There are names and there are those names. Pete Rose had one of those names. Pete Rose. Larry Bird. Elvis. Walter Payton. Tom Seaver. Willie Nelson. Alicia Keys. Those names. The ones that transcend and become symbols of a time and place and feeling. Names that keep folks younger and always leaves them with a smile.

Yes, Pete Rose bet on baseball. He has been denied a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some are sympathetic. Or should I now say they were sympathetic. Either way, there is not a room or a building or a town that can hold all that Pete Rose meant to so many of us. Admittedly, I am not much of a Hall of Fame person. I have never been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, though I have been through Canton more than a dozen times. On Interstate 90 in upstate New York, I have passed the exit to Cooperstown more than a dozen times. I have been drawn to neither. I can’t tell you why.

Maybe my mind is my hall of fame. Maybe my memory is my hall of fame. I was able to see Pete Rose play and the Big Red Machine play when I was a kid. Thankfully, we had a friend in the town we lived in that had season tickets in the green seats of Riverfront Stadium along the third base line. We never missed a summer not going in the 1970s. Watching Pete Rose bend down with that crouched batting stance was, in itself, worth walking through the turnstile at Riverfront for.

In the 1980s when Pete was a player-manager for the Reds, we saw those teams too. Yes, another friend had season tickets, and we never missed a summer not seeing the Reds in the 1980s. It wasn’t until the 1990s that I had to pay to see the Reds play. I did.

I got this scorecard at the last game I saw at Riverfront Stadium. I couldn’t tell you why I have always known where it was to put my hands on. I have never thought about that, until today.

When I was in the third grade playing kickball during PE class at Brownstown Central Elementary School, I kicked a one-hop line drive to the pitcher. The pitcher threw it quickly to first and I was out in a hurry. However, I ran as hard as I could to first base anyway. On my way back to my team standing against one wall of the gym, Miss Ault, our PE teacher, stopped me and told me I didn’t have to run that out. I told her if Pete Rose is going to run them out, I am too.

I’m not going to be able to tell you in a year where I was when I heard Pete Rose died. Elvis? Yes, I can show you where I was standing, one foot on parking lot and one foot on grass going to watch my dad’s high school football team practice. Elvis was 42. I was 9. Pete was 83. I am 56. There is a correlation there and we all know that. I never saw Elvis. But did I ever love watching Pete Rose play baseball.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

This photo was taken at Wake Forest in 2008. The Ole Miss Rebels were taking on the Demon Deacons. This was also the weekend that left us with an adventure as we left Indiana after school Friday. Hurricane Hannah was wreaking havoc. We went any way. There was an Ole Miss game to see. The irony is that as we were watching this under clear skies in Winston-Salem, thirty miles down the road in Greensboro, they were getting ten inched of rain. I always tell my mother the rain has to stop and start somewhere.

The Ole Miss Rebels play the Kentucky Wildcats in Oxford on Saturday. On three occasions I have seen these two play in Lexington. The Rebs got the Wildcats in 2001 when Eli Manning was a sophomore. My Aunt Barbara came up for that one. In 2006, my dear wife, Carrie, and I left at halftime after the Rebs had 4th and half a yard on the Wildcat 23-yard line in the final minutes of the first half. The QB turned around and pitched the ball back to BenJarvis Green-Ellis, a former Indiana player, six yards behind the line of scrimmage for a two-yard loss. I couldn’t stay. UK won. In 2011, I went with my father-in-law to Lexington. UK won again. The Rebs have pretty much owned the Wildcats in Oxford. I hope that trend continues.

The Indiana Hoosiers will take on the Maryland Terps for win number five. That would be 5-0 for the first time since 1967. I was born a couple months after that team played in The Rose Bowl. This is a big one. And they are only going to get bigger. No, Coach Cig is not going to get his 50,000 fans in Memorial Stadium on a rainy day like we had for the 14-10 poncho-soaked upset of Michigan in 1987. If the Hoosiers beat Maryland today and Northwestern next week, Indiana has a week off and fans will have two weeks to gather their spot in Memorial Stadium to see a 6-0 Hoosier team take on Nebraska. We shouldn’t be able to get anyone in the stadium with a shoehorn if the Hoosiers come in 6-0, for no other reason than historic value.

Last week the picks went 12 winners and 2 losers. Season total 46 winners and ten losers. Eight of those came in week 2.

On to this week’s picks:

Ole Miss beats Kentucky… Jaxson Dart does it again. Look for the Rebs to score fast and often in Oxford. The Rebs won last week and dropped in the poll. Those things matter.

