts up the field. I suspect that Willis has the same (and should have been given the opportunity to show that, even after putting the ball on the ground). I suspect that Burgess and Payton, God love them, do not. Still, it seemed that the disproportionate majority of the run plays were called between the tackles. Part of that blame lies with the O-line, which has to do a better job of blocking. However, if they are not doing that, then the play callers need to recognize that, adapt, and run outside or some pass plays to the flat to move outside the tackles.

In the passing game last night, IU did a great job of playing to it's strenghts in the first half -- primarily its big receivers and Chappell's strong arm. Again, I did not follow the third quarter, but I assume that EKU was able to make adjustments and take away the wideouts. It seems, then that IU failed to adjust and use screens or the tight end or something else.

EKU seemed to know what was coming. Either IU's playbook is razor-thin, or the play callers (Canada?) need to do a better job of recognizing the adjustments and making their own. Let me know if you think I am missing something.

Indiana vs. Penn State in D.C.?!

2009-08-26T10:33:52Z

I'm a Penn State grad and native Washingtonian who just got wind that Indiana will shift its 2010 game with the Nittany Lions to D.C. Since I am not a subscriber to the Herald-Times, I can't see anything other than the headline "Indiana to make $3 million by moving Penn State game to DC" . I am very eager to find out the details, so if anyone could pass this along, this blogger and Black Shoe Diaries reader would be most grateful.

Follow Crean on Twitter, Get Signed Stuff

2009-08-25T01:56:56Z

Just another reason Coach Crean is the best: if you follow him on Twitter you can enter in one of his contests and win a prize. For being one of the first 50 to correctly guess the team's first B10 road opponent (this was right before the sked was released), I got a signed (and personalized, woo!) postcard.

via img268.imageshack.us

Though it's small, it is part of a bigger effort by Crean -- he's really come out and been involved in every way possible and he's quickly becoming a part of the Hoosier family.

Big Ten Network Football Tour hits Bloomington

2009-08-18T13:35:14Z

I'm not sure how many of you get the Big Ten Network since I now live outside of Indiana, but I had a chance to watch their coverage of Indiana as part of their Football Tour last night. There was some nice footage of the new stadium addition, including a shot of Bill Lynch's new office. Let's just say that if Lynch ever gets fired IU should have no problem finding a new coach because that office alone would be worth taking the job for. There was also footage from practice and interviews with coaches as well as some players. They spent a lot of time talking about the new pistol offense and how it could potentially improve IU's running game. They also believe that practicing against the pistol offense should help the run defense improve. If you didn't get a chance to see it or you don't have the BTN, you can see the footage on their website at this link: http://www.bigtennetwork.com/videos/indiana.asp.

The thing that struck me most about the program was how positive the BTN guys seemed to be about IU's chances. Don't get me wrong, they weren't predicting that Indiana was going to a bowl game or anything (although they didn't rule it out). However, they did seem to think that IU should be much more competitive this year compared to last year. It was a far cry from the 1 or 2 win predictions I've seen most places. All in all it's worth checking out

So How 'Bout Them New Guys: Indiana Hoosiers 2004

2009-07-30T01:38:37Z

Author's Note:

Welcome, I am writing a blog about recruiting histories of Big Ten schools. The scoring criteria and schedule of events should help you figure out how it works. Every Indiana post will be cross-posted here, for your viewing pleasure.

Set the Stage:

Head Coach: Gerry DiNardo (2004), Terry Hoeppner (2005-2006), Bill Lynch (2007-2008)

2003 Performance: 2-10-0, 9th Big Ten

New Blood: 20 (Possibly off count, could not find a 2004 roster that differentiated FR from RS FR anywhere)

Recruiting Map:

Mini Recruiting Board Lives Here:

Position	Count
QB	1
RB/FB
WR	4
TE
OL	4
DT	2
DE
LB	4
DB	4
K	1

The 1984 class was the last of 3 classes recruited by Gerry DiNardo, who was fired after 3 seasons in a row of at best 3 wins. The class came out to be 9 offensive, 10 defensive, and one special teams player, with a strong balance of positions accounted for. The lack of running backs is questionable, however.

