Swimming in quicksand

IU losses to Michigan State 42-29.

The good news: Javon Ringer didn't get 200 yards for the third straight game. He only got 196.

Last week's loss was embarrassing. This one was just painful. IU easily could have won this game and I venture to say they SHOULD have won this game. But it seemed for every good play that was made, there were two bad plays.

The microcosm of the whole game: Third quarter, 4:12 to go. Third down and 8 at the IU 3 yard line. Kellen Lewis throws a 97 yard touchdown pass that gives IU the lead. But it's negated by a holding penalty. And it occurred in the end zone, which is a safety and Michigan State goes up by 7.

IU had nine penalties for 89 yards and it seemed a lot of them came at the worst possible time. Personal foul penalties were called to killed first-down gains. A holding call in the end zone. You name it, every time IU tried to get back in the game a crippling penalty was called.

The Hoosiers slipped to 2-2 and head to Minnesota next week. The Gophers are playing much better, in spite of a loss today at Ohio State. I'm not feeling very good about a bounce-back next week.

Memorize this phrase...

Actually, Hoosier fans probably won't have to, but they likely will not forget it until well after this week's game against Michigan State: "Ringer gets the carry."

Spartan running back Javon Ringer is a Heisman Trophy candidate. And the Hoosier defense had trouble stopping the run against Ball State last week. The Cardinals' top back rushed for 166 yards last week. Expect Ringer to get a lot of carries and a ton of yards, maybe more than 200. Hopefully the IU offense will be able to keep up, otherwise it will be a long day.

Michigan State is an 8-point favorite. Kick-off on ESPN is in 20 minutes.

I'm hoping I don't have to invoke the 21-point rule this week. It was the unofficial football rule when I was a student: when the Hoosiers went down by 21 points or more, you left. Sometimes it was in the fourth quarter, sometimes it was in the first quarter. In either case, it was strictly followed by hundreds of fans.

Finally, a win

Phil Mickelson didn't deliver in his singles match, but the Americans still won the Ryder Cup 16.5-11.5, thanks to some great shots made by the young guns of the U.S. team.

I watched almost the entire six hours of coverage on Sunday without changing the channel, except for updates on the Bears and White Sox games. Almost every match was close throughout and for the most part the play was outstanding.

It was amazing drama to see. I found myself yelling "Boo!!" whenever Boo Weakley made a great shot, or siting on the edge of my coach watching Hunter Mayhan, J.B. Holmes and Anthony Kim make big putt after big putt.

It was a great weekend. Congratulations to Captain Paul Azinger. Now let's keep it in 2010.

Update (Sept. 22): The European press was not impressed with losing Captain Nick Faldo.

The Ryder Cup, Mickelson's dream chance

The U.S. has the lead heading into the final day of the Ryder Cup. After two consecutive beatings, and five losses in the last six competitions, the Americans have a chance to win the cup for the first time since 1999.

For Phil Mickelson, this is his chance to make a name for himself and cement his career legacy. Tiger Woods is not at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. Meaning, the world's best golfer is not leading the U.S. charge. That leaves Mickelson as the U.S. team leader.

While Mickelson has won several majors, he has lived in Woods' shadow the last 10 years. But even Woods has not been able to bring multiple Ryder Cup victories. The U.S. has been the underdog in this event almost since Woods announced after the U.S. Open he wouldn't play the rest of the year.

Mickelson said each of the five matches feel like the final round of a major, all jammed into three days. If the Americans can handle the pressure and hold on in the singles matches to win the cup, much of that praise will rest on Mickelson's shoulders. While not playing brilliantly at times, he has done well, accounting for 2 full points in his four foursome matches, the second highest total on the American squad.

Mickelson, with a U.S. win, will be able to say he led a U.S. team to a victory over a better European team, without the best player in the world. Woods hasn't been able to lead U.S. teams to victory that were better than Europe on paper.

Mickelson will play Justin Rose in the fourth match of the day today, to help set the American tone. Winning The Masters may have been Mickelson's greatest golf moment, but winning this Ryder Cup may be his career-cementing moment.