Indiana beats Maryland… 5-0. Say it with me! 5-0! This is Indiana Football we are talking about.

Michigan beats Minnesota… Goldy comes to The Big House and it will play out as usual.

Nebraska beats Purdue… The Huskers lost a heartbreaker in Lincoln last week to the Illini in OT. The Corn boys will admire the fields and crops around West Lafayette and grow a few points of their own at Ross-Ade.

Tulane beats South Florida… The Green Wave had made strides in their football program the last few years. Tip of the cap to them today!

Louisville beats Notre Dame… I think the ball will bounce the way of the Cards today. They beat the Irish in Louisville last year. Coach Jeff Brohm won’t tell you this, but winning a game in Notre Dame Stadium is a trophy for the heart and mind and memory.

Arkansas beats Texas A & M… Am I this crazy? Yes, I am. The Hogs are not a bad team, and they are getting better every week.

Oklahoma beats Auburn… The Sooners put a number on Coach Freeze who is starting to thaw.

USC beats Wisconsin… Games like these are Rose Bowls being played in the middle of the season. These are matchups I will be able to enjoy for a couple of years.

Texas beats Mississippi State… Will Arch start this week? How bad is State anyway? Toledo came to Starkville and collected a check will leaving a butt-whipping on the Bulldogs. Are the cow bells getting rusty?

Duke beats North Carolina… Last week Coach Brown asked his players if they had quit on him? He didn’t frame it that way, but that was the question. UNC game up 70 points last week to James Madison and Curt Cignetti was coaching the Hoosiers that day.

Clemson beats Stanford... This is an ACC classic! Standford in the ACC. Strange times indeed.

Alabama beats Georgia… Yes. I think so. Biggest game of the season so far. UGA struggled vs. UK. Bama has a great deal to prove, and this one is on their turf. Look for Coach Smart to take off that visor and throw it down in the third quarter.

Penn State beats Illinois… The Illini is a confident bunch. How good in Ole Miss? Illinois’ QB Luke Altmeyer transferred from Ole Miss. Altmeyer has ten TD passes and 0 interceptions. If I were a great QB prospect, I would look for Lane Kiffin.

The weather has been brutal the last couple of days. Wind and rain and I don’t know what all. Things are tough for a great many folks right now in places of the country I have visited time and time again. My heart aches for them. Makes sitting here blowing off about college football seem meaningless. Still, it is what I do each week of the season and there is that “keep pressing onward” sensibility that, if I am going to preach, I better practice. That’s what we all do really. We keep pressing onward. F. Scott Fitzgerald knew what he was talking about when he alluded to boats against the current to the end. He wasn’t thinking about Daisy Buchanan or Jay Gatsby. He was thinking about all of us.

Speaking the rights and looking for the Hoosiers to go 5-0…

Danny Johnson

It is time to get to the theater. The theater that is Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. You may have thought you have seen this movie before. 1985 perhaps? The Hoosiers begin the season 4-0 a year after going 0-11. Then the ’85 Hoosiers proceed to lose the 7 games left. Are we really still that weary? Is that why Memorial Stadium is looking like the home of a contender-pretender? Can we just say that folks can’t really believe what they are seeing from this team? I am here to assure you that you have not seen this movie before. Why not, you ask? Sit down.

No one has been tougher on new Indiana Football Coach Curt Cignetti since he got here than I have. Why? I’ve seen the movie. I have spent my falls having my heart broken. Whether it was Rob Lytle and Rick Leach running behind a behemoth of a Michigan O-Line in 1976, or Scott Bonnell pulling a short field goal to the left in 1989 leaving the Hoosiers turning over the Oaken Bucket without a bowl and AT without a Heisman Trophy. 2015 when Ezekial Elliott runs the # 1 Ohio State to a 34-27 win in a game some of us started to think might be our time. That’s the problem. In my lifetime, all 56 years of it, IU Football has not had an “our time” team. Until now. And just typing those two words “until now” makes me nervous. Am I really going to see one of “those” seasons? The answer is yes. And I know some are still skeptical. This is IU Football, right? Not really.

Look, that 2015 team began the season 4-0. Those wins included beating Southern Illinois 48-47, beating FIU 36-22, beating Western Kentucky 38-35, and Wake Forest 31-24. This year’s Indiana Hoosier Football team is, after four games, outscoring the opponent by an average of 50-9. First Downs? Indiana has 110 to 50. The Hoosiers have punted 5 times in 4 games. Total yards average? 514-199 per game in favor of the Hoosiers. Most importantly, the Hoosiers have yet to turn the ball over to the other team. There is not a team stat, save two more penalties, that does not favor the Hoosiers.

