SB Nation User Blog: grahamfiller10

Paterno As Bad As Bowden? No Way.

grahamfiller10 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:59:31 -0000

In one of your recent rants against Bobby Bowden, a throwaway line of yours read something like:

So, while we pretend that Bowden isn't literally the worst coach in America (and it's debatable between him and Paterno), and wait for the day that he finally ceases to exist (whether at FSU or on earth, both seem equally likely), we can do something about the defensive staff.

Paterno is the worst coach in America? What a skewed view of college football you have. Paterno presides over a 11-1 Penn State team that changed its entire offensive philosophy and was rewarded with a Rose Bowl berth. His Penn State team was one last second field goal away from playing in the BCS title game. Of course he's a figurehead who lets his assistants run the program, but that's where his brilliance lays. He was aware enough to recognize his monstrous physical and mental limitations and allow others to make the strategy decisions, while at the same time using his "legend" status to recruit top players and remain the face of the program.

The main job of a "football school" coach like Paterno is to help his program retain its status as a top program. He has done that successfully, especially this year. He could have nixed his sons Spread HD offense and stuck with the traditionally bland Penn State offensive system. But he was flexible and they profited immensely.

Maybe Paterno doesn't always know what day it is (I'm slightly exaggerating Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> ).But while Bowden has allowed the the best college football program of the 1990s to be surpassed by its hated in-state rival, Paterno has taken steps to assure that Penn State is improving and relevant on the national level. That doesn't sound like bad coaching to me.

Graham Filler

The Rivalry, Esq. "SBN's Big 10 Blog"

www.rivalryesq.com

Ohio State v Michigan 1974: Nothin' Better

grahamfiller10 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:55:19 -0000

I stumbled onto this ESPN Classic game while flipping channels and figured I would give a quick synopsis of this unbelievable matchup. Make note of who the announcers are.

Scene: Columbus, Ohio

Date: November 23, 1974

Matchup: #3 10-0 Michigan v #4 9-1 Ohio State

Announcers: Keith Jackson and Joe Paterno (A solid pairing: Paterno's sentimentalism and knowledge of strategy went perfectly with Jackson's iconic voice. Plus, they are solid 10's on the "Legend Scale," so the pairing is even better in 2008.

Introductions: The best part of this game was the intro's. One by one, the players walk in front of the camera and are announced - Archie Griffin, Dick Mack, Gordon Bell. The haircuts are legendary and the players were obviously hyped up (one guy is pounding on his chest and scowling like Lattimore from "The Program")...

Game Notes: The heralded Michigan defense had led the Wolverines to an undefeated season so far and the only bump in Coach Schembechler's road to the Rose Bowl was hated Ohio State. The atmosphere was especially intense in Columbus because of the 1973 Rose Bowl controversy, when OSU was picked to represent the Big 10 through a secret ballot process, leaving the whole state of Michigan fuming.

The Buckeye defenders played their hearts out, forcing incompletitions and hitting UM quarterback Dennis Franklin all day. Eventual Heisman winner Archie Griffin helped the Bucks control the game and the clock, but Michigan would not go away. Down 12-10 and down to its last timeout, Franklin completed a 20 yard pass to put the Wolverines in field goal range with 16 seconds left. Out game Mike Lantry, a straight on kicker who had missed two potential game winning field goals against OSU in 1973. Lantry lined up the 33 yarder and his kick started straight, but slowly drifted left. Jackson said it might be good, Paterno agreed, but the referee waived his arms violently, signalling "no good."

The crowd prematurely rushed the field and ripped the goal posts down. Woody Hayes grabbed the field microphone to ask the crowd to please leave the field, but it didn't matter now. The Bucks had pulled an upset over Schembechler and would be attending another Rose Bowl.

A Wolverine in Columbus: The Longest Day

grahamfiller10 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:56:47 -0000

I spent this Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, enduring the coldest football game I've ever attended and watching my Wolverines get blown out. Afterwards, the boys and I watched a ton of football and had a couple beers, roaming around traditional Columbus restaurants and cigar shops. I hope you enjoy my picture-filled recount of this epic day.

