Indiana's Near-Win In Ann Arbor: Will It Hurt Or Help Vs. Ohio St?

The Indiana University football program?  In the Big House?  No chance it will be close.

Right?

Wrong...apparently.  If not for a go-ahead 26-yard TD catch by Martavious Odoms and a questionable interception call by the referees on the ensuing possession, the Hoosiers would have pulled off the upset vs. Michigan that everyone deemed nearly impossible prior to Saturday's game...but that's why they play the game! 

Who knows what put the Wolverines over the edge in their 36-33 victory.  It sure didn't seem to be the crowd or the fact that their players had more stars in their Rivals.com profiles.  Whatever it was, though, beat Indiana.  

Some say the loss was a moral victory for the Hoosiers.  After all, no one gave them a chance to even make a splash in Ann Arbor.  

But "moral victory?"  I say no!  You see, if Indiana looks at this game from that perspective, it shows their weakness as a program.  The bottom line is that Bill Lynch and his team went up to Michigan thinking that they had a chance to do exactly what they almost did...win.  

If the Indiana team looks at the Michigan game as a peak, then they're going to regress and get blown out by Ohio St. at home this weekend.  However, if they look at it as a stepping stone, then there is no reason to think the team can't build on last week's performance. 

Let's clarify something really quickly, though.  I'm not saying that Michigan is on the same level as Ohio St.  I don't feel comfortable making that statement.  So even if the Hoosiers refuse to acknowledge their dynamite performance at the Big House, Ohio St. could still very well blow them out. 

But look at it this way.  Indiana will be at home rather than on the road in front of 110,000 opposing fans.  They already got an up-close-and-personal look at the Tate Forcier/Denard Robinson combo, which if you fuse their skill set, you kind of have a Terrell Pryor-type quarterback.  And they're coming off a record-setting offensive day at Michigan.

The kicker will simply be the Hoosiers' attitude.  If they take a healthy approach to their game against the Buckeyes, we could have a game on our hands!  If they're back in Bloomington acting like they're 4-0 rather than 3-1, then they're going to have a problem.  

I've been around the Indiana program for years.  I know that with the lack of success they've enjoyed (or haven't enjoyed) over the past few decades, it would be easy to celebrate even getting close to winning on the road in Ann Arbor.  However, that particular mindset is not going to help a program trying to build a foundation for success.  

With a strong group of players and a wealth of senior leadership, I'm serious when I say that the Hoosiers should expect to be in every game when the 4th quarter rolls around...no matter who they're playing.  It will be Bill Lynch's responsibility to keep his players' heads in the right place as the season moves forward. 

If Lynch can perpetuate the focus and intensity the Hoosiers brought to Michigan, the Hoosiers will have a chance this weekend against Ohio St. 

They'll have to deal with a defense that hasn't given up a single point since Week 2 and a multi-threat guy by the name of Terrelle Pryor.  But this Buckeye/Hoosier clash could end up being a lot better than we expected when the schedule came out earlier this year.

7:00 PM ET, Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN

PREDICTION:  OHIO STATE 33, INDIANA 17