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has hit 75% of his passes. We all know Myles Price is going to bust a punt return wide open sooner or later. Four receivers have 12 or more receptions. Wideout Donaven McCulley has only caught one pass due to injury and timing. He will make his presence known when conference play is in earnest. Defensive Coordinators will be losing sleep knowing this Indiana team has done all it has without McCulley.

The one stat that rings true for me more than any other is that 14 different Hoosiers have scored a touchdown so far this season in only four games. There is no Burger King on this team.

I was there in 1988 and 1989 when putting 50,000 fans or more in the house was not an uncommon sight. I was also there at Memorial Stadium in 2002 for a homecoming game that had less than 23,000. The Hoosiers beat a #24 Minnesota team that game. Times change. TVs are bigger. Games are ubiquitous on TV.

Look, Indiana will get those crowds again and soon. I give the credit to Coach Curt Cignetti. I am delighted he is not in an Indiana football culture that once refused to accept a bowl bid (Coach Mal). Times change.

My secret wish was that one-day Mike Leach would make his way to Bloomington. That dream is over. But guess what? Indiana got the next best thing. Coach Cig reminds me of Mike Leach. His looking off in the distance when he answers a question. His ability to interrupt a question. His attention to detail that he knows his team must adhere to. If we were casting this movie, John Wayne would probably make a good Coach Cig.

I have had a great seat for the first three games. The reception I have gotten from my writing and reporting has been meaningful. This week, during the game, I got some words from Dave Kornowa and that humbled me. I interviewed Dave in 2020, and he said:

“I told my folks I wanted to play for the Indiana Hoosiers because they had a chance to play in the Rose Bowl.  My folks laughed at me and told me if I was planning on playing in the Rose Bowl I better try to get on at Michigan or Ohio State.” 

He made good on that. Dave kicked the field goal to give the Hoosiers their 3 points that day on January 1, 1968, in The Rose Bowl when the Indiana Hoosiers played the USC Trojans and lost 14-3. To date, this is the only Rose Bowl the Hoosiers have played in. I am always delighted to hear from Dave Kornowa.

Speaking of a humbling experience, before the game Saturday, I was at the soft drink dispenser at the top of the press level on the other end from where I sit. I looked to my left and standing beside me was Don Fischer, the Voice of Indiana University. Don is in his 52nd year of calling Indiana Football and Basketball. The man is a legend. I looked over at Don, and simply said, “In 1987, you wrote me a nice letter about how a young man of 19 might find his way into the broadcast booth one day.” He gave me a wry smile. Of course, he didn’t remember. It was a time in my life when I was enrolled in a second college in less than a year and not enjoying any of it. Don and I shared a few more words and he was gracious. I did tell him that I did eventually call games on radio for a number of years before the station decided to split the broadcasts between two teams and not just my team. I told Don I couldn’t do that. He told me he did not blame me. We walked on to our break of stairs. I said, “Have a good call.” Don Fischer nodded, and said, “Thank you, sir.” I looked around and wondered if I should just go home now. No, there was another great Hoosier Football game to cover.

This is a new movie. The one we never thought we would see. That is why the theater is slow to fill. But, that theater will be full soon.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

This photo above was taken at kickoff of Indiana’s last home game. It was played on a Friday evening. I can’t help but to believe that there will be a few more people in the house for the noon kickoff Saturday against Charlotte. There will be more excitement. The Indiana Hoosiers will run their record to 4-0. Then next week they play Maryland at home. The week after that will be a game at Northwestern’s quaint little stadium along Lake Michigan. The Hoosiers could win both of these. I think they should, and you know how cautious I am. The Hoosiers haven’t been 5-0 in my lifetime. I think they will be 6-0. Then Nebraska comes calling. Could it be 7-0?

This year the bowl lore (or lack of) the Indiana Hoosiers have brought to a painfilled fanbase will be added to. It’s not much. But it’s ours. When I can remember every bowl but one, you know we have lived through some hard times.

Last week’s overwhelming victory over the UCLA Bruins was one for the ages. We just don’t see games like that.

Last week I was 13-1 again in the picks. I didn’t think Florida was really that bad. They are. They let me down. I stubbed my toe in week 2 with 8 winners and 6 losers. Let’s hope that does not happen again. For the season 34 winners and 8 losers. What about this week?

Indiana beats Charlotte… The Hoosiers are a good team.

Cincinnati beats Houston… The Bearcats need this one.

Clemson beats NC State… Clemson will continue to improve and be a force in the end. They will win this.

Kentucky beats Ohio… If an SEC team ever needed a MAC visitor, it is UK.

