Hot air ballooned

As the Hoosier players linked arm-in-arm march alongside and behind IU coach Terry Hoeppner, a football not made of pigskin appeared in the end zone. Within seconds, the football -- inflated with hot air -- ballooned its way into the sky. This "football-up-high" signaled the game's opening kickoff -- not to the fans filling the stadium but perhaps to the fields filled with tailgaters too tanked to know the reason they were drunk in the first place. \nThe reason was a football game. And from the opening kickoff the Hoosiers held intact their usual domination over non-conference opponents. \nThe cream and crimson were led by their difference-maker, quarterback Blake Powers. Powers fueled the offense early on, converting a 3rd-and-4 to sophomore receiver James Hardy in single coverage and capping it off with a 10-yard tag to freshman Andrew Means in the end zone. \nIt was promising but predictable, and the rest of the half was highlighted by these moments, some of which were painful.\nThe final drive of the first half gave fans a chance to peer into the Hoosiers' potential problems. That drive should have concluded in a touchdown. It should have capped a 19-point Hoosier lead. It should have been a showcase of Powers' brilliance. Instead it turned into a tease, tethered by three penalty flags and a ton of bad tendencies.\nIt might have been thematic. If the IU offensive line had this many problems containing Western Michigan's blitzes, what will become of it when it faces the Big Ten teams? The most important piece of the puzzle for IU this season is its passing game, as if they are taking a page from the Indianapolis Colts' playbook. We can't lose if we score more points than our opponent. Instead, the offense's efforts may leave the field littered with contumacy, not completions. A penalty is a penalty no matter how far and frequent Powers may throw the ball this season. \nBut, in the end, the Hoosiers took care of business. Their home debut went smoother than last season when IU squeaked out a victory against Nicholls State. Western Michigan, however, did not have the same resolve to its running game as Nicholls State did. Instead, the Broncos relied on quarterback Ryan Cubit, who held the door open for IU's defensive opportunities. \nCubit crumbled, and the Broncos most lethal weapon of the game -- punter Jim Laney -- did what he could with his one leg.\nAs for the Hoosiers, their lethal weapon has yet to be found. They are a team that must live and learn. Live through the beating, only to learn to avoid it the next time. Some people call these baby steps, but for coach Hep and the Hoosiers they are sophomore steps -- steps which are taken a week at a time. \nAs for this season's expectations, the Hoosiers can rest assured another week, having passed their first test in Hoeppner's second season. The result will be ballooned expectations when they march into Muncie next week. And like the football-up-high, the Hoosiers will float the friendly skies of the rest of their non-conference schedule. \nBut maybe, just maybe, those expectations -- like the football-up-high -- are filled, unfortunately, with hot air.