11:00 AM: Parking Lot Next to the Stadium

After we stopped at the Blackwell(?) Inn to pick up my ticket ($125 bucks to watch a blowout in 21 degree weather, I'm brilliant), we met Jon's parents and other Buckeye fans tailgating next to the stadium. The breakfast casserole was amazing and thank god for that propane space heater, which kept me sort of warm and singed the clothes of people who got too close. I also encountered a nice and extremely dedicated Buckeye fan (above). His quote as people were booing me:

"Hey, I don't hate Michigan, you make Ohio State who we are. Without you, there is no me and no rivalry."

The days most emotional and clear-headed words came from a 250 lb man wearing 10 pounds of beads and sporting a Block O shaved into his head. Figures.

12:45 PM, Upper Level South Stands, The Horseshoe

I don't need to say much about the game. I had dreams of a close contest for one half, but the third quarter put an end to those dreams as Ohio State hit on big play after big play. After Zoltan Mesko pinned the Bucks at the OSU 9 yard line, the Bucks spit out a 91 yard drive to take a two touchdown lead with 11 minutes left in the third, effectively ending the game in my mind. As I've written so many times, this Michigan team didn't have the passing capability to make comebacks, especially with Nick Sheridan showcasing the worst throwing arm in Michigan history. Someone should tell Sheridan that he is trying to complete passes, not skip rocks.

The fans around me would cheer for big plays and dance before kickoffs, but most people were muffled by the cold, both literally and figuratively. Fans complained the whole game, not about football, but about the lack of feeling in their feet. Ah, Midwest football. Live it.

4:15 PM, Buffalo Wild Wings

Eddie George's Bar was too packed, so we traversed over to BDub's. We hung around looking for a table before three lawyers surrendered their table to us after a conversation which involved a heavily intoxicated trial litigator telling me I was 45 years old and asking to try on my glasses. The subsequent Blue Moons helped my mood some, while the Notre Dame loss helped my mood a lot. Oh, and the look on Mark Dantonio's face when he was calling late timeouts to show his displeasure with Penn State for throwing in the 4th quarter? Priceless.

7:30 PM, Barclay Pipe & Tobacco, Upper Arlington

This excursion was welcomed, as the CFB slows down around 6:30. A trip inside Barclay Pipe & Tobacco was just the warm, relaxed stop that I needed. And even though I don't smoke cigars, we were all pretty happy lounging around, discussing socialism and whether Joe McCarthy was an American hero. Another hot topic of the day: Does RichRod have Michigan on the right track? I said yes, while my OSU friends seemed to think he was over his head.

8:00 - 11:00 PM, Mike's Apartment and Liu Pon

I was still energized, but the collective strength of our bedraggled group was lagging. The one-sided Texas Tech Oklahoma game didn't help either, so at halftime we ditched the game and decided on some late evening Haiku & Sushi at Liu Pon. After I had finished off my plate and someone else's, we went our separate ways. But in the spirit of Liu Pon's and its word rhythm infused atmosphere, I will leave with a haiku:

Hands with no feelings,

To the victors go no spoils,

Stoops team left nothing.

How Did Penn State Score 49 Points Against MSU?

grahamfiller10 — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:54:50 -0000

As Daryll Clark was dissecting Michigan State's pass defense on Saturday night, Jon and I pondered an important question:

Was the Buckeye defense that slowed Daryll Clark that good, or did Clark just have a bad day throwing the ball in Columbus?

The former thought seems to be more accurate. The Buckeye defense was solid, smashing Clark out of the game and not allowing him time to complete wheel routes or deep slants. You see, the Spread HD is made up of many moving parts and a tremendous variety of options. Plus, Clark has proven he can make every kind of throw this year: stutter routes, posts, sideline fades, screens. Against Ohio State, the Spread HD passing options were never allowed to develop effectively, limiting Clark's effectiveness.

Thanks to the Buckeyes, MSU had a blueprint for stopping the Nittany Lion's passing attack. But the defense and All Big 10 linebacker Greg Jones never were able to hurry Clark and we all saw the results. In the first half alone, Clark completed passes of 49, 26, 37, 28, and 32 yards - most of these passes were on routes that took some time for the receiver to get open. Michigan State ended up allowing 419 yards passing. Not a great day for Mark Dantonio and the East Lansing faithful.

Dedicated Spartan fans followed this guy's lead after the PSU game.