Arkansas beats Auburn…This is big game for both coaches whose fan bases want more and more and more just like the rest.

Louisville beats Georgia Tech… The Wreck comes in confident. The Cards are a tough bunch and Coach Brohm has them well-oiled.

Notre Dame beats Miami (Ohio)… Chuck Martin left the Domers to coach the RedHawks and has done so for more than a decade. He found a place at the Cradle of Coaches. He is a great coach. I would love to see his team, another MAC school, get the Irish. Which leads me to ask, do the Irish really need to be playing 2 MAC schools? That’s Irish Puddin.

USC beats Michigan… The Trojans come into The Big House and rule. Lincoln Riley’s offense is going to take Michigan to school. The Wolverines fall out of the Top 25 and the Hoosiers get closer.

LSU beats UCLA… If they don’t, Coach Kelly needs to call the travel agent. Give UCLA credit for scheduling this one.

Duke beats Middle Tennessee… The Dukies have established football in Durham since Coach Cut made it pseudo-fashionable and this is a good thing.

Iowa beats Minnesota… Floyd of Rosedale belongs to the Hawkeyes this year. One of college football’s greatest traditions.

Oklahoma beats Tennessee… The Vols beat OK in Norman. Is it a stretch? I don’t think so.’

Boston College beats Michigan State… In one of the more compelling and appreciated non-conference tilts. Bully to these two for putting this one on the schedule.

Ole Miss beats Georgia Southern…. How many points will the Rebs score? This is fun.

Have a great weekend! Enjoy some football.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

This is the big one for me. I grew up in one stadium and am still growing older in it. The other older stadium, we have been reminded, is the one I dreamed about and eventually made it there.

The Indiana Hoosiers take on the UCLA Bruins today, or this evening depending on your Big Ten time zone. The game is to be played at The Rose Bowl Stadium. I hope the team bus driver knows that. If he is getting driving directions from Coach Cignetti, he might end up at the LA Coliseum. You know, the one that is the other old stadium out there, as Coach Cig calls it.

“The mansion at the end of the yellow brick road.” – Keith Jackson

What I remember the most about spending part of a day there in that empty stadium was the sense of hush that surrounded us. Just me and my dear wife, Carrie, along with the field superintendent and the guys painting the brand-new field on a Thursday morning before the USC-UCLA game that Saturday. In my mind, all I ever knew were bands playing fight songs, fans roaring as their favorite tailback in a scarlet or cardinal red jersey left a defense behind, and the sound of the voice of Keith Jackson. A voice that amplified the game of college football like no other without having to yell about it. The Rose Bowl game between the winner of the Big Ten and the winner of the PAC-8/10/12 was the football game I looked forward to the most each and every year.

Tradition is what then field superintendent Will Schnell and I were talking about. He too is a midwestern guy. He was so glad that I “got it”. That I understood the place. That I knew so much of the game history. And he was glad I did not a plant a cleat in that field on a Thursday. I’ll never forget it. In that old gym bag, a few of you out there once had one or still do, I had a proper left footed football cleat, as well as a cleated kicking shoe. I was ready to uncork some kicks from a long way out. When I walked on that new field that was yet to be completely painted, I looked at Will Schnell, who had agreed to let me bring my cleats, and I said, “Will, no, I am not going to plant a cleat in this field. There is no way I am going to mess this up.” Will look at me, nodded his head respectfully and said, “I appreciate that.” And away we went. I kicked in my Brooks from extra-point range and was 2 for 2. That was enough. I was not used to kicking in those shoes. But I was true and the picture of that ball heading for the goal post framed by a blue sky and that stadium will always be precious, and it will remind me I was there. In earnest, it didn’t seem real. I felt a twinge in my upper right quad after the second kick and I did not want to miss. That was more than enough.

Today is my January 1st. The real Rose Bowl will never be again. Those of you tired of hearing me harp about it, I give you solace. I won’t mention it again. He said to many eyerolls.

Let’s get to this week’s picks. You know I don’t make a habit of ever picking against the Hoosiers. If that is the case, I just won’t write about that.

Alabama beats Wisconsin… Bucky’s offense is eating too much cheese up there. They can’t get going. Milroe will eat that cheese up!

LSU beats South Carolina… Playing in Columbia is not an SEC favorite. Look for LSU to score many points.

Mizzou beats Boston College… I don’t remember the BC Eagles ever playing a regular season game against an SEC school. I suppose we can start calling Missouri that. They are highly ranked!

Minnesota beats Nevada…Goldy goes home happy.

Notre Dame beats Purdue…They have to, right? If not, they have new coach next week.

