Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, January 6, 2016
The Hoosiers feted their 1975-76 team, the last unbeaten national champ. Bob Knight wasn?t there. But his presence and aura were unmistakable. Greg Doyel from the Indianapolis Star chronicled it all very nicely.
What always amazed me about this 1975-1976 Indiana team is that some feel the 1974-75 Hoosiers squad was even better. That squad went 31-1, winning all of its Big Ten games by an average of 22.8 points before losing in the Elite Eight to Kentucky. Too bad Scott May suffered a broken arm.
Speaking of Indiana injuries, that's a tough blow for Indiana with news that star James Blackmon must undergo knee surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
Blackmon sustained the injury in a non-contact situation in practice, two days before Indiana opened Big Ten play at Rutgers on Dec. 30. An official press release did not confirm a diagnosis but said one could be available as soon as Tuesday evening. The surgery is expected to take place Tuesday.
With Blackmon out, this is Yogi Ferrell?s team. And, he?s capable of leading it to big things.
IU beat a spunky Wisconsin squad last night. One thing is becoming increasingly clear about this Badger club: Offense is a challenge.
[tweet https://twitter.com/IndianaOnBTN/status/684490072784125952]***
The grades are in from Mlive.com for the Michigan State offensive players. No shock that Connor Cook got an ?A.?
Mlive.com also has grades on the Michigan offensive players. Like Cook, Michigan QB Jake Rudock got an ?A.? See why the Spartans and Wolverines both had double-digit win seasons?
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It?s no secret that Rutgers needs to upgrade facilities. The good news: A.D. Pat Hobbs says the school is sprinting toward that goal. I have always liked the potential of this school. There is a lot to like.
"Phase 1 would be the multi-sport training facility," Hobbs told NJ.com. "But it's really integrated with all of the pieces. Fortunately, we have alums across our sports who are incredibly enthusiastic about lacrosse, about soccer, about football but also the sports that would be housed in there. I really envision that first facility as a facility that impacts all sports either directly or indirectly. If we do it right, it really should be a place where recruits from all of our sports would be brought to that facility. We'd have rooms there were coaches can meet with recruits."
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Pennlive.com has a look at Penn State?s season in numbers.
The one I like: 2,338. That?s the combined yardage for sensational Penn State youngsters Saquon Barkley (1,076 yards rushing) and Chris Godwin (1,101 yards receiving). The skill talent abounds in State College. But a hole at QB yawns. The good news: Trace McSorley showed promise in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
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Sam McKewon of Omaha.com says the bowl belly flops of Iowa and Northwestern reflect poorly on the Big Ten.
McKewon points out that Northwestern and Iowa appeared to stand little chance vs. Tennessee and Stanford, respectively. Receivers weren?t open. Linebackers couldn?t track down ball carriers. Neither Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard nor Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson had any time to throw - they were sacked a combined 11 times - or any great ideas when they did. It was just ugly.
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The gang at InsideNU.com has taken a stab at projecting Northwestern?s offensive depth chart. I will be eager to see what happens at QB. Is Clayton Thorson really the best NU has? And will some playmaking emerge at wideout?
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I know you?ve been wondering: What if college football coaches were Star Wars characters? Well, Athlon has the answer. Guess what: Urban Meyer is cast as Han Solo. Jim Delany is even part of the cast.