A real test? A real failure

Hoosier fans were waiting for a measuring stick of how good this year's team is and we got it. Instead of taking a step forward by beating a quality team, they took two back with an embarrassing loss to Ball State 42-20.

Ball State is undefeated, but there was no reason the Hoosiers should not have won this game. The Cardinals, a pass-happy team running the spread offense, ran the ball all over the lot, amassing 224 yards. And they also put up 239 yards passing. The Hoosier offense couldn't keep up and didn't score in the second half.

The worst part of this game may be that 41,349 people were in the stadium to see it. IU football boosters, me included, have been crying for more fans to show up and watch this team as it has improved. We could win even more games and recruit better players if the fans created a better home field advantage. But who wants to play for IU after this game? And how many IU fans left Memorial Stadium Saturday night saying this team was no better than previous incarnations. How many left thinking last year was a fluke?

I said before the season started IU needed to beat one of the Big Ten's elite to take the next step. But that step also means winning games its supposed to win. The Hoosiers won't be taken seriously until they can do those two things.

Up next: Michigan State next Saturday. After this defensive performance, a win next week is becoming less likely.

The Ball State game, a real test

The Hoosiers take on Ball State tonight at Memorial Stadium. This game is expected to be close, because both teams have high-powered offenses. Even ESPN's Big Ten blogger picked IU to lose in overtime. The line on this game is IU by 3 points.

I was able to watch Ball State's win over Navy two weeks ago and I saw some potential weaknesses that IU can exploit. Navy rushed for 346 yards rushing, an enormous number. Certainly Kellen Lewis and company should be able to chew up some yards on the ground, which would keep the Ball State offense off the field.

Ball State is a passing team, they ran up 326 yards passing. That could be a problem for IU, which comes into the game with safety Austin Thomas questionable. Cardinals quarterback Nate Davis and receiver Dante Love will get their yards. But the key will be not letting them control the game. The Hoosiers should be able to do that.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. tonight. I'm still expecting an IU win.

An interesting question

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports had an interesting column this morning about what is now known as the "Great Home Run Chase of 1998." He apologized for basically getting caught up in the hype.

Rosenthal said almost no one is marking the 10-year anniversary of No. 62 going over the fence because of what we now know about the kinds of drugs the players were using at the time, including Andro and steroids.

He brings up a point I think most of us were victims of -- we were more enamored with the McGwire and Sosa hitting the ball out of the park than we were what it (allegedly) took for them to do it. I got my first job in journalism during the chase. We had a front-page graphic every day detailing whether McGwire or Sosa hit a home run the night before.

ESPN had live cut-ins during their at-bats. That never happened before, and not again until Barry Bonds was chasing 755 home runs.

I think all baseball fans should consider apologizing. We forgot about clean play and embraced excitement. We wanted baseball to "matter" again in American culture. Baseball does matter again, but a big reason is because of the alleged and admitted drug-use.

A beat-down, but expected

The Hoosiers beat up on Murray State tonight, taking a 45-3 lead in the third quarter. The first two offensive drives were nothing much to speak of, but after that things started to click. I was particularly pleased to see the IU running backs play so well. That had been a mentioned point of emphasis for the team on many pre-game shows and throughout the media.

The idea is Kellen Lewis is not going to single-handedly beat a quality team. You need a couple running backs that can get tough yards on third down and move the chains. Today we got that, from Marcus Thigpen, who had 100 yards rushing. According to the ESPN box score, Lewis had one rush for -2 yards in the game, which is really surprising. Ben Chappell is in the game now and has already led the team on a two TD drives.

Unfortunately, this win doesn't really show much about how good the Hoosiers really are. Next week, we'll know a little more. Ball State (2-0) comes to town after beating Navy on Friday night. The Cardinals can score points. It will be a good test for the Hoosier defense.

Note: It's now final: IU wins 45-3. It was a pretty impressive game statistically -- only 149 total yards allowed, including 27 yards rushing. The offense ran up 475 total yards, 261 on the ground.