Oregon beats Oregon State… The Civil War played in September. Another tradition sullied in the name of conference realignment, aka greed.

Florida beats Texas A & M….see the Notre Dame reference.

Washington beats Washington State… Another displaced game. The Apple Cup is for November. It is not for whenever we can fit it in.

Oklahoma beats Tulane…And lights up the scoreboard.

Iowa beats Troy… The Hawkeyes might score more than 30.

Ole Miss beats Wake Forest… This one is at Wake. Carrie and I saw these two teams play there sixteen years. The place is quaint. The people are friendly. I will get an hour of this and probably no less than 28 Rebs points before I look at Indiana at UCLA.

Colorado beats Colorado State… This is a rivalry that really is underrated. These guys have great disdain for each other.

Georgia beats Kentucky… UK kept this respectable last year. This year I just hope they can finish the game with a quarterback on the field at the end of the game. Kentucky’s O-line was awful last week.

Pitt beats West Virginia…Anything to shut Pat McAfee up for all of seven seconds.

Week one I was 13-1. Week two 8-6. I don’t think it has ever been worse. 21-7. I have been on the wrong end of that before.

I have to give a shout out to Coach Williamson and the North Harrison Cougars for dismantling the Charlestown Pirates last night 35-6. If there is a place you want to go and take a victory from the homefolk, Chucktown is high on that list! The Cougars are on a three-game winning streak at 3-1. Keep up the good work!

There is a great deal of good football today. If you get a chance, enjoy it.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

Always great to see former students. David Webster came by last week to visit my new office. He was in my last senior English class last May. He was a good student. He is an even better guy. He wrote a poem about the squat rack in the weight room. An apparatus that damaged me greatly in 1983, I was able to make peace with it after reading David’s thoughtful and inspiring poem. I had him autograph a copy of the poem for me. I took him down to the weight room for a “photo shoot”. It was a great time. One that both of us remember fondly. That is my NH Football line on the wall. There is a theatre line as well, from the year I was the drama club sponsor, and we put on a couple nice plays. One of them was The Great Gatsby.

I attended the Corydon @ North Harrison JV Football Game on Monday. I have been telling folks if you hang around this game long enough you will still be surprised at times. It went like this: Corydon attempted what looked to be about a 33-yard field goal. The Panther kicker gives it a good poke. The kick looked a little left and a little short. I know this field. The ref behind the goalpost HAD to of lost it in the sun. He deferred to two refs watching around mid-field. They looked at each other, as if to ask if either one of them was watching. They both raised their arms to signal that the kick was good. 10-0 is now the score. The kicker from Corydon came over to the bench, grabbed his kickoff tee and looked at his buddies on the sideline, “I didn’t make that thing.” Then he ran on to the field to kick off. At halftime I could hear the Panther players and coaches laughing about the whole episode. This was a first for me.

I was there for Indiana’s beat down on Western Illinois last week. I am not sure how much a team can accomplish in a game that, at one point, featured 21 first downs to 0. 406 yards to 24. Is that going to prepare you for UCLA?

Coach Cig cracks me up. He talked like going to The Rose Bowl to play a game was something of insignificance. The way he talks you’d think he was there when Princeton played Rutgers in 1869 and knew what they were doing wrong. That was the first college football game.

I really want to believe Indiana is ready for UCLA. The Bruins have a quarterback named Ethan Garbers. Indiana has not seen the likes of Ethan Garbers. Indiana’s offensive line has not seen what they are in for with the UCLA defensive front. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke had to be way too creative in the self-preservation category against FIU in game one.

Yes, I want to believe the Hoosiers are ready.

The Hoosiers have their chance to do it for real this Saturday. I have been to that “old stadium” as Coach Cig has referenced it.

I have seen the USC-UCLA game twice in The Rose Bowl. And I spent a little personal time on the field when the “old stadium” was empty. The place is different. It is not just some old stadium.

Hoosier football fans have bought into more optimism than anyone, save Chicago Cubs fans. Believe me, I know all about it.

All these Bruin promos are courtesy of emails I receive from UCLA, except the ones with helmets. I thought it was cool and I just lifted it.

Northern Illinois let us know there are still real college football teams out there.

