Indiana State isn’t a question of if, but how much

The Hoosiers have said all week that no one on the team is taking the in-state I-AA competition against Indiana State lightly. \n“Coach Lynch tells us everyday: ‘Take it one day at a time and one game at a time,’” senior fullback Josiah Sears said at Tuesday’s press conference. \nEarlier this week, Sears, along with senior cornerback Tracy Porter, was named a team co-captain for the upcoming season. Channeling former IU basketball player Rod Wilmont, Sears’ first order of business as team captain was to fit as many cliches as possible into one quote.\n“We can’t look past anybody,” he said. “They all count towards our victories to go to a bowl game, so we have to take each one and win each one as we go.” \nI think I’m going out on the sturdiest Sycamore tree limb ever when I say the Hoosiers will beat Indiana State on Saturday night. Indiana State coach Lou West has a record of 1-21 in his time in Terre Haute. The only group that has taken a bigger pounding than the Sycamores the past couple of years are the boys from Bad Newz Kennels.\nLast season, the Sycamores played defense like an easy prom date, giving up 44.8 points and 503.5 yards of total offense a game. Even if the Sycamores have improved significantly, Hoosier fans can still expect a blowout. \nWhether you’re talking about skill positions or lineman, the Hoosiers are simply bigger than their intrastate opponent. The tallest defensive back on Indiana State is 6-foot-1, which should mean 6-foot-7 junior wide receiver James Hardy will be winning a lot of jump balls. The Sycamores have 10 players on their team weighing 280 pounds or more. The Hoosiers have 22.\nThe question isn’t whether the Hoosiers will win, but by how much they will win. Last year’s season opener for the Sycamores was a 60-35 road loss to Purdue. In their previous five season openers, Indiana State has lost by a combined score of 212-72.\nAnd although the Hoosiers haven’t played Indiana State since 2003, the IU coaching staff is familiar with the Sycamores’ program. In 2004, Terry Hoeppner’s final season at Miami of Ohio, the Sycamores lost to the RedHawks 49-0. Also serving on Miami’s coaching staff at the time were IU co-defensive coordinators Joe Palcic and Brian George, who were serving in the same positions at the time. In that game, Palcic and George’s defensive game plan was brilliant, holding the Sycamores to just 204 total yards.\nThe Hoosiers hope to have a similar defensive performance under the lights tomorrow night at Memorial Stadium. \nOne noticeable difference at the stadium is the new location of “The Rock,” which has moved from its familiar location behind the north end zone to a new sideline position away from construction. The IU Athletics Department claims “The Rock” weighs five tons, making it the heaviest moving object on IU’s campus since Marco Killingsworth.\nThe evening game will also provide Hoosier fans with an opportunity to get in a whole day of tailgating before kick-off. An 8 p.m. start will allow IU’s student population to get as drunk as an Illinois shooting guard. \nDrunk or sober, the fans will see the Hoosiers win big Saturday night. As for the rest of the season, I expect them to take it one game at a time and take nothing for granted.\nPrediction: Indiana 55, Indiana State 21.