Are you ready for some football?

The NFL season gets underway for almost everyone on Sunday, including the Steelers and Bears.

The Steelers play the Houston Texans here.

I like the Steelers in this game. They are a 6 1/2-point favorite and I think the Texans just don't have enough defense or offense to stay in this one. I also have fantasy issues, as Willie Parker is one of my starting running backs. So I'm hoping the Steelers run the ball a lot.

The Bears on the other hand, visit the Colts in the first game at Lucas Oil Stadium. As much as I would like to see the Bears take care of business, I suspect the Colts will tear the Bears a new one. The line is 9 1/2 in favor of the Colts, and I have to think Peyton Manning (my fantasy QB), Joseph Addai (my other fantasy RB) and Marvin Harrison (my fantasy receiver) will have a good day.

A good win

The Hoosiers beat WKU 31-13. Offensively it was a good day for the most part, thanks to two big plays by Kellen Lewis. But I was a little concerned about the sputtering at the start of the second half. They let WKU get back into the game and if two WKU field goals had been touchdowns, who knows what would have happened.

IU ran up 450 net yards, including nearly 300 yards rushing, according to the IUHoosiers.com gametracker. The one ugly stat: 7 penalties for 63 yards.

The defense played surprisingly well in the first half, giving up no points and not much in terms of yardage. It was the 210 net yards they gave up in the second half that was a problem. WKU seemed to find a rhythm and the no-huddle seemed to tire the Hoosier defense.

Next week: Murray State comes to town. Kick-off is at 7 p.m. Sept. 6.

Second half sputter?

The second half did not start well, but the Hoosier offense appears to be back on track. The score is 31-13 with eight minutes to go, after a 65-yard Lewis run for a touchdown. It was a similar play to the 75-yard score in the first half. Lewis ran the entire way up the middle almost untouched.

The Hoosiers had to be shaken to wake up, however. Western Kentucky closed to 24-13 before Lewis's run. The Hilltoppers have been moving the ball in the second half. That may have to do with the IU defense tiring somewhat (WKU is running a no-huddle offense) and the lack of some starters, who were suspended.

The Hoosiers could put them away with another score on the upcoming drive, especially if it takes some time off the clock.

By the way, there are some stats available at iuhoosiers.com if you click on gametracker.

Note: My dad's alma mater, Pitt, is on the ropes at home against Bowling Green. They have the ball down 3 points with 13 minutes to go.

The Hoosier season is underway

That is a picture of the IU game. On my TV. And its not on ESPN, ESPN 2, Versus, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or another traditional college football network. It is Big Ten Network. Did I mention it's on my TV?

It's halftime and IU leads 17-0. I liked Kellen Lewis' 75-yard TD run in the first quarter. He outran four defenders the last 30 yards or so. The defense is looking good too. Western Kentucky is not doing much in terms of running the ball. I'm not crazy about some of the big penalties, but that problem should be fixed as they shake off the rust.

For some reason, the stats on the ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline and Big Ten Network sites are not available. But IU needs to come out in the second half and deliver the knock-out blow.

Another alma mater wins

We talk a lot about Indiana University, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears at this blog. But there also is a high school football powerhouse that I am proud of. The Carmel Corsairs in Mundelein, Ill. (I'm class of 94) were ranked No. 7 in the Chicago Tribune pre-season poll. Last night was the season opener against No. 12, and arch-rival, Joliet Catholic. Carmel took care of business, winning 24-12, but may have lost a star fullback.

Next week, the Corsairs take on rival Libertyville. It may seem like a home game, however, because the campus is about a mile away.

The Corsairs are looking for their second trip to the state finals. I was at the game in Champaign, Ill. in 2003 when the team won it all and finished ranked No. 1 in the state.

My house is now a home

My loyalties are clear. I am ready for Saturday.

Let's Go IU!

Don't stop believin'

An interesting story in today's Chicago Tribune by baseball writer Phil Rogers. He argues the worst-case scenario for the Cubs is an all-Chicago World Series -- a match-up with the White Sox.