Thirty-two years ago this week, The Moody Blues played with a symphony orchestra for the first time at Red Rocks Ampitheatre outside of Denver. 1992 was the 25th anniversary of The Moodies’ groundbreaking album Days of Future Passed. We were amazed they were still at it. Nineteen years later, my dear wife, Carrie, and I saw them play Red Rocks for the last time in 2011. They were scheduled to play there in 2015. Snow had other ideas. The gig was moved to an indoor venue. I was glad. And, as I listen to their album Seventh Sojourn from 1972, I am still glad. I’m glad I found this music. I really think it was given to me.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

The games played out as expected last week. 13-1 was the opening tally on cupcake Saturday. Things tighten up just a little bit this week. This is a good thing. It is a good thing when you look up and see Iowa taking on Iowa State. Colorado taking on Nebraska. NC State tussling with Tennessee. Illinois showing what they have against Kansas. Seeing Mississippi State head to the desert to play Arizona State too is intriguing. I suppose the biggie is Texas making a call to The Big House in Ann Arbor.

This week’s games:

Louisville beats Jacksonville State… The birds from the J-Ville are tough nuts. Rich Rod is still a great coach.

Kentucky beats South Carolina… The Cats want to play a full game.

Penn State beats Bowling Green… A classic Big Ten-MAC matchup. That Tom Allen defense played well against West Virginia last week. Ask Pat McAfee.

Syracuse beats Georgia Tech… The ACC is wild this year. Who stays healthy? Who gets the breaks? Who can beat Miami? That will be the ACC winner.

Texas beats Michigan… At some point in the game, we have to see Arch Manning right? I hope so. This is the one I am most looking forward to this weekend.

Iowa beats Iowa State… In an offensive shootout, the winner may score 30!

Notre Dame beats Northern Illinois… Have you seen the ND schedule? Setting themselves up for another playoff appearance that makes us wonder what they are doing there?

Ole Miss beats Middle Tennessee… How many will the Rebs score this week?

Cincinnati beats Pitt… Now this a great matchup. Nippert Stadium is a great place to take in a game and I will look for this one.

North Carolina beats Charlotte… The Tarheels won a tough one last week.

Illinois beats Kansas… The Illini get this one at home.

Colorado beats Nebraska… This is PRIME TIME.

NC State beats Tennessee… How can this be? It has been since 2015 that the Vols hosted a ranked nonconference opponent at Neyland Stadium. It didn’t go well then against a #19 ranked Oklahoma team and it won’t go well against a #23 NC State team.

USC beats Utah State… An interesting opponent for a Big Ten school (wink, wink).

UCLA is off this week. Yes, my second favorite Big Ten team. They have a week off to prepare for the Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers play a Western Illinois team tonight that gave up 706 yards and 51 points to Northern Illinois last week. The Leathernecks, an FCS team, has not won a game since 2021.

Hey! Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

This is the way I have approached the 2024 College Football season, a little empty. Honestly, I thought I was making some good strides until Sunday Night when I was watching LSU play USC in, gulp, Las Vegas. Two iconic programs. The Tigers from LSU. Talk about a crazy bunch of fans. USC, the boys from Southern Cal who can play football easier out there than in most places. They are not the only game in town. They are not under the same microscope, albeit scrutinized. I saw a close-up of one of the USC players and on the top right corner of his jersey, below the shoulder pads, I saw The BIG 10 logo on his jersey. A BIG 10 logo on a USC jersey. I swear I thought I was hearing Don McLean tuning his guitar to American Pie. I was reminded that my college football life, all 56 years of it as I know it, is over.

My 7th grade world geography teacher, Mr. Larry Martin, told us change is a constant feature. I try to remember that.

On thing that has not changed is Indiana Football fans’ attendance habits. Fans arrive late and leave early. That seemed to be a sore spot with the new head coach Curt Cignetti. He said so during his post-game press conference. I get it. An empty stadium is a terrible look for recruiting purposes. On the other hand, college athletics have changed too. I am not so sympathetic for a coach who increased his salary 600% over last season or for players who will be paid for playing college football. On that end, I am more inclined to tell them to keep their mouths shut and do their job. The fans bought the tickets. The fans can do what they darn well please with them. Just do your job.

I know, I know what you are thinking all you old purists like me. I was there when 50,000 filled two banks of seats and we stayed to the sweet or bitter end. I had a season ticket when Anthony Thompson was an All-American in 1988 and 1989. That day has come and gone. Those tickets were 16 bucks each. About 40 in today’s market. And that ticket goes for much more today. Watching AT score on the last play of the game against Kentucky in 1988 was a blast, until the Cats held him on 4th and goal in Lexington in the 1989 opener and the Hoosiers lost 17-14. I was there too and it was a hot day let me tell you. That day has come and gone.

Football-wise, the Hoosiers had some bright spots and some not so bright spots on Saturday.

The new QB Kurtis Rourke was rushed by an FIU defensive line on occasion and Rourke did a great job of playing Houdini at times to get himself out of trouble. I hope he can keep that up against a stout defense.