Top Five Annoying Things About Ohio State: #2 Mixed Up Priorities

grahamfiller10 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:24:39 -0000

(My thanks to Shannon Snee for the creative idea and the scrapbooking conversation)

I have visited some famous places in my life, thanks mostly to the historically-inclined vacation tendencies of my mother. I played 18 at St. Andrews, drifted around the Bloody Angle in Virginia, visited the Old North Church in Boston...But according to this website, all my travels were in vain. Why? Because I haven't enlisted my family members or fellow travelers to hoist their arms in the O-H-I-O salute.

Oh that church was nice, but LOOK at the form on that last "O"!

This degradation of historic monuments and destinations would be a lesser issue if it wasn't so popular and celebrated. Buckeye students and family members have filled the University's O-H-I-O picture web page with over 2200 images of pure Buckeye egotism. I'm sure the scrapbooking conversations are wonderful:

Jim Buckeye: O hunny look, there we are touring Chichen Itza, one of the worlds most mysterious and historic places.

Jill Buckeye: Oh yes, and there we are doing the O-H-I-O with the kids in the Temple of Warriors! Go Bucks!

Note 1: The Leaning Tower hates American football and isn't willingly participating in this family moment. Note 2: That first "O" is a square Dad - bend those arms.

Top Five Annoying Things About Ohio State: #3 O-H-I-Oh Shut Up

grahamfiller10 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:12:24 -0000

Let me just say, there are few things more annoying than hearing that damn O-H-I-O chant all year. As I wrote this summer:

As a Michigan football fan, I am disgusted and underwhelmed whenever I see Buckeye fans chant O-H-I-O and accompany this intellectually challenging chant with arm motions. This repetitive chant is not original or witty (i.e. when an inspired crowd cleverly mocks an opposing player). The chant is not deep and meaningful, like an English soccer crowd singing a one hundred year old drinking song. The O-H-I-O chant leads me to believe that many Ohio State fans are not very educated and truly rejoice when they realize they can spell the name of their beloved state.

But that doesn't mean I can't be understanding of this behavior. It's not their fault that the whole state rallies itself by screaming a word fit for a 2nd grade geography spelling bee. Included in my last summer piece was this conciliatory note:

As a college football fan, I think the O-H-I-O chant is the kind of ritual that is as important as football game and the players themselves. The chant shows pride and tradition (however simple that tradition is). The chant breeds familiarity: if you're an OSU fan screaming O-H-I-O in the Horseshoe, you're surrounded by 100,000 of your closest friends.

Butttttttttttt it's Michigan Week, so I'm annoyed.

Great minds think alike.

Big 10 Quarterback Rankings: 2008 Final Edition

grahamfiller10 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:26:06 -0000

My final QB rankings of the year are here and I am getting the feeling that QB rankings are sometimes insufficient in telling the whole story. Ricky Stanzi beat Penn State, but only threw for 71 yards against Purdue. Juice Williams' passing rating is leading the Big 10, but probably won't make a single 1st or 2nd All Conference team. Just like in the past, I want to use a combination of four factors to rate the QB's: 1) Stats, 2) Leadership, 3) Teams effect on QB play, 4) Intangibles. I hope you enjoy The Rivalry's Big 10 Quarterback Rankings, 2008 Final Edition.