How They Did:

Overall Record: 22-38

Varsity Letters: 45

Graduated on Team: 16

Started a Game: 10

Full Eligibility: 11

5th Year Seniors: 9

Notable Honors:

James Hardy, WR, All-Conference 2007
Tracy Porter, CB, All-Conference 2007
Austin Starr, K, All-Conference 2007

Draftees:

James Hardy, 2008, 2nd Round, 41st Overall
Tracy Porter, 2008, 2nd Round, 40th Overall

Recruiting Score:

Category	Points
Man-Game Ratio	0.1792
Record	0.0367
Letters	0.0450
Heisman	0.0000
All-Americans	0.0000
All-Big Ten	0.0300
Full Eligibility	0.0100
Drafted	0.0200
Total	0.3209

Of the 20 students brought in, 16 graduated, 9 as redshirt seniors. 10 made starts, and 11 played out their eligibility.

Indiana has never really been the strongest team in the Big Ten. This class showed some signs of life, though, having a fairly strong senior campaign at 7-6 with a bowl appearance. Of everyone on the team, the best players were the three awarded All-Conference honors in their senior season - Hardy (the only consensus 1st team), Porter, and Starr (both Media 1st team). Though some talent poked through, it appears that DiNardo was a terrible recruiter, and the late Hoeppner was the reason that these players were showing any of their potential. It appears that he was on the way to bringing Indiana out of the basement of the Big Ten in the future, and it is deeply unfortunate that he had to pass so early in his tenure there.

BigTen Expansion: How ND would Work

2009-07-11T06:57:29Z

Hey Crimson Quarry and Hoosier fans-

I've been kicking around the idea of Big Ten expansion- and how Notre Dame might fit in these plans- since this site's post on JoePa's comments a few months back. I struggled with how the subdivisions & rivalries could work, and I believe I've come up with what might just be a long-term solution. Take a look and tell me what you think...

Now, I know that ND is still a long (perhaps the longest) shot for Big Ten expansion, and I do think that accommodations (such as letting them keep their NBC contract, etc.) will be necessary. But as an Indiana native, IU alum and Big Ten partisan, forgive me for believing that ND in the 12th spot is in the best interest of both the conference and the Domers (hell, let's even add a shamrock in the 'BigTen" logo and let them arrange some kind of 'Independent' named status with the BCS, if that will bring them aboard.) Let's face it, basketball and Olympic sports aren't what's keeping ND in the Big East- it's the football schedule. To make this happen, the Big Ten will need to suck it up and create subdivisions that will both keep traditional rivalries intact and also show ND that they can keep their own unique identity while being a full member of the league.

So here is a proposed BigTen/12/ND football breakdown: I've split the conference into two subdivisions (I'm calling them Red and Blue, although that's the least important detail) and weighed each member by the historical strength and cache of the program from I-III (and further denoting IIIa and IIIb) in order to give the traditional conference heavyweights their due.

Blue Division:

I. Notre Dame

I. Penn State

II.Illinois

II. Purdue

IIIa. Northwestern

IIIb. Indiana

Red Division:

I. Michigan

I. Ohio State

II. Michigan State

II. Wisconsin

IIIa. Iowa

IIIb. Minnesota

Now, before you go too nuts, I've thought about how these subdivisions would affect yearly schedules and rivalries. Each subdivision would play every team in their own subdivision each year, which would preserve almost every annual rivalry, and would play the remaining teams in alternate years. Here is an example of the alternate-year schedule for two teams, Notre Dame (the "target" school) and Ohio State (a current 'traditional power' school):

ND Alt Year 1:

I. Michigan

II. Wisocnsin

III. Iowa

ND Alt Year 2:

I. Ohio State

II. Michigan State

III. Minnesota

Ohio State Alt Year 1:

I. Notre Dame

II. Purdue

III. Northwestern

Ohio State Alt Year 2:

I. Penn State

II. Illinois

III. Indiana

The strongest positives are that this schedule keeps nearly every major in-state and historical rivalry within the conference, and establishes new conference rivalries with ND.