The Hoosiers ran the ball off tackle and beyond well. Running by committee can be a good thing. Fans love a bell-cow who gets stronger with more feeds as the game goes on. Multiple looks with multiple personnel do give the defense more to consider. Elijah Green took for a long one when the FIU defense was in tounge-dragging mode late in the game. Ty Son Lawton, Justice Ellison both also had quality carries that saw them stay upright for many positive yards also. When you have four backs get carries or ten yards or more, something is working. Give that O-line credit too.

The best Indiana stat? No turnovers. Like my old radio partner, Gus Stephenson, and I used to say, field position and turnovers can help turn a ballgame. IU did well here. The worse stat? 9 penalties for 80 yards the wrong direction. This can’t happen against a team that is competitive. Another plus was guys making great plays were not acting like they were running for public office.

Defensively the Hoosiers did a fair job. FIU was held to under 2 yards a carry and that is bringing the wood. The Panthers did complete 20 of 29 passes, albeit most were of the oh no here they come… dink and dunk variety. Amare Ferrell intercepted a Panther pass and returned it 20 yards. The D was solid.

Indiana has potential. What’s new? 18 one-score game losses in the Tom Allen era tells us. The potential is there. But will the corner be turned? Coach Bill Mallory was 0-11 in 1984. In November of 1987, the Hoosiers went to East Lansing to face Michigan State with a Rose Bowl, the real kind of Rose Bowl, on the line. After the game Coach Mallory visited the Spartan locker room and told them to go out to the Rose Bowl and kick their “butt”. This is worth looking up on Youtube.

So Coach Cig, please just do your job. The fans don’t owe you a thing. Wins will take care of what you desire from them. There was no coronation when you were named IU’s football coach. Far from it. This is not the epicenter of college football. Indiana Football can be a special place in the hearts of fans when they have a reason to believe they will no longer be let down. Like the player on the field, you are the ‘next man up’ on the sidelines in the eyes of many. Like you want to the defensive end to stay home and do his job, there is a legion out there wanting, hoping, and praying that you will do your job like you say you can. Believe it or not, like the old song says, I’m all for you!

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

The college football season begins in earnest this weekend. There are a few intriguing matchups and a few cupcake festivals. As the 12-team playoff evolves, we wonder how many of those will lose their icing.

Last night there were a couple good games I kept an eye on. North Carolina went to Minnesota and defeated Goldy 19-17. The bad news is Tar Heel QB Max Johnson was sent to the hospital with a leg injury. Colorado beat North Dakota St. before a sold-out Folsom Field in Boulder.

I plan on being in Bloomington Saturday for the Indiana Hoosier’s debut under the tutelage new head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers are favored by three touchdowns. Let’s hope this will be a practice game ahead of Big Ten play.

On to the picks:

Louisville beats Austin Peay… Austin Peay reminds me of my brother and the story about the time he took me, my dad, and a friend away from the last play of the game between U of L and Southern Miss in 1989. Darrell had to Peay. We missed a Brett Favre’s last pass of the game doink off a Louisville player’s helmet and land in the arm’s of a Golden Eagle in full stride that went for 79 yards and the win.

Georgia beats Clemson… Is there a team with more to prove than UGA? Is there an uglier dog? I think not.

Purdue beats Indiana State… I will give it to the Boilerfolks. They show up. I received an email that said they had less than 2000 tickets remaining. My hat is off to them.

Penn State beats West Virginia…Beat them badly, please. For no other reason than to shut Pat McAfee up for five and half seconds.

Tennessee beats Chattanooga…There will be lots of mommas and daddies on hand to see their boy get a snap or two in the 4th quarter. Play the waterboy is what I say!

Ohio State beats Akron…Do the Buckeyes even show up in force? Will the starters come out in sweats during the second half. This is one of the cupcakes I was talking about. A cupcake Indiana beat in 4 OTs last year thanks to a missed field goal.

Texas beats Colorado State… Will we get to see Arch Manning sling it a few times? I sure hope so.

Indiana beats FIU… They darn well better. They have turned the pre-game around the stadium into a Ringling Bros. sideshow. Give’em something to cheer about. I will believe in that JMU talent when they beat the likes of UCLA.

Alabama beats Western Kentucky…Kalen DeBoer is a good one. I remember what it felt like when Bear Bryant’s shadow was at its largest around Ray Perkins. Time have changed. Or have they?

Michigan beats Fresno State… Things feel a little tarnished in Ann Arbor.

Oregon beats Idaho… Free taters for everyone! Welcome to the Big 10 you ducks you.

