I must be dreaming – I.U. football ranked #13 in the country? It’s the highest honor since 1987 – the last time they beat Michigan – 24 consecutive bitter losses ago. Given the history of the Hoosier football, it’s the sure recipe for another disappointment this weekend when the Wolverines came to town. I.U. sports and I have always gotten along because I’m a pessimist and rarely expect them to win in a football game. Something bizarre always happens! For example, the recent TD lunge for the goal line against Penn State that I thought for sure would be reversed, or last week’s 8-lateral TD that Rutgers pulled off. It’s taken me years of frustration to get to this level of pessimism. 

1987 was an exceptional year for I.U. athletics.  Soccer was just a year away from one of its eight current collegiate crowns. Basketball won the NCAA National Championship and football went a remarkable 8-4, despite a last minute loss to Tennessee in the Peach Bowl. Oddly enough, this year’s team also squandered a lead to Tennessee in last year’s season-ending bowl match-up. These are the kind of endings that I am used to when it comes to the gridiron! I’m also sadly starting to get used to losing in basketball. This week’s disappointment was the recruiting failure of securing Trey Kaufman, who decided on Purdue of all places. Salt in the state rivalry wound!

I can only hope that I am wrong when an angry Michigan team comes to Bloomington on Saturday. The are ranked below Indiana for the first time since 1988 when they started their 24-game winning streak in head-to-head match-ups. The Wolverines have to be living in “Harbaugh Hell” this week after losing to rival Michigan State. Two straight losses might mean the end of his Michigan coaching career, with follow-up challenges against Penn State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. You thought you were having a bad 2020! He’s probably commiserating today with his brother, whose Baltimore Ravens lost a heartbreaker against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. 

The oddsmakers agree with my pessimism, favoring Michigan by as much as four.  Historically, Michigan has dominated the Hoosiers with an overall record of 59-9. I.U. won in 1928, 1936, 1944, and 1945, but only four times in my lifetime, and only once since I graduated from there in 1973. This provides solid ground for my pessimism. As a result, I will either be right or victorious on Saturday. If they somehow beat Michigan and start 3-0, they get the dubious honor of playing Ohio State next for a potential Rose Bowl bid. Talk about being pessimistic – stay tuned!