The contents of Bud Mackey’s shoes and Isiah Thomas’s dirty mouth grabbed more headlines this week than the best IU football story all season. \nEven when the football team wins, the basketball team finds a way to steal the spotlight.\nCall it a blip on the college football radar; call it one small step for a sub-par football program. But unless my eyesight has deteriorated worse than Major League Baseball umpire Tim McClelland’s, I think the Hoosiers received a vote in the Top 25 Coaches’ Poll this week. \nI know it isn’t as scandalous as crack rocks or inner-office name-calling, nor does it have anything to do with Tyler Zeller, Eli Holman’s eligibility or DeAndre Thomas’ weight, but the Hoosiers receiving national attention for something besides their fallen coach is a breakthrough moment for the entire school. \nThe Hoosiers have lifted themselves from the Big Ten gutter and into the Coaches’ Poll basement. The poll is voted upon by 60 Division I-A head coaches every week, which means that one of those 60 coaches considers the Hoosiers the 25th-best team in the nation.\nI’m not trying to lead a witch hunt, but don’t you really want to know who voted for the Hoosiers? It’s like the tribal council meetings in old “Survivor” episodes where they would never show you who the contestants were voting off. Or watching a poker tournament on television without the pocket cam or trying to figure out who re-elected Bush in 2004. I play detective and wrack my mind trying to figure out these things. \nOf the 60 coaches who make up the poll, only two have faced the Hoosiers this year: Ron Zook (Illinois) and Bill Cubit (Western Michigan). But there is another person who is relatively familiar with IU’s program that has a say in the poll. \nCould it be that Bill Lynch decided to reward his team’s big victory in Iowa City with a little top 25 cameo? Will more people pack “The Rock” this weekend now that the Hoosiers are receiving some national attention? The Coaches’ Poll, which is sponsored and put together by USA Today, only releases who the coaches vote for in the final polling, leaving me curious and sympathizing with Pandora.\nWould finding out Lynch voted for the Hoosiers ruin the story? I’m still recovering from the realization that “The Rock” was not formerly a part of Memorial Stadium. Like the Greek myth I vaguely remember from third grade, maybe finding out what’s inside the box isn’t all its cracked up to be. Especially, you know, if it involves releasing all of the evils into the world. \nNot that gambling is legal, but the Hoosiers are 14-point favorites against Minnesota. To borrow a phrase from former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, I can’t recall the last time the Hoosiers were favored to win by such a large margin, let alone against a team they surrendered 63 points to last season. \nBut this weekend, the Hoosiers are likely favorites, thanks to an explosive offense, a defense that is first in the nation in sacks and one of the top special-teams units in the conference. \nWith a win over Minnesota, the Hoosiers are likely to gain more poll attention, which could ultimately lead to a sunnier bowl game if IU fulfills their goal to “Play 13.” \nThe Hoosier football team deserves a lot more attention than the basketball delinquents. Forget Zeke’s harassment conviction and Mackey’s crack rock. If the Hoosiers can harass their opponents and move the rock at “The Rock,” they just might be able to crack the top 25.
Prediction: Indiana 41, Minnesota 21
