The season is finally here! The Indiana Hoosiers kick off the 2009 campaign at home against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The Colonels are an FCS team that went 8-3 last season and won the Ohio Valley Conference before losing to Richmond in the FCS playoffs. This is a program used to success, EKU has 31 consecutive winning seasons and ten Ohio Valley titles. They return 7 offensive and 5 defensive starters including an All-OVC selection on the offensive line in Derek Hardman and the conference's leading returning rusher in C.J. Walker. The Ohio Valley media selected the Colonels to win the league for the 11th time in their preseason poll. That being said, this team lost to Western Kentucky last season. The Hoosiers beat WKU in last year's opener rather handily. EKU is also replacing their quarterback with a junior that does not have a start to his name. Five Things To Look For
1. How does Ben Chappell look as the full-time starter?
We saw glimpses of this last year but there is no backup plan now. Chappell will have step up his game in a big way if IU is going to be successful this season. We will get our first look at how he has progressed in the season opener.
2. Does the pistol offense come in with a bang?
We have heard a lot of very positive things about the new pistol offense. The offensive line loves it and they are better suited to block in the pistol, Ben Chappell loves running it, it helps playaction, the running backs are better suited to "run downhill". Tomorrow night, we will see the pistol offense unveiled. I am not suggesting that tomorrow night's performance will be an indictment on the new scheme but it will give us an idea about how the offense will look. I am personally very excited about it. If you want to see how the pistol should look when run properly, watch Nevada run it on Saturday in South Bend. We will also get to see the running backs. McCray, Willis, Payton, Burgess and Zach Davis-Walker battled all camp. McCray is the starter but I am really looking forward to the Hoosiers unveiling their new weapon, Darius Willis.
3. Is the secondary completely healthy?
We all remember the nightmarish season the Indiana secondary had. Nick Polk, Austin Thomas, Jerimy Finch, and more all lost to injuries. Apparently, everyone is back and the secondary looks good. If they can all stay healthy, I think this can be a position of strength for IU.
2. How does Greg Middleton look?
The coaches and his teammates have said all the right things. We have been told he had a great offseason, rededicated himself to football and he is ready to go for the 2009 season. If he can return to his 2007 form, the Hoosiers will have one of the best pass rushing duos in the nation.
1. Will the crowds show up to see the new Memorial Stadium?
I really hope IU can have something resembling a homefield advantage. They have made some beautiful renovations and additions to Memorial Stadium, the student ticket prices have been lowered, the game is in prime time on a Thursday night. Hopefully the fans show up and help get this season off to a great start.
Prediction
Eastern Kentucky is not a bad team. In fact, they are one of the top 25 teams in the FCS. That being said, Indiana has to win this game. A loss would deflate the fan base and erase any hope IU has of a successful season. There is a lot of positive momentum surrounding the program because of a good recruiting period and the renovations at Memorial Stadium. Winning would keep the good feelings going, losing would wipe it all away. I look for IU to get off to a shaky start in the first quarter. Eastern Kentucky will hang around until the halftime. However, I think the Hoosiers will be able to get some big plays to Demarlo Belcher and Tandon Doss in the second half. Once the Colonels fall behind, they will be forced to throw the ball and the Hoosiers will take advantage of an inexperienced quarterback.
Indiana- 35
Eastern Kentucky- 17
I will try and get a game recap up on Thursday night. Look for a preview of some of the important around the Big Ten and the rest of the country before action kicks off on Saturday. Also, after the IU game, do yourself a favor and switch over to ESPN to watch the Oregon-Boise State game on the smurf turf. It should be a high-scoring contest. If Boise State wins, they are BCS-contenders. However, I think Oregon gets revenge for last year's loss and pulls the upset.
Until then, how about a good start? Let's go Hoosiers, take care of business. Stay vigilant and God Bless America.
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