There's only room for improvement

By now, most of you have finished moving in, still hoping to hold on to the last little part of summer break. The days are still hot and the leaves on the trees are still green -- for the most part -- but you can't deny the inevitable. Football season is here.\nWhile you were busy moving couches, beds and TVs, the football team was busy moving sleds and hitting tackling dummies. Fresh off a 2-10 season and a 1-7 Big Ten record, coach Gerry DiNardo enters his third year at the helm. Whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen, but hey, the team can't get much worse, can it? On second thought, don't answer that question.\nLook, most preseason magazines have picked the Hoosiers to either finish last in the Big Ten, or second to last next to Illinois. That's not much of a compliment. While others may have low expectations, I believe the Hoosiers actually have a good chance to win three or four games. And with a little luck, they might be able to win five or six games. That sounds like a lot for a team that has gone 5-19 since DiNardo's arrival, but it is possible. Just because the Hoosiers are not supposed to win a lot of games doesn't mean they can't.\nOffensively, the team looks to be powerful enough to hang with the toughest defenses in the Big Ten. The offense has nine returning starters including Matt LoVecchio at quarterback, BenJarvus Green-Ellis at tailback, and Courtney Roby at wide receiver. Last season as a true freshman, Green-Ellis tore up the competition, rushing for 938 yards. Reaching 1,000 rushing yards this season should be no problem for Green-Ellis because of the experience on the offensive line. \nWhile LoVecchio had a hard time adjusting to Indiana's complicated offense last season, throwing more picks than touchdowns, there's hope that all the rust is finally gone. After sitting out for a season after transferring from Notre Dame, LoVecchio managed to toss just three touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions. Last season, LoVecchio was less than impressive when throwing passes longer than 15 yards, but looks to improve this season with the help of new offensive coordinator, Steve Addazio.\nDefensively, well, what can I say? Recently, the Indiana defense has been less than stellar, and that's a bit of an understatement. Last season, opponents averaged more than 30 points a game against the inexperienced defense. This season looks to be a better story though. The defense is returning nine starters as well, including playmakers in Jodie Clemons on the defensive line, Kyle Killion at linebacker, and Herana-Daze Jones at safety. The defense also looks to benefit from a new defensive coordinator, Joe Cullen. With a solid defense finally in place, the Hoosiers might be able to remain competitive through four quarters, something the team hasn't been able to do in a while.\nSo in DiNardo's third year, with a full team for the first time, it's fathomable that the Hoosiers could finally win more than three games, though it will be no easy test. IU has to play Purdue and Northwestern on the road, as well as trips to two of the toughest venues in college football, Oregon and Ohio State. \nBut first, IU will get a good chance to start the season off with a victory over Central Michigan, and also stands a good chance to be competitive against Northwestern, Illinois, Michigan State, and Penn State. Reaching five victories would be a milestone and maybe a little bit of a miracle, but it could happen.\nOK, I know you're thinking that's a lot of optimism for a team that won just two games last year, and it is. But after being one of the worst teams in Division I-A last year, there's really not much of anywhere for IU to go but up.