	QB	Team	Comments
#1	Daryll Clark	PSU	Game Average for Clark: 14-23, 196 yards, 1 TD. Certainly not spectacular, but he got the ball to the numerous weapons that PSU possesses. His 8 rushing touchdowns and effective QB runs made Penn State dangerous near the goal line.
#2	Terrelle Pryor	OSU	Tremendous running ability (50 ypg) and size helped the Buckeye's rush the ball effectively against every Big 10 team except PSU. His "Superman" ability to shake tackles and throw on the run helped the Bucks convert third and longs. Would be the top rated QB, but he hasn't thrown enough passes to qualify.
#3	Juice Williams	MINN	This turnover machine has disappointed constantly this year, but his mom loves him, so I'll be gentle. Negatives: Subpar offensive line, locks onto wide receivers, throws BAD picks. Positives: Improved mechanics, great escapability, most passing yards in the Big 10. Blew the Western game with rollercoaster throws, but the O Line didnt help.
#4	Adam Weber	ILL	ESPN guessed that he would be named 2nd team All Big 10.They didn't watch the last three games, where he was hovering near the 50% completion mark. Weber is a good QB, but he never posted eye popping numbers, and the Decker injury slowed him considerably. Weber's profile was probably raised by Minnesota's success against weaker competition, not his outstanding talent. Strategy Note : It looks like Michigan and Northwestern found the blueprint for slowing the quick pass MN offense - How will Weber and Brewster adapt next year?
#5	Ricky Stanzi	IOWA	Having a conservative offensive coordiantor and Shonn Greene have made Stanzi a persona non grata in some games. But this newbie engineered 4th quarter scoring drives in back to back games, showing some major endgame kahoonas.
#6	Brian Hoyer	MSU	After tearing up the Wolverines with a near flawless 3 touchdown game, has struggled against Wisconsin and Purdue. Hoyer began making throws he wasn't capable of making and has paid for it with picks and low completion %. Strategy Note: For Hoyer to succeed against PSU, the coaching staff needs to diagram routes that worked earlier in the season; slants to White and quick swing passes.
#7	C.J. Bacher	NW	Missed two games and watched his backup run for 217 yards while leading the Wildcats to a huge win over Minnesota. Came back after a Kafka concussion and beat Michigan with a near flawless 2nd half performance. Negative: Has thrown enough ugly picks in his career to have one Big 10 Network anchor call them the "signature" of his career.
#8	Dustin Sherer	WI	Like Stanzi, is easily obscured by the run based offense and the star halfbacks on his time. Sherer showed a lot of guts and accuracy against a Minnesota team that is sure to have 2-3 All Big 10 defenders. If not for some horrendous endgame coaching by Bielema, would be leading the Badgers on a 4-0 streak.
#9	Ben Chappell	IND	Sure, your team is horrendous, but take heart that you haven't been the one killing them. His performance against Northwestern (21-34, 219 yards, passing TD, plus a rushing TD) showed that he could succeed in the Big 10, even without a strong supporting cast. See you next year!
#10	Curtis Painter / Justin Siller	PU	After Siller proved ineffective, Tiller threw the once upon a time pro prospect in the game. Painter almost took the Boilers over Iowa, losing by five and putting up great stats (24-30, 190 yards, 1 TD). The instability of the Purdue QB situation has been one of the major stories in the Big 10 this year. Remember that this was supposed to be a 9 win team; how quickly that idea was thrown out.
#11	Nick Sheridan	UM	Weird comment from an ESPN2 apologist, explaining why Sheridan was horrible against Northwestern: "Sheridan wasn't brought in to do this." Oh really? After a cool and calm performance against Mini, the weather threw Sheridan off to the tune of a 25% completion rate against the Wildcats. Onto the Horseshoe meatgrinder...

Top Five Annoying Things About Ohio State: #4 THEEEE Ohio State University

grahamfiller10 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:12:10 -0000

Miami University (Ohio). Ohio University. University of Toledo. Bowling Green State University. University of Dayton. University of Cincinnati. University of Akron. These are some excellent Ohio colleges, worthy of sending your son or daughter to.

But people, let's be honest. There is only one Ohio school worthy of lifting up a giant THE before its name and having its fans correct people about the use of this illustrious THE. The effect of this self imposed grandiosity can be felt throughout the state. When I attended Miami (OH), I noticed that some of the students from Columbus were doubly rabid Buckeye fans. It was almost like the kids felt bad for leaving the C-bus mothership to matriculate elsewhere, so they made up for this betrayal by cheering extra loud for the Bucks.

So in case there was any confusion about the pronunciation, or usage, let me clear things up. It's: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY...And they call us pompous.

Poll

What Big 10 school is located in Columbus, Ohio?

Top Five Annoying Things About Ohio State: #5 "Hang On Sloopy"

grahamfiller10 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:42:02 -0000

The concept behind The Rivalry, Esq is based off bar stool debates between Jon and I, along with the adversarial nature of our home state teams, Ohio State and Michigan. So in honor of Michigan Week, Jon and I will drop one daily post each regarding some of the things that piss us off about the opposing team. As the supporter of a 3-8 Michigan team, I realize I am behind the eight ball, but that doesn't mean I can't despise OSU the same. Oh and feel free to add your own.

