BIG 10 football is back – basketball will soon follow. The Hoosiers are projected to go 4-4 in the shortened conference-only regular season. This is an unexpected show of respect for a school where football was always a second thought. It was a sport that Indiana fans only tolerated because they knew that basketball would get revenge over all the schools that kicked our gridiron butts. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case any more. The Cream & Crimson stripes are also projected to be in the middle of the conference pack. This is sad news for me, spoiled by years of being on top. It’s hard to believe that we have an equal slim chance of winning a conference championship in each sport this year.

We’ll see if I.U. can compete against Penn State in today’s match-up. They almost beat them last year in Happy Valley. However, the Nittany Lions football program is seeing a resurgence from their fall from grace, while I.U basketball has sadly failed to recover in the post-Knight years. I.U. football has always been mediocre, so I’m excited to see some hope. More importantly, I’m glad the conference finally gets to compete, when the season was pronounced dead just a few months ago. Basketball will be delayed a month, with the Hoosier hoopsters traveling to Asheville for a less than glamorous Maui Invitational setting. Baseball, soccer, and swimming will have to wait until Spring. 

Today’s game will be played in front of a small home crowd, limited by social distancing rather than lack of interest. During my tenure as a football season ticket holder, a full house in Bloomington only happened when Ohio State fans bought up all the tickets. Otherwise, there was social distancing in the stands long before it was medically necessary! There are no warm-up patsies this year to bolster our record. Instead, we jump right into the fire with the #7 ranked team in the country. There’s no chance to knock the rust off! The only thing normal about the 2020 schedule is the Purdue game, but held in mid-December rather than the traditional Thanksgiving slot. It will likely be freezing cold with a chance for snow. 

The last I.U. sporting event was seven months ago when the basketball Hoosiers beat Nebraska in the only game of the BIG Tournament before cancellation. At least, we haven’t been living with a loss all this time, even though we lost our chance to finally return to the Big Dance. I haven’t yelled at a television screen in all this time, even though Da’ Bears have caused some moments of despair. Today, I’ll frighten my wife and scare the dog! Nothing in life makes me angrier than a bad I.U. performance, and I’m missing the relief of venting this pent-up internal irritability. I especially need it after too much time of being cooped-up at home. Healthy anger will certainly be the case today when Penn State comes to town!

P.S. IU wins in overtime, breaking a 33-year losing streak against top teams. It was a controversial ending with a stretched body holding the football that barely crossed the chalk line. PSU also gave the Hoosiers a chance to tie the game in regulation with a touchdown and two-point conversion by scoring too early. It was a game of close calls and poor decisions, but somehow I.U. prevailed. It was the most exciting game I’ve ever watched, and may very well be the turning point for Hoosier football culture. They found a way to win rather than lose!