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The College Football News previews the states I-A football programs To find out the scoop on how the Hoosier State’s major college football programs will fare this season, we went to the experts at CollegeFootballNews.com (CFN) for insight. This is what CFN had to say about our four I-A football programs in 2004:
Ball State Cardinals Preseason rank: 109 out of 117 As Clay Aiken might attest to, the worst thing to be is invisible. When a program is really bad, at least you know you're starting from scratch. But when a team isn't a factor whatsoever, that brings on indifference and then there's little to no buzz. It's hard enough to get noticed as a MAC team, and it's even more difficult in a league with 14 teams and some breakout stars like Miami and Bowling Green. Ball State had a nothing 2003 season, and 2004 will be tough, but that should be it before the program starts to shine. Head coach Brady Hoke had a
whale of a recruiting season considered by some to be the MAC's best. Coming
from Michigan, he knows what it takes to get a program to win, and he'll
get the men from Muncie
rolling ... next year. The Schedule: The MAC slate isn't a peach going on the road to face Toledo and Bowling Green, but at least Northern Illinois has to come to Muncie. Closing out against UCF and at Central Michigan isn't all that bad. Opening against three bowl teams, Boston College, at Purdue and at Missouri, won't be easy. Best Offensive Player: Junior WR Dante Ridgeway. Mired on a lousy team, Ridgeway never got the respect or credit he deserved for having the best receiving season in school history catching 89 passes for 1,071 yards and ten touchdowns. He's a receiver to build a whole offense around. Best Defensive Player: Senior SS Justin Beriault. The former linebacker turned in an All-MAC season as a big hitting safety. He was second in the league with 12.1 tackles per game and was one of the league's toughest defenders. With few returning defensive starters, he'll have to be even more of a leader this year. Key player to a successful season: The Cardinals split work between the quarterbacks last year, and will probably do it again now that Talmadge Hill and Andy Roesch are gone. Top recruits Warren Suess and Cole Stinson will be in the mix when the come to camp to battle likely Todd Gillin, Todd Racine and probable number one Joey Lynch. The season will be a success if ... the Cardinals come through with a winning season. There will need to be an upset win or two to make it happen, but Hoke is demanding a lot out of his team. It'll more likely be a five-win year at best. Key game: Oct. 23 at Akron. Any hope of a winning season might rest in this game against the explosive Zips. It's the type of road game against a mid-range MAC team that the program needs to to take the next step up . 2003
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Indiana Hoosiers
Preseason rank: 79 Yeah, yeah, yeah, Indiana isn't a football school, you can't recruit there, it isn't a winning situation, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line: The "basketball school" tag doesn't hold water considering the yearly success of the Purdue program, which is also a school nutso for hoops. Secondly, Northwestern, with far tougher all-around issues than IU, went to a bowl game. Indiana won one D-I game. That won't be acceptable in the third year of the Gerry DiNardo era. DiNardo has had time to put
the pieces in place and now has a veteran team that he molded himself. There
aren't too many All-Big Ten caliber players to rely on, but there are more than
enough good, hard-nosed tough guys that should be able to band together and be
effective in a league that isn't quite as nasty as it was a few years ago. The Schedule: IU had better win its opener against Central Michigan or the season might be over before it begins. At Northwestern, sandwiched between Michigan and Ohio State, might be the only oasis. There's not a 100% guaranteed win as the Hoosiers should be the underdog in every game after CMU Best Offensive Players: Sophomore RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis. A good workhorse and an effective all-around runner, the Green-Ellis was one of the Big Ten's breakout stars. Now he'll have more help from the rest of the running backs so he can stay fresh, and the line is more experienced. Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Herana-Daze Jones. Out of place as a linebacker, Jones has taken his big hitting talents to the secondary where he made 96 tackles and was an intimidating force. He should be one of the league's better all-around safeties. Key player to a successful season: The running game is there and the receivers have talent. Now it will be up to a quarterback to make it all happen. Matt LoVecchio had a horrible first season with consistency problems and was generally unable to move the offense. If he isn't night-and-day better early, Gerry DiNardo will have to pull the plug to try and save the season. The season will be a success if ... IU wins five games. This is a lot to ask from a team with its two easiest Big Ten games coming on the road, but a positive step has to be taken this year or overall changes will have to be made. Key game: October 9th at Northwestern. Few have paid attention, but the argument could be made that the Hoosiers and Wildcats have played the best series of Big Ten games over the last few years with Northwestern winning 41-37 in 2002 and in a 37-31 overtime thriller last season. This is a must-win for the Hoosiers if there is any hope of a turnaround season. 2003