Sure it would be great for Chicago to be the center of the baseball universe. But the Cubs would have to play up to four "away" games across town on the south side. Rogers said the Sox would have nothing to lose in such a series. I agree. If the Sox lose, that means the Cubs will have won and and broke the curse, and the team that is clearly favored in Chicago will finally have something to celebrate.

If the Sox win, well, the Cubs are once again leave expectations unfulfilled. All the pressure clearly would be on the north side, not the south side.

Rogers said Cub fans should pray the Sox are eliminated early. Are you sweating TJ? And Cubs Nation?

Finally ... a starting QB

In what may be the "Duh" moment of the week, IU Coach Bill Lynch named Kellen Lewis the starter over Ben Chappell.

Lewis led the Hoosiers to a bowl game last year. He was an All Big Ten selection and led the team in rushing and passing. IU's spread offense was implemented with him in mind.I know Chapel looked good in spring practice, but really ... Did anyone expect Lewis would not be taking snaps this season? Did Western Kentucky's coaches develop a defensive game plan for Ben Chappell and not Kellen Lewis? I supposed Chappell got enough reps with the first team offense that he could step in more easily if Lewis gets hurt. But I think every Hoosier fan knows who must be under center if we are to expect wins.

On a side note, Terry Hutchens, the Indianapolis Star's IU beat writer, shows me up and predicts the Hoosiers will go 8-4 this year and plan Wake Forest in the Champs Sports Bowl. Go figure.

The Hoosier Season ... Big Ten

The key to the Big Ten season for the Hoosiers will be to win the games they should win. There are probably four games that even the most optimistic fans would say would end up in losses.

Game 4 -- Michigan State
The Hoosiers' first conference home game should be a tough one. The Spartans are picked to be among the best in the conference this year and typically play well in the first two months of the season before dropping off. The Spartans will be coming off, potentially, a big win over Notre Dame the previous week and should be ready. I don't think the IU defense will have enough to keep the Spartans at bay.

The game should be close, but MSU pulls this one out. IU drops to 3-1.

Game 5 -- Minnesota
This game is on the road, but IU should have enough offense to hammer the Gophers. The team had one of the worst defenses in the conference last year and doesn't have much in the way of returning talent. The problem here is IU thinking they win in a romp. A few mistakes and Minnesota is in this game at the end. The Hoosiers remain focused and move to 4-1.

Game 6 -- Iowa
This is possibly an even match-up, but the game is in Bloomington, giving IU the edge. Iowa is well coached by Kirk Ferentz and will be ready for this game. But I think Kellen Lewis will take over and the Hawkeyes will fall. IU moves to 5-1.

Game 7 -- Illinois
The Illini are facing some of the same issues at the start of the season as the Hoosiers: validate an outstanding 2007, which included a berth in the Rose Bowl. This game will be in Champaign, where Illinois plays well. While both teams run the spread offense, I don't think the IU defense will be able to contain Juice Williams. In a high-scoring affair, the Hoosiers fall to 5-2.

Game 8 -- Northwestern
Homecoming in Bloomington is a wonderful time. And just like the leaves, the fortunes of the Hoosier football team are changing. The Wildcats likely don't have enough to hang with the Hoosiers. It's a happy homecoming and IU avenges last year's lost in Evanston, moving to 6-2. That ensures a second straight .500 season.

Game 9 -- Central Michigan
This doesn't seem like much of a game, but it is another trap. Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour is getting a lot of pub as one of the top QBs in the conference. He through for nearly 3,700 yards and 27 TDs last year. He also rushed for 1,100 yards and 19 TDs. He is as much of a force as Kellen Lewis.

While the Chippewas averaged 34 points a game, they gave up 36. This game may come down to who has the ball last. The Hoosiers are due for a head-scratching loss, and this may be it. IU losses and drops to 6-3.

Game 10 -- Wisconsin
The Badgers are expected to compete with Ohio State for the Big Ten title. Even though this game is at home, I don't think the Hoosiers can stop the Badgers power game. It's a two-game losing streak. IU is now 6-4.