Texas A & M beats Notre Dame…Word is the Irish are loaded with skill players. A & M will hit hard, if you know what I mean.

UCLA beats Hawaii… The Bruins in the Big 10. Still hard to imagine. But if it has to be someone, I am glad it is them.

Kentucky beats Southern Miss… UK has been reeling a bit. Hopefully the Vandagriff QB will steady them a bit.

Enjoy your good times! Enjoy the games. I think LSU will beat USC. Hate that they are playing that one in Vegas. Imagine those two teeing it up in Death Valley at about 8 central time. That is where this game should be.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

There are days and there are THOSE days. There are people we meet and THOSE (positive connotation) people we meet. There are games we played and there are a few of THOSE games we played.

Yesterday I went back to the football field that was once my playground. The first game I ever played was on the field at Brownstown Central High School. I was in the 4th grade. Terry Grider was my coach. I liked Terry. He’s not with us now. He had played for my dad. 1977 was the year I played for Terry. Our team was the Bears. We had a 1-1-1 record. 0-1-1 going into the last games against the Cardinals who were 2-0, We beat them 30-26 and I guess that too was one of THOSE games. That is the only score I remember playing 6 scheduled games in 4th and 5th grade. I caught a pass in that game. Brian Crawford threw the pass.

I didn’t hang around Brownstown Central for my 6th grade year. School politics can be nasty. I knew it as a child, and I lived it as an adult. As a child, my dad was told he was not going to be Brownstown’s coach in 1979. That is when we made our way to North Harrison. As an adult, the school politics war I waged is still playing out, if only in my head. Things are much better now. But a price was paid. Free speech can be oxymoronic at times. We’re not going to get into all of that.

Forty years ago in 1984, the North Harrison Cougars team I played for opened the season against the Brownstown Central Braves. If you read any of what I have written, yes, it was an important game for the only kid on the field whose dad had coached both teams. The date is at the bottom of the roster.

When the NH boys got off the bus, the high temperature that day was 76, and the low was 53, so you know we had a pleasant hour-long bus ride North up Hwy 135. We kicked off 8 PM EDT. Remember those? It was 7 in Brownstown and 8 in Ramsey. Fast time and slow time are what we called it back then. The temperature was probably heading for the mid-60s by game’s end.

The first extra point I ever kicked was in the endzone in the background. No, there was no turf field there then. That is not the same goalpost. But it is the same little piece of sky.

I wrote all about how the old field was changed to turf and how the old stadium was torn down and replaced. The place doesn’t look the same. But the faces do. Yesterday I was hanging out with Adam Disque. He’s an old friend from my Medora days. He played at Brownstown and now his son, Jaden, is a senior on the team. I am nothing short of blessed to know Adam. He’s a few years younger than I am. Most are these days. We always have a great time together.

Yesterday I was watching a JV game between the Braves and the Corydon Central Panthers. Adam Disque was in charge of the game. That meant I had a spot on the golf cart.

As I sat there in the blazing sun, every now and then I saw 40 year-old ghosts on the field. Mick Rutherford blocking a punt and landing on it in the endzone for a touchdown. Troy Osborne scooting down the field for six. Russell Harrell putting a lick on Mike Warren that he still remembers. The score was 27-0 at the half in 1984. 53-0 after the third quarter. 59-0 was the final. To this day, I smile when I think about, and I know I was a part of the worst beating a BCHS team has ever taken at home.

Photos from The Banner.

Photo from The Seymour Tribune.

When the old ghosts weren’t there to recall, I was enjoying the camaraderie of old friends. Barry Hall, Don Roberts, Jon Robison, Jeff Settle, all guys I have known for decades. Though the place doesn’t look the same, the friendship and the love still remains. That is the most important thing. Had I been on the other end of that 59-0 score, I would not feel the way I do. That is what makes it one of THOSE games. I needed it then to be here now. Sitting in that golfcart in turn one on the track was a comfortable place to be.

What I wouldn’t give to have a picture of that scoreboard at the end of the game in 1984

All I can do is think about that old field and stadium. There was some extra personal symmetry for this old boy the first time I saw a game after the new stadium was put in.

North Harrison playing Brownstown Central in 2017.

Ben Waynescott was true from 24 yards away kicking the winning field goal as time expired. North Harrison 17 Brownstown Central 14. It wasn’t 59-0, but it sure was fun.

As I drove away from Blevins Stadium yesterday, I could of swore I heard an old friend. I stopped the Explorer and looked to my right. There indeed was an old friend on the practice field. I said hello. I said thanks. I took a picture.

It was an old friend I have known all my life. 40 years ago, we had one great reunion.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson