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Thursday, May 9
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

What else can go wrong?

If I were coaching IU football I'd give the University my two-week's notice, but that would mean I'd have to coach two more football games.\nCam Cameron should go through with his. \nSaturday was pathetic. Utah isn't bad, but the Utes couldn't beat any of the Big Ten's other 10 teams and sure as this is Cameron's last season shouldn't beat IU. Ever. \nAnd IU has no one to blame but itself. A missed extra point? A missed field goal? A wide receiver who lets lining up on the line of scrimmage slip his mind? Utah? \n All of this with senior Antwaan Randle El back where he belongs, at quarterback. \n Even with Randle El at quarterback, it's no longer a question of whether Cameron will be in Bloomington next season, but rather if IU will win one game. If Saturday is any indication, probably not. \nRandle El was solid -- he ran for 69 yards, passed for 157 and said he wasn't rusty. But, his fourth-quarter interception indicated otherwise. Still, it's hard to come down on the guy who pretty much did everything for IU, minus the occasional contribution from senior tailback Levron Williams. \nIt isn't hard to condemn IU's swiss-cheese-like defense. Utah racked up 447 yards of offense and shredded the Hoosiers on the game's final drive, driving the nail in Cameron's coaching coffin. \nThings will only get worse from here on out. If Utah can roll over IU for 447 yards, what will Ohio State do this week? How about Wisconsin? And Northwestern? And Illinois? And Purdue? IU's only hope for saving Cameron from a winless final season is Kentucky -- maybe. \nThe same problems that plagued IU at North Carolina State in the season opener didn't go away Saturday, and it looks like those problems might still be around when IU and UK meet in December. Cameron took the blame for the loss at N.C. State, but he didn't do the same Saturday.\nInstead, he entered the press conference looking like he just got done bawling, then asked the media what they saw in IU. A laundry list followed: soft defense, poor linebacking play, lack of concentration, no pressure on the opposing quarterback, virtually no pass coverage, no kicking game, no fans; the same old Saturday. \nCameron agreed with every appraisal before saying he would start looking at tape of Ohio State later that night. If I were him, I would have gone home, grabbed a gallon (or two) of whiskey and kept crying. \nA few minutes after finishing his interview, Randle El popped back in the press conference and told Williams and senior linebacker Devin Schaffer to give him a call. Wonder what they did? Probably contemplated just where their program is going. The answer is simple, and like Randle El said, "You can't sugar-coat it." \nIt can't get any worse -- less than 27,000 fans, a loss to a Mountain West Conference team and the authentic possibility of a winless season. \nStill, Randle El said nothing could happen this season that would make him regret returning for his senior campaign. I'm saying losses to Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue and Kentucky will change his notion. \nJust three weeks ago, Hoosier players were discussing the possibility of a bowl game. Now, we're trying to figure out if IU will win one game. You have to wonder if the players are doing the same. You know Cameron is. Unless he's signing his resignation.

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