The main losses include a few of the league's lesser rivalry games that would move from annual to semi-annual (but map it out and think: how many people live or die by the Illibuck or the Old Brass Spittoon?) and the new alternate-year schedule for ND and UMich/MSU. MSU is probably the biggest loser here, losing ND every other year. However, a big winner would be Penn State, who would gain ND as an annual foe, helping to cement an 'East Coast' draw that seems to be key for both schools.

ND is clearly also a winner- the Irish not only gain an annual rivalry with PSU, but also get to keep traditional rival Purdue and would now alternate UM/MSU, thus keeping interest alive in the Wolverine State while freeing a spot for another non-conference team. Furthermore, ND solidifies a presence from the Alleghenies past the Mississippi, and would play two Illinois teams each year and would thus further solidify its traditional Chicago-area market. The Irish would also have plenty of room to rotate USC, Navy, Boston College, Army and Stanford in their non-conference schedule, thus combining the benefits of their historic rivalries as well as their traditional Independent status.

Of course, the BIGGEST winner would be the combined forces of the Big Ten + Notre Dame together. Clearly, no other expansion choice for the Big Ten would offer the combination of academic, athletic and traditional fit that ND could offer, but- perhaps more importantly to the proposed alliance- only the Big Ten could increase the academic, athletic and traditional mystique that Notre Dame holds on its own.

Just wanted to follow up on Crimson Quarry's previous post and record my thoughts- let me know what you think!

Hoosiers Beat PSU, 3-2

2009-04-19T19:13:40Z

On Saturday, the Hoosiers made the doubleheader sweep over the Penn State Nittany Lions. They beat them by a score of 3-2. The Hoosiers improved to 18-18 and are now 8-3 in the Big Ten.

In the first game of the series, the Hoosiers won by 14 runs, 15-1. Then in the second game Penn State got them but now the Hoosiers have got them back. Indiana is now one and a half game behind the Ohio State Buckeyes for first place in the Big Ten standings.

Matt Bashore had done brilliant in pitching and so did Chris Squires, who was pretty stellar out of the bullpen. Bashore allowed very small numbers to the Nittany Lions in the seven innings he played in: two runs on six hits and a walk. Squires also did well, picking up his third save of the year, and only allowed one hit.

John Phegley and Alex Dickerson had RBI singles while Brian Lambert had an RBI triple for the Hoosiers. Jerrud Sabourin had two hits in the game. But he wasn't the only one. Dickerson and Lambert had two hits, as well, in the win.

Nittany Lions', Mike Lorentson, did horrible as he allowed ten hits in the five innings he had pitched in. But the damage did get worse.

The Hoosiers did great and are looking to expand as the season goes through. Their record in the Big Ten, 8-3, is the best start they have had since 2002. That is seven years!

Indiana has now earned a split, or better, in each of the last eight Big Ten series, the longest streak out of every other team in the conference! The Hoosiers are 19-7 in their last 26 Big Ten outings.

Pretty good, huh?

The Hoosiers will be going strong on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. On Tuesday, they will be facing, and host, the Louisville Cardinals at four o'clock P.M. Then on Wednesday, they will be traveling to face the Indiana State Sycamores on the same time, four o'clock P.M.

I am a big fan of the Sycamores and Hoosiers, so I would like to see how it turns out. Let's see how the Hoosiers do in the future. They are looking good, maybe great, this year!

More College Baseball for the Hoosiers coming soon!

Hoosiers Snap Four-Game Win Streak In a 9-7 Loss To Penn State

2009-04-18T03:39:06Z

Well, now that I will start writing for the Hoosiers, why don't we go with baseball? This is my second ever Hoosiers' article and I look to go to my 102nd soon. Here is my first Hoosiers' baseball article. Enjoy!

