Indiana Hoosiers: Penn State Game on Sunday a Must-Win

Who would have thought with the way this season started that a January 22^nd home game against Penn State would make or break this season for the Indiana Hoosiers?

Well, when you lose to two bottom-feeders in the Big Ten with one being on your home court, this game becomes crucial in a wide-open conference.

The Hoosiers, as we stand today, have four league losses and are two games behind the league lead. Another loss would pretty much end any hope at a Big Ten title, and would make things difficult to climb back into the top half of the conference by season’s end.

With the Big Ten being so good this year with, I believe, eight true NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, when Nebraska, Minnesota, Penn State and Iowa come calling on your schedule, you better beat them. There are no excuses to lose to those lousy teams.

Indiana has already lost to one at home (Minnesota). Another loss to one on their home court will be detrimental. These are games you have to win.

There should be four wins guaranteed by winning on your home court, and realistically there should be eight. Each time you drop one makes it becomes tougher to climb out of the hole you got yourself into. The other seven teams that you face are no gimmes.

Indiana struggled but hung on against Penn State just a few Sundays ago in Bryce-Jordan Arena. If they can’t stop this losing skid and learn to play when people have a target on them, then scrap this season, and forget about the wins against Kentucky and Ohio State because this team is fading backwards in the wrong time of year.

This is the time of year when teams need to be improving. The last few years Indiana has gotten worse. Don’t give me, The beginning wins were a fluke, or, The Hoosiers were overrated. They absolutely weren’t at all.

That was a good team playing together and getting things done to win. They did things right to beat Kentucky and Ohio State. Sorry, Wildcat and Buckeye fans, it wasn’t a fluke. They were just better than you.

Now, with a bull's eye and all the attention they garnered by starting 15-1, they couldn’t handle it. It’s time to get back to winning and handling the pressure because, if not, this season is wasted.