Not just a basketball state anymore
Monday, June 9, 2008 9:59 PM EDT
The first thing that comes to mind when someone says anything about the Hoosier State is basketball. While we may be the perennial powerhouse on the court, we are starting to show progress on the college gridiron as well.
The football powerhouse states of California, Florida, and Texas crop high school football players like tropical fruit. These athletes choose Michigan, USC and Ohio State, looking for prominence on the big stage.
While Notre Dame is under high scrutiny from it's fans and alumna, the university is still getting its fair share of athletes. This year, the Irish signed three five-star prospects, along with 16 four-star prospects.
You want to compare those numbers to the competition? USC only picked up two three-star prospects, the Buckeyes picked up four five-star prospects but has only half the four-stars ND has, and Michigan picked up no five-stars.
The Boilermakers were the only other Indiana team to pick up a four-star prospect, grabbing one.
Before everyone jumps on my back about the rankings, the stars give only a good insight onto how an athlete will do at the collegiate level. Just because you get a five-star ranking, does not mean you are the next Barry Sanders.
A kid from Valparaiso named Samardzija was only a three-star recruit. In his senior year, he made 78 grabs for 1017 yards and 12 touchdowns. Currently, he is playing in the farm-system for the Chicago Cubs.
In 2004, there was a recruit named James Hardy from Elmhurst in Fort Wayne. Coming into Bloomington, he was a two-star recruit. Hardy was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills.
My point, while stars may prove to be the difference between going to Notre Dame or Florida Atlantic, it is just a system and systems fail. A five-star athlete can become a real dud or the local walk-on and under the radar player can become First-Team All-American.
Another point is last year's season. The Indiana teams combined for 25 wins and three bowl game appearances. Those three teams; Purdue, Indiana and Ball State, each had at least seven wins a piece.
In the NCAA, some powerhouse teams overlook some of the Indiana teams. Last year, Ball State walked into Lincoln, Neb. and gave the No. 24 Huskers a scare in the dose of a 41-40 game. Even though Notre Dame was riding a five-game losing streak, the Irish rolled into Los Angeles and beat a 4-1 UCLA squad 20-6.
In the 2008 schedules, the teams of Indiana are also playing high-caliber teams. Purdue will travel to Columbus to take on an Ohio State team that tore through the Big Ten last year.
Notre Dame starts off with San Diego State and then plays three Big Ten teams in a row. Though, the big game will be the season finale at Los Angeles against the USC Trojans. The game will be closer this time around as Notre Dame improves from last year's disappointing season.
The biggest game of the year for the Hoosiers will be the Oaken Bucket game. The team will play Wisconsin and Penn State during the season, but no matter how bad either team is the Bucket game is always a treat to watch.
The Cardinals of Ball State will play their best game at home against the Navy Midshipmen. Last year, Ball State arrived in Annapolis, Md. and came out with a 34-31 victory on a blocked field goal.
While Indiana will always be known for basketball, the state is definitely making strides toward being a football state as well. The state holds one of the most storied programs in Notre Dame, two Big-Ten teams that always seem to surprise people, and a MAC team that is back on the radar.
Notre Dame will be always be the best team in the state, as long as they don't put out anymore 3-9 seasons. No matter how they do, you can never look past the records. The university has 11 national championships, and is in second place on the all-time wins list behind Michigan.
If you get the chance this fall, it would be a treat to watch any of these teams in action.
---
Justin Penland is a Sports Reporter for the Wabash Plain Dealer. His views do not necessarily reflect those of this newspaper. He can be reached for comment at japenland@hotmail.com.
Print this story | Email this story
|
