The Big Ten bully

Imagine for a moment a playground at Big Ten Elementary -- the school of hard knocks. On this playground, some kids are playing on the monkey bars, the swings or throwing a football back and forth. \nOhio State, or, as the bullied call him, "OSU," is the big kid on campus. He was the last one to win a national championship or the last kid to win the big race among all the other schools. But lately, OSU has shown signs of weakness. Texas, the steroid-induced kid from Big 12 Elementary, embarrassed him in a race early in the school year. Penn State, the kid who has been in a body cast for two years, defeated him in a race a few weeks ago. \nStill, OSU remains confident. He has an upcoming race against Indiana, or IU. Now, IU has always been a pushover for OSU. Year after year, he pummels IU in a race and even has most of his extended family watch it happen. \nIU hates OSU. And he hates how OSU beats him in front of OSU's extended family when IU can't even get a brother or sister to come watch the race. Year after year, IU hears the sounds of taunts from the extended family of OSU.\nThe last time IU beat OSU was in 1988. (Funny how that is in a span of 17 years and yet this is all taking place in an elementary school, but IU and OSU are not very good at math so let it go). It was the same year IU won eight races and even raced the University of South Carolina from Southeastern Elementary in the Liberty Bowl ... err ... I mean race. \nBut this year is different. Over winter break, a new family adopted IU. His father, Terry Hoeppner, has loaded IU with confidence. He has told IU time and time again how much potential IU has. But most importantly, Hoeppner has an extended family that actually attends IU's races. With a record of 4-2, IU has seen what it is like to go from "pushover" to "pushes over." \nIU outpaced smaller kids like Kentucky and Central Michigan earlier this year, and IU even beat Illinois in a race, but that doesn't mean much at Big Ten Elementary. Illinois is the kid hanging out in the shade. He is always under the same oak tree in the playground talking to himself because, well, no one else will. \nSo there they are. Lined up, foot to foot, right next to "The Rock" -- IU's favorite place to race. Armed with a new family, an actual crowd and renewed confidence, IU's chances seem better than ever. \nThe bully is back. He is big. He is bad. But he's \nbeatable.\nImagine for a moment, a playground at Big Ten Elementary. Imagine this is the year IU beats the bully.