Game 11 -- Penn State
A trip to Happy Valley can never end well. The Nittany Lions may not be a Big Ten title contender, but they will play well at home. IU may put up a fight, but they lose this game too. Now the Hoosiers are reeling at 6-5.

Game 12 -- Purdue
It's not looking good for the Hoosiers. They enter the Bucket Game in the same situation as last season, needing a win to secure a bowl bid. This time the game is in West Lafayette and it is Purdue Coach Joe Tiller's last game. Put aside the rivalry. The Boilers will be playing for Tiller. They win it. IU finishes on a four-game losing streak and ends at 6-6.

There should be a bowl spot available for a 6-6 team. The question will be should IU get it? They will be able to score points, which will impress bowl committee members. But they will have lost four in a row, which may turn them off. I think they squeak into the Motor City Bowl. Book your tickets for Detroit now.

The Hoosier Season ... Pre-conference

We're less than a week from kick-off. Most fans know this season is important for the future of the program, maybe more important than last season's drive to play 13. This is the validation year, the chance to prove last year was no fluke. The full schedule is here, and here are my predictions, game by game:

Game 1 -- Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers are known more for basketball than football. But this team could surprise the Hoosiers, especially in week one. The team is coming off a 7-5 season and has 14 returning starters. ESPN thinks WKU will scare someone this year, but in their seven wins last season, the Hilltoppers beat no one of consequence. They lost to Ball State and Indiana State, teams IU took care of with relative ease. I think the Hoosiers will win this game.

Game 2 -- Murray State
The Racers play in Division I-AA and really shouldn't be in the Hoosiers league. They were 2-9 last year and have a new coach this year. The Hoosiers offense should overpower this team, taking them to 2-0.

Game 3 -- Ball State
This match-up has trap game written all over it. The Hoosiers had trouble with the Cardinals last year (I was at the game). The teams traded scores in the first half before IU pulled away. Ball St. QB Nate Davis was impressive running their spread offense. Davis passed for nearly 3,700 yards and accounted for 30 touchdowns.

IU Coach Bill Lynch should have the team ready, however, and barring injury, the IU defense should make the difference here. IU wins and goes to 3-0.

And now on to Big Ten season.

Thoughts on the upcoming football season

We're less than a week away from the start of the IU football season and I've been reading a lot Hoosier previews talking about the next step. Can the Hoosiers take the next step after the big step forward last year (winning seven games, appearing in a bowl for the first time since 1993) and become relevant in the Big Ten?

The schedule this year is filled with many games we should win. There are eight home games, an automatic advantage, and four non-conference games against teams that should be below Big Ten caliber. So the Hoosiers should win seven games again this year and should get to another bowl game.

What I'm looking for is the win we're not supposed to get. The upset no one thought would happen. Last year, (in conference play) it was Illinois beating Ohio State in Columbus. The Illini were talented and went to the Rose Bowl, but OSU was a national championship contender and ranked No. l at the time. It was a game where Illinois coach Ron Zook earned a lot of respect around the country, and the Illinois program was thought to have taken a major step up in the college football landscape.

It is a game where your team plays over its head and their team plays down just enough. A game where the students storm the field. Where the highlights make it to SportsCenter at the top of the show instead of on the ticker.

There are two games this season I would count as true upset, completely unexpected, wins: Wisconsin (at home) and at Penn State. Both are BCS contenders and should be favorites against IU.

In my mind, that is the one thing missing from this football program -- the ability to beat a team no one ever thought they could.

Any thoughts out there? Did I miss the "milestone" victory?

Favre to the Jets

So Brett Favre now is out-of-sight and out-of-mind.

The news broke late last night to the football-speaking world that the Green Bay Packers traded the future-Hall-of-Fame QB to the New York Jets late last night. It allows the Packers to move on with their new guy, Aaron Rodgers, and ends the media circus surrounding training camp.

The Packers even get a Favre break for the rest of the season. The Jets will not play the Packers this season. But is anyone wondering whether the NFL is penciling that match-up into next year's schedule maker?