Unexpected IU victory inspires lofty fan predictions

The Hoosier faithful broke out into a primal roar, followed by the religious incantation of "I-U" again and again until the final mighty psalm of "Indiana We're All For You" filled the air. \nThe crowd noise was absolutely deafening -- worthy of any IU home game. There was just one problem -- the Hoosiers played some 2,400 miles away in Eugene, Ore., against the No. 24 Oregon Ducks. \nWhile the game was an epic battle, culminating in the David's 30-24 defeat of Goliath, the availability of the game was quite scarce as only Yogi's Bar and Grill and the City Grille actually picked up the game for viewers.\nThe small amount of venues led to crazy crowds full of the Hoosier faithful. At Yogi's, the bar was filled with fans, all united in the hope that IU would become victorious. Senior Marc Magill echoed the throng's sentiments that he had waited his entire college career for such a win. \n"I have never felt so great," Magill said. "I never thought in my entire life we would beat a ranked team, this is unbelievable. I've been waiting three years for something like this."\nWhile some fans remain faithful purely to the cream and crimson gridiron, for others, IU's win evoked memories of other momentous Hoosier sports events, such as the basketball team's 2002 Final Four run. \n"This is one of the best times that I've had in five years," senior Joe Sum said. "It's almost better than the Duke (2002 Sweet Sixteen) win, but not quite."\nWhile most people think of IU as purely a basketball school, there were some football die-hards in attendance to watch the Hoosiers' improbable win. IU fan Ryan Garcia said the win was like no other experience in his life. \n"Since I've been here, I've followed IU football -- even more than basketball," Garcia said. "This is possibly the greatest day of my life."\nGarcia wasn't the only one of the cream and crimson faithful who ranked the experience amongst the greatest in their life. However, the fans weren't the only ones who benefitted from the win as IU coach Gerry DiNardo gained some respect from his fans. \n"I've got a headache, I'm drunk, and IU just won against a ranked team," junior Jason Myers said. "This is the greatest day of my life and Gerry DiNardo is my man."\nThe win also brought a number of optimistic predictions for the 2004 Hoosier campaign. After the game, fan predictions varied greatly from a respectable 6-5 season to an improbable undefeated Rose Bowl berth. However, one constant ran throughout all fan prophecies -- a certain breakfast dish that hasn't been graced by IU football's presence since 1993. \n"I've been following the Hoosier football team for two years and at 2-0, I believe we're going to a bowl game," senior Eric Wunderlich said. "I really think we can pull wins out against Kentucky, Illinois, Northwestern, Penn State and Michigan State. This is going to be a great year."\nWhile the unblemished 2-0 record will most definitely add some fans to the IU bandwagon, some Hoosier die-hards believe the credit is long overdue. \n"Two weeks ago, nobody believed in the Hoosiers," senior Rich Rosenzweig said. "This week, people are starting to believe and I believed from day one -- IU's going bowling"