The Hoosiers were trailing Penn State by six runs, 7-1 deficit! Luckily, they tied the game but Penn State made a pair of runs in the eighth inning to win the first game of the three-game series. Let's hope the Hoosiers win the next two to beat them in the series.

But for right now, Penn State knocked off Indiana, 9-7. It was such a oh-so-close game. The loss snapped their four-game win streak and make overall record fall to 16-18, 6-3 in Big Ten.

Alex Dickerson had one hell of a game, making a solo home run and having his 11th long ball of the year. That ties freshman, Mike Sabo, who had 11 homers in 1985. Now Dickerson ties the 24-year-old record.

But Mike Deese did better. He was three-of-five and had a pair of home runs. He also had five RBI. T.J. Macy only allowed seven hits over seven innings and it boosted him up to 3-2. Hoosiers', Matt Carr, didn't do so well, though, by finishing 1-4.

Penn State made some pretty good runs in the eighth inning. To start out the inning, Deese scored a single on Carr. But then Penn State's, Cory Wine, came in and got out to make the first of the inning.

Jordan Steranka then came in to deliver the most biggest hit in the game. He made a double to deep left center which made a spot for two to score in the game. Everything went right for the Nittany Lions.

But Indiana now had their turn on the Lions. They didn't. They were literally threatened by pitcher, Ryan Ignas, in the eighth and ninth inning. Three outs came out fast and it ended the inning. Off to the ninth! He did it again.

The game was over anyways, now. The Hoosiers will return to bring revenge on Saturday at one o'clock. It will be at Sembower Field. Eric Arnett looks to lead the Hoosiers in the pitching. Let's see how he does. As of right now, the Hoosiers can beat the Nittany Lions, to me.

Just keep on slugging, and keep on winning!

GO HOOSIERS!

2009 Indiana Football Spring Preview

2009-03-31T00:27:36Z

Hey Hoosiers. We over at The Rivalry, Esq. just put up our 2009 Indiana Football Spring Preview.

A few notable excerpts:

Overall

[T]here are three things that coach Bill Lynch needs to address this spring: energy, passing potency, and secondary...

On Offense

...To attempt to restore the chemistry to the passing game, Bill Lynch has moved Ben Chappell to the starting position at quarterback...

Compared to Lewis, Chappell has a stronger, more accurate arm -- 15 of his completions in 2008 were for 15 plus yards, and 7 sailed over 25 yards -- a feature Bill Lynch will use to force opposing coverages to play soft.

Lewis, curiously, just might end up being his top target. He's officially been lining up at wide receiver in spring ball, a move Lynch hopes will better utilize his raw speed and athleticism. (Still, count on seeing Kellen back behind center -- especially in goal line situations)...

On Defense

Overall seven players are moving from offense to defense:

The motivation for the switch is obvious. Indiana got burned time after time last year in the backfield. By loading up the secondary Lynch hopes to preventing opposing offenses from running away on big plays...

...Indiana's spring mission is clear: keep opponents from breaking out large point spreads by stacking up the defensive slate.

You can read the whole preview here. Let us know what you think

Welcome to the Network

2009-03-29T21:14:38Z

Hey John M,

Sure, it's a few weeks late, but we're thrilled to add a little crimson to our Big Ten Conference color palate -- and are looking forward to the dimension you'll bring to all things Hoosier.

We'll keep in touch as things ebb closer to the summer, and look forward to cross-saturating our readers with good old fashioned ~~mud slinging~~ collaboration.

Graham and I will read your site regularly, and link over when something catches our eye.

In the meantime, welcome.

Sincerely,

The Rivalry, Esq.

