Outside of Notre Dame, the Division I schools here in the Hoosier state, Ball State, Purdue and Indiana, are a combined 8-14 so far this season.
That’s bad, but it’s even worse considering how comparatively weak the Big Ten has been with Ohio State a shadow of its former self and Wisconsin and Michigan both enduring tough ?seasons.
And for Ball State, the Mid-American Conference should be a winnable ?conference every year.
Despite the best team in their conference boasting a not quite sterling 5-3 record, the Cardinals are holding onto third-to-last place for dear life after dropping five of their past six games.
The definition of average, teams like Army, Western Michigan and Toledo have run roughshod over Ball State in what should have at least been competitive games given the relative proximity to football recruiting hotbeds in Michigan ?and Ohio.
For Purdue, its the issues have come on defense.
The Boilermakers have ?allowed fewer than 30 points on defense only twice this year — against Illinois and a 24-10 loss to Iowa.
They’re currently allowing an absurd 31.1 points per game on defense, ranking 91st in the country.
It’s hard for any team to compete with that bad of a defense, even with its much-improved offense averaging a respectable 28.3 points ?per game.
But second-time starter Austin Appleby has provided a spark to the offense, offering the squad a hope for improvement going forward and already matching his predecessor in touchdowns and nearly matching him ?in yards.
Defense has proven to be the Achilles’ heel of every Indiana Division I football team that isn’t coached by Brian Kelly.
The Hoosiers offer one of the best rushing attacks in not only the Big Ten, but the entire country, with the Terrell Davis-esque Tevin Coleman exploding onto the scene this year.
Their running game is ranked eighth in the country this year in yards, and Coleman’s name has been brought up in more than one Heisman conversation.
That said, the quarterback position has been a revolving door due to a season-ending injury to junior quarterback Nate Sudfeld and Tre Roberson’s transfer to Illinois State, leading to a dismal 170 passing yards per game on offense.
But like I said, the defense has been the root of each of these three teams’ problems.
IU has allowed a ghastly 35 points per game, and no matter how good the offense is, asking it to make up for that many points is asking too much.
These aren’t Kurt Warner’s St. Louis Rams, and Shane Wynn, although talented, isn’t Isaac Bruce.
If the Indiana teams not named Notre Dame want to improve, there has to be a focus on improving defense from a local recruiting ?perspective.
Otherwise, we have nothing to do but expect this trend of mediocrity and wasted talent on offense to continue.
aknorth@indiana.edu
