Hoosier Sports Report
Ah, nothing feels quite as good as a 50 point blowout on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The Indiana Hoosiers are 2-0 heading full steam ahead into a week three matchup with Ohio State, following a 52-0 beat down of Eastern Illinois. This Saturday presents the Hoosiers with another opportunity to breakthrough with a program redefining win with the Buckeyes making the trek down to Bloomington. IU has been in a similar position before, with ESPN’s College Gameday even making a special Thursday night appearance back in 2017 for the opening night of college football. That game ended in a heartbreaking loss for the Hoosiers, but this year could be something different.
For the first time in what feels like a century, the Hoosiers have a team that many believe can compete for and win a bowl game, something that hasn’t been done in nearly 30 years and perhaps offer a legitimate challenge for the top tier of Big Ten programs. This team could be the best challenge to Ohio State and the upper echelon of the Big Ten that the Hoosiers have trotted out since Anthony Thompson was running out of the backfield way back in the 1980s. The 2019 Hoosiers look like a team with a dynamic offense led by redshirt freshman Michael Penix and senior receiver Nick Westbrook as well as a defense that looked more disciplined and ready to compete against Eastern Illinois that it did a week prior against Ball State. If all three phases continue to produce at a high-level Saturday’s matchup could be that breakthrough win this program desperately needs.
Altogether, this looks like the best football team to take the field in Bloomington in at least a decade. If the Hoosiers continue to show up willing to take on the challenge Ohio State presents as they have in recent years, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see a few burning couches in Bloomington Saturday night.