My ten favorite oldies, in no particular order:

"A Change is Gonna Come" Sam Cooke
"Eve of Destruction" Barry McGuire
"City of New Orleans" Steve Goodman
"Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" Otis Redding
"Times They Are A Changing" Bob Dylan
"Hang On Sloopy" The McCoys
"Paint It Black" The Rolling Stones
"Your Precious Love" Jerry Butler
"The Boxer" Simon and Garfunkel
"Time of the Season" Zombies

Which song above has been adopted by a whole damn state and had inane lyrics forcibly inserted into its chorus? You got it...#6. Thanks a lot Ohio. Couldn't your state have picked a nice generic tune to ruin forever? Every time Hang On Sloopy comes on the radio, I start getting jacked up by that monster bassline, I get angry at the unfairness towards poor 'ol Sloopy, I'm feeling good...and then, in the back of my head, I hear that brainless chant of O-H-I-O...kills me every time.

Big 10 Coaching Grades: Part 2

grahamfiller10 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:20:55 -0000

Kirk Ferentz, University of Iowa

Analysis: If you listen to early commentary on this Iowa team, you would know that Ferentz was being attacked for being too conservative on offense (true) and too indecisive with the quarterback situation (really true). Once the quarterback situation was set, Iowa began playing above its talent level with Shonn Greene leading the way and QB Ricky Stanzi being used correctly on rollouts. Sure they aren't flashy, but this is a young team and Ferentz has created a nice base of star offensive lineman and strong defenders.

I have warring emotions on how to grade KF. I want to downgrade him (and Ken O'Keefe) for stupid conservative playcalling in close games; apparently the coaching staff sometimes forgets how effective the play action/rollout is when you have Shonn Greene. Plus, something in the back of my mind keeps whispering: "You pay your coach three mill per year, you have the coaching blueprint to winning ('02,'04), how can you accept constant mediocrity like the last three years?" But I will give credit to Ferentz for bringing the team back into Warm Weather Bowl contention and eliciting a Pontiac Game Changing Performance from his troops against Penn State.

3/4's Season Grade: B- (with 8-4 finish) C- (with 6-6 finish)

Outlook for Rest of Season, Postseason: Right now our Bowl Specialist predicts a presumably 8-4 Iowa team in the Outback Bowl.

Joe Paterno (and Coaching Staff), Penn State University

Analysis: JoePa is a figurehead for this program and its operations - I know he isn't running the show or making in-game changes. But as I will repeat again and again, one of the best attributes of a college football coach is longevity, which JoePa has in batches. And as long as he is head coach, Penn State will be relevant.

This year, JoePa trusted his assistants enough to let them implement an unproven offense. It obviously paid off and JoePa almost rode the new O to the BCS title game. The Nittany Lions were completely prepared for every game, which speaks volumes about the coaching staff. Strategy wise, Penn State didn't have many close games to prove its mettle, simply overrunning opponents with perfect playcalling and mistake free football. The offensive line blocked well on both run and pass plays and the coaches ditched a revolving QB system when Daryll Clark proved to be ready for Big 10 football. Against OSU in the Shoe, the defense hit hard and was never intimidated by the prime time settings.

3/4's Season Grade: A

Outlook for Rest of Season, Postseason: Penn State will probably end up in the Rose Bowl and thanks to this success, people will stop talking about JoePa "having" to retire during the offseason. Or at least they will talk less about it. A******s.

Tim Brewster, University of Minnesota

Analysis: My colleague Jon said this of Brewster's first year:

"Suffice it to say Tim Brewster enjoyed the kind of honeymoon traditionally reserved for people with chronic motion sickness who forget to pack Dramamine on a three-month cruise around Cape Horn."

For Timmy B to rebound so well after last year's debacle, The Rivalry tips their collective caps. Brewster and DCO Tedd Roof used a ballhawking secondary and a hard working line to make vast improvements on the defensive side of the ball. But Minnesota's season has been blessed by an easy schedule; they have feasted on the bottom of the Big 10 and played a weak non-conference schedule. Minnesota doesn't even play Michigan State or Penn State. So what do we really know about Minnesota's head coach? Well, for starters, Tim isn't afraid of the Big 10. He attacked teams with an efficient offense and the decision to let Adam Weber take his lumps last year has paid off. This is a team on the rise, even if things couldn't get any worse from last year.

3/4's Season Grade: B+

Outlook for Rest of Season, Postseason: Minnesota's late season swoon and Eric Decker's injury will hamstring the once lofty bowl expectations, but the Gophers have a new stadium and a solid 2009 recruiting class to build on. Coach B will have to beat Ohio State or Penn State before he can claim contender status, but at least he's pulled them out of the Big 10 cellar.

Bret Bielema, University of Wisconsin

Analysis: You know it. He knows it. Every cheesehead with season tickets in Madison knows it. Bielema is getting the worst grade in The Rivalry's Head Coaching Grades. Believe me, we didn't see it coming. Jon even picked them to go 11-1 in the regular season. But FIVE in-conference losses quickly submarined the Badgers once hopeful season. How did Bielema go from challenging OSU for conference supremacy to a possible losing record? The bottom line is that the 2008 version of Wisconsin football team has run into the perfect storm of bad coaching, quarterback problems, and endgame defensive breakdowns.

The Michigan State game caused many Wisconsin fans to get slightly bent out of shape over Bielema. After outplaying MSU for three quarters, the Badgers spent the entire 4^th quarter blowing its lead by committing a whopping 51 yards of penalties, including the now infamous 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Coach B. On the game-winning Spartan drive, the Wisconsin coaching staff placed the defense in the same prevent scheme that failed to prevent Terrelle Pryor from leading OSU to a game winning drive earlier in the year. And after Brian Hoyer predictably led the Spartans into range for a game winning boot, the kicker was rushed out for a 44 yard field goal attempt because Michigan State was out of timeouts, and all was chaos......until Bielema inexplicably bailed the Spartans out by calling timeout. The announcers went nuts, my jaw dropped, and Brett Swenson nailed the game winner.

Maybe the media expected too much out of this Wisconsin team, rating it 8^th in the country. Or maybe Bielema's struggle to get his Badgers prepared for a weak conference schedule should be a signal that he spends too much time at the Dry Bean and too little time working on fundamentals.

3/4's Season Grade: D

Outlook for Rest of Season, Postseason: A nice Alamo Bowl berth is possible, but it won't ease the pain of a sub .500 Big 10 record.

Ron Zook, University of Illinois

Analysis: The Big 10 network followed Zook around the entire year, showing his trademark intensity and the team bonding that he cultivates. What the Network couldn't show was the incredibly hard chore of turning around the Big 10's most volatile program. This is the same Illinois program that went from winless in '97 to conference champs in ‘01 and back to a one win team in '03.

There haven't been any coaching meltdowns or mind blowing penalties, plus the Zookie Monster has obviously improved the mechanics of Juice Williams. Zook's impact is also quite palatable on the recruiting trail. So why didn't the Illini repeat their successes of last year? The newly installed high risk passing game has led to feast or famine results. While Illinois leads the Big 10 in YPG, the offensive line has allowed the 2^nd most sacks in the Big 10 and Williams leads the conference in interceptions. The team has also broken down at the end of games: witness the piss poor offensive line blocking against Minnesota that led to a defensive touchdown and the late INTs against Wisky.

3/4's Season Grade: C

Outlook for Rest of Season, Postseason: Rose Bowl to possibly no Bowl? Not a good sign. However, Zook has been given much support in Champaign-Urbana and 63,000 came to the Iowa game two weeks ago. Let's also not forget that Zook took a two win team to national legitimacy. He has plenty of leeway before being squarely placed on the hot seat.

Bill Lynch, Indiana University

Analysis: If anyone was going to build this program back to the power of the Anthony Thompson days, it was Terry Hoeppner. The passion that he lived with and the respect he demanded was obvious, both at Miami and IU. His untimely passing and the emotion that the 2007 Hoosiers played with set Lynch up for an especially challenging 2008 year. Could Lynch make the team his or would the glow of 2007 wear off?

It says a lot that last year's 7 win team was feted like a 10 win team; this program is the Big 10's weakest. 2008 showed that Indiana cannot reload like other Big 10 teams. Even the most casual fan could see the Hoosiers were overmatched on defense for many of its blowout losses. It wasn't a formation issue, just a talent mismatch. And Lynch's wild switching of the quarterbacks didn't help. When Ben Chappell was healthy, why are you subbing in the ineffective Kellen Lewis? Build for the future...

3/4's Season Grade: C-

Outlook for Rest of Season, Postseason: There will be no Bowl for the Hoosiers and last years recruiting class didn't produce any stars. How will Lynch, to quote an overused term, "change the culture" of the Indiana program?