Charlie Brown has a determined look on his face. Lucy has talked him into believing she will hold the football on the ground so he can kick it. He wants to have faith in her. He really does. Nothing is more important on this day that Charlie putting a toe to the leather. He wants to watch the ball take off and soar. He wants the ball to take flight and fly over the telephone poll or the clothes line or whatever he is aiming for with a determination he will never bring to math class.
Charlie Brown believes Lucy this time. Lucy subtly made her earnest case that this time she will do the right thing. Charlie looks where Lucy will hold the ball. Charlie Brown then turns away from that spot and counts the steps he will use to bring his might forward in order to make proper toe to leather contact. His heart is racing. His palms start to sweat. Everything in front of him looks suspended in silence. Then, as we know, he takes off.
Yes. When he arrives to the spot of his portent of glory with Lucy holding the ball, suddenly she removes the ball from the hold with a sneer on her face. Charlie Brown, in mid-swing of his leg, realizes all that is happening and he has but one retort. “AAUGH!!!”
Welcome to Indiana Hoosier Football. Not exactly the refrain given by Coach Norman Dale before he took the court for the first time as the head coach of the Hickory Huskers.
Last Saturday night I found myself belly-laughing when the craziest thing I have ever seen on the Memorial Stadium field as the Indiana Hoosiers were playing the role of most gracious host to the 1-2 Akron Zips. It was near the middle of the third quarter. The ever polite Hoosiers kindly gave the Zips a 10-7 advantage. Then, as the Akron kicker was about to kick off giving the ball back to the Hoosiers, he did a smart thing trying to keep the ball away from the best kick returner in all of the land. He kicked a line-drive in the opposite direction of Hoosier lighting that is Jaylin Lucas. So what happened to the ball? The ball struck a Hoosier on the front line of the kickoff team and bounced back into the hands of an Akron Zip. I laughed out loud. Funniest thing I have ever seen on a field I have been visiting for fifty years. Later in the quarter, Louie Freeman intercepted an Akron pass and took it 22 yards to pay dirt. Indiana 14-10. That play and a missed 32 yard field goal by the Akron kicker on the last play of the game tied at 17 were what eventually led to a Hoosier victory 29-27 in, gulp, 4 overtimes. Or in the parlance of Charlie Brown, “AUGHH!!!!!”
That is how the season is playing out for the Indiana Hoosiers. AUGHHH! It seems to be getting worse all the time. The next home game is not until October 21st. I got a text message today about that game. Me, a season ticket holder, got a text message today. The message told me I was being given FIRST ACCESS to buy more tickets. A two for one deal! Starting at $30! $15 each. That is what we paid to watch Anthony Thompson run in 1988. AUGHHH!!!! This spells nothing but trouble for Indiana Hoosier Football.
This act of benevolence by the IU athletic department is true Big Ten Arrogance. What they should send me is a thank you card for purchasing 2 seats that are now worth 8 seats. Arrogance I tell you. If they don’t invite me back to the press box, we can turn to this page and know why. Ain’t that America for you and me. John Cougar Mellencamp is the last guy I ever thought I would be quoting. Things are that bad in Bloomington.
You have no idea how much it bothers me to have written the preceding paragraphs. Your resident neighborhood Hoosier Homer is in shreds. I’m just speaking the rights. If things get better in a hurry, I will write about the post that got away from me and how wrong I was. That is a precarious spot I can only dream will find me.
On to this week’s picks! You will notice my omission of Indiana in the list of games I am picking. Those of you have read this space often will know why.
Last week: 9 winners 5 losers
Season: 42 winners 14 losers
Here we go.
Kentucky beats Florida…at home the Cats are better suited for a noon kick in Lexington than the Gators.
USC beats Colorado…In the this is the reason college football is in trouble department, this games kicks of at 10 AM local time in Boulder and 9 AM for those watching on the West Coast. How dumb is that? Television Greedy Dumb.
Boston College beats Virginia…At BC, the Eagles bounce back from their butt whipping by the Louisville Cardinals.
Georgia beats Auburn…On The Plains, this could be interesting.
Texas beats Kansas…The Horns are playing well.
Michigan beats Nebraska…Oh what a game this once was. Where have you gone, Turner Gill?
Mizzou beats Vandy…The Tigers are pretty good.
Ole Miss beats LSU…It is in Oxford and the Rebs have to have it. The Tide made the Rebs look silly last week. That won’t happen two weeks in a row.
Oregon beats Stanford…Kicks off at 3:30 local time. Imagine that.
Iowa beats Michigan State…The Hawkeyes were shut out last week at Happy Valley. They are back at Kinnick Stadium this week to prove to their fans that they still have something in the tank.
Notre Dame beats Duke…Oh I hope the Dukies win.
Tennessee beats South Carolina…I love it that there is another part of the world where USC does not mean Southern Cal.
Alabama beats Miss. State…They have to.
Washington beats Arizona…Michael Penix, Jr continues to pass his way to the Heisman Trophy.
Get after it. I suppose I have here.
Danny Johnson