D.J. White finally playing pro ball

2009-03-23T01:21:48Z

I'm surely not the only one who cares about what our old friend D.J. White is up to nowadays, but after being out most of the year with a benign growth in his jaw, D.J. is back on the floor.

http://newsok.com/thunder-basketball-d.j.-white-finally-playing/article/3355433?custom_click=pod_headline_nba-thunder

He had 20 points on 7-13 shooting and 8 boards in a D-League Tulsa win over Los Angeles. Glad to see he's picking up right were he left off. I hope he has a long and rewarding professional career. As one of my favorite Hoosiers ever, I'm just glad he's going to have the chance to succeed.

Mixed sport allegiances

2009-03-11T21:58:39Z

Hey everybody!

Glad to see a couple of blogs here on SBNation dedicated to the Indiana Big Ten Schools. It's still early, but The Crimson Quarry and Hammer and Rails both look to be quality additions.

I'm posting because I am stuck in an awkward predicament. You see, I am something of a College Sports polygamist.

As a child I grew up in central Indiana. I was closer to West Lafayette, but my dad graduated with an Indiana degree. My grandmother (God rest her soul) was an avid Boilermakers fan. I ended up spending most of my formative years in Lafayette, spending all of my K-8 years there. Most assumed this would lead me to Boiler solidarity. Enter my best friend, Clay.

Clay's parents had met while his dad was getting his law degree in Indianapolis, following 4 years in Bloomington. Over many years I grew to love Hoosier basketball. I worshiped Bob Knight (and his foul mouth). I revered Damon Bailey, Calbert Cheaney, Alan Henderson, AJ Guyton, Kirk Haston, Jared Jefferies, Tom Coverdale, AJ Moye, and more recently DJ White and Eric Gordon. Not only did the Crimson and Cream repeatedly put out a good team, I also loved being able to antagonize my Boiler-loving friends and teachers growing up.

But I had a new problem. In about the 4th grade, I discovered football. My first love was professional: I love the Indianapolis Colts. But a young sports fan still needs something to watch on Saturdays! IU has never been known for their football prowess. For that matter, Purdue hasn't always been a great football school either. However, IU was bad enough that the only game that was ever broadcast locally was the Old Oaken Bucket game. Most, if not all, Purdue games were covered.

And so I began my love affair with the Purdue football Boilermakers. They teased at first. Coach Jim Colletto and Mike Alstott led subpar teams with expected results. But then came Joe Tiller and "Basketball on Grass." This is exactly what an Indiana boy wanted to hear and see! I was initially amazed by Billy Dicken, Vinny Sutherland, Chris Daniels and Adrian Beasley's big Alamo Bowl (1997) performance. And then something very incredible happened. Drew Brees, namely. But he wasn't the whole show. There were stars on both sides of the ball: Stu Schweigert, Rosevelt Colvin, John Standeford, Chukky Okobi, Matt Light, Chike Okeafor, Niko Koutouvides, Gilbert Gardner, Akin Ayodele, Dustin Keller, Kyle Orton and Kory Sheets.

This all came to a head during the 1999 season. My brother was an athletic training student at Purdue. That season he was with the football team. He got me tickets to several games, including the Notre Dame game and the closer-than-expected Bucket game. I was allowed into the locker room once. For Christmas that year, I got a Purdue football signed by every member of the team and Coach Tiller. It still ranks as the coolest gift I've ever received.

I have resigned myself to my current polygamist state. It's much too late to switch allegiances or form new ones. So here's my problem: I need a way to sort out information from these two new blogs. I want every detail about Tom Crean's valiant turnaround effort in Bloomington. I'm excited to see what Coach Hope can do at Ross-Ade Stadium next fall. I use RSS feeds for all my blogs. It's nothing personal, as I know some people really like the traffic; but I read a lot of them, and Google Reader just makes it go much, much faster. I need a way to get only football news from Hammer and Rails. I only want basketball news from The Crimson Quarry. I don't know how much you all can help me. Maybe this is a problem that only SBNation has the solution for.

Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions!

Also, I would love to meet/talk to others who have similar problems/stories regarding their own sports loves. Feel free to comment away...