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Notre
Dame Fighting Irish Preseason rank: 41 Ah the fickle and wacky world of college football. On November 29th, 2002, Ty Willingham was the toast of college football. He had restored the glory of Notre Dame football leading a limited team to a 10-1 start going into a nationally televised showdown with USC. Five wins in 14 games later, a segment of the Irish nation is ready to hand Willingham his walking papers saying the program is in disarray. Remember that this is only
year three of the Willingham era. While it's possible for the writing to be on
the wall for coaches at some places after only two years, it's different for
Notre Dame as there needed to be an overhaul of talent and a change in offensive
philosophy. That's why this is the season that Willingham must produce as he now
has enough of his own players in place to take that next step that the program
needs. The Schedule: As far as Notre Dame schedules go, this is a walk in the park. There are big names but few killers as only Michigan, Tennessee and USC are appreciably more talented than the Irish. There's no reason for there to ask for anything less than 4-1 against at Michigan State, Washington, Purdue, Boston College and Pittsburgh, and there can't be any slip ups against inferior teams like Stanford, Navy and BYU. Best Offensive Player: Junior WR Maurice Stovall. He's a million dollar car that needs to get out of the garage. At 6-5 with sprinter's speed, Stovall has everything you could want in a receiver, and now he has to put it all together. Rhema McKnight is the team's leading pass catcher and good enough to draw the attention of most top defensive backs; Stovall has to clean up on the other side. Best Defensive Player: Senior DE Justin Tuck. If a Notre Dame superstar can go unnoticed, Tuck has done it. The top pass rusher turned into an elite player last season. If the new starters on the line flourish as expected, he'll come up with another double-digit sack season. Key player to a successful season: Everyone forgave Brady Quinn's rough first season because of his youth and inexperience in the offense. That won't be an excuse this season as he has to play like a seasoned veteran or else this could be another long year. He has the receivers to throw to and the running game to take the heat off; now he has to become the player Irish fans have expected him to be. The season will be a success if ... Notre Dame wins eight games plus a bowl victory. There are too many home games and too many average teams on the schedule to demand anything less than eight wins. Also, the Irish has to at least hang around with USC and Michigan. Key game: Sept. 18 at Michigan State. Notre Dame isn't good enough to beat Michigan in the opener, but stranger things have happened in this series. No matter what happens against the Wolverines, the road date with the Spartans is the key to getting the season off to a big start. With four home dates and a fifth against Navy in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Irish should be able to go on a major run starting with a win in East Lansing. 2003
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Purdue
Boilermakers Preseason rank: 38 An interesting shift has
happened in Purdue football over the last few years.
When head coach Joe Tiller
first got his hands on the program, Purdue cranked out one of the most explosive
offenses in the Big Ten finishing first three times and second twice in his
first six years. The problem originally was on the defensive side, but now
that's a strength over the last few seasons finishing first in the league in
2002 and 13th in the nation last year. Welcome back to 1997. The Schedule: Purdue would've loved to have this schedule last year when the team was full of veterans. Even so, it's not asking too much to come out of the first six games, which look tougher on paper than in practice, unbeaten. Michigan, at Iowa and Ohio State in the back half should kill Big Ten title hopes, but the Boilermakers should win at least one. Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Kyle Orton. With a great arm, good poise and a few years of experience, Orton is ready to be the best quarterback in the Big Ten and finally break out statistically. He's deadly accurate, but he hasn't yet thrown for more than 15 touchdown passes in a season. If Purdue is to have a chance at the Big Ten title, he'll have to double that total. Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Antwaun Rogers. Lost in the shuffle of all the great defensive players of last year, Rogers was a good corner with size, speed, and good open-field tackling ability. Now he'll have to shine as the cornerstone of the inexperienced defense. Key player to a successful season: Sophomore LB George Hall. The three star linebackers of last year need to be replaced, so it'll be up to Hall, the projected starter in the middle, to lead the new group and provide the playmaking ability that's been so consistent on the defense over the last few seasons. The season will be a success if ... Purdue wins the Big Ten title. Yeah it's a lofty goal for a team with so many question marks, but Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan all have to come to West Lafayette, and no one in the league can touch this team's offense. Key game: November 6th at Iowa. With all due respect to Penn State, this is the only brutal road game on the schedule getting all the Big Ten big boys at home. Iowa is the one exception and should be strong enough in Iowa City to screw up any Boilermaker title hopes. 2003
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