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This week, Indiana is facing its most fearsome opponent. I am scared to death of this team.....
Wait, we're on a bye week? Right then, never mind.
So, my usual motivational tactics are kind of hard to do without a concrete opponent to talk about. Instead, I'm just gonna present some facts that hopefully will keep you interested in sticking with this team for the rest of the season, #iubb temptations and all. Ready? Here we go.
FACT: Indiana "leads" Northwestern by 1 in the Losingest Division 1 College Football Team of All-Time standings. If we can win 2 more games than the Wildcats the rest of the way, they will claim this dubious honor from us. This might actually be a tight race, and I certainly intend to keep my eye on it.
FACT: Indiana has 5 more games this season: Minnesota, Illinois, @Wisconsin, @Ohio State, Purdue. 3 very winnable home games, a road game where we might have an outside shot at pulling the upset, and a road game where we'll probably get run over. (I'll let you figure out which is which.) If Indiana can pull victories in 3 or more of those games, we're going bowling.
FACT: TE Ted Bolser is still very much in the running for the Mackey Award, presented annually to college football's best tight end. If the Indiana offense can keep putting up substantial numbers, and finding Bolser for some of those, he has a very good shot to bring that trophy to Bloomington.
FACT: K Mitch Ewald is rewriting the Indiana record books for kicking and points. As long as we get some kind of movement from the offense every game, Ewald is going to be remembered as one of the best kickers in Indiana history.
FACT: Kevin Wilson is trying to make this program better and more exciting. The offense is there, and the defense has shown flashes of competence (just ask Penn State). This isn't the Indiana football that wallows at the bottom of the Big Ten every year any more. This team is on the cusp of doing something better. This team is on the edge of making us proud to be Indiana football fans. Go out there and let people know.
All right, everybody go out and enjoy the bye week. I expect to see you back here next week, ready to kick some Gophers from here to Minneapolis. Dismissed.