In 1993 on this weekend, the Indiana Hoosiers were 7-1 heading into their first tilt with newly minted conference foe Penn State. Yep. Penn State has been in the Big Ten that long. We Are Penn State’s move from Independent to Big Ten Member was an earthquake then. Teams change conferences now without breaking stride.
The Hoosiers were 7-1 that weekend all those years ago. No one considered them to be a challenger for the National Championship. The media voted and crowned the National Champ. We were still hoping that Indiana would make it to another Bowl Game. The week before, #23 ranked Indiana knocked off a 22nd ranked Michigan State team in a packed with snow from the night before Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The Hoosiers shutout the Spartans that day 10-0. Snowballs pelted the Michigan State sideline for much of the second half. I was sitting on the wrong side of the field that day.
The next week, the Hoosiers were playing in Beaver Stadium. The Hoosiers came in ranked #17. The Nittany Lions were ranked #19. The Hoosiers lost. Penn State 38 Indiana 31. A tough one to take.
Thomas Lewis hauled in 12 John Paci passes for 285 yards. A cold blustery day with intermittent snow was one to remember and forget. The next week the Hoosiers were defeated in The Horseshoe by a #5 ranked Ohio State team in a close one 23-17. One of oh so many close ones the Hoosiers of the Bill Mallory Era just missed. That ’93 team did make it to the Independence Bowl. They were bested by Virginia Tech in Coach Frank Beamer’s first bowl game with the Hokies. There would be many more consecutive bowl games and seasons for Coach Beamer in Blacksburg.
When the Nittany Lions came calling the next year to Indiana’s Memorial Stadium, the Hoosiers ruined Penn State’s season. Undefeated Penn State came in #2 in the country trailing only Nebraska by 2 vote points. In the 4th quarter, with 6:09 remaining after a Kijana Carter 80-yard touchdown run, Penn State led Indiana 35-14. That Penn State team was the best I have ever seen. Kerry Collins, Kijana Carter, Booby Engram, Kyle Brady all in one offensive backfield.
How did that game end? Not good for Penn State. John Paci was ineffective at QB for the Hoosiers. Off the bench came youngster Chris Dittoe in the second quarter. Dittoe finished the game 21-35 279 yards and 4 touchdowns with three of those scores tossed in the 4th quarter. The last one in the final seconds. The eye test was alive and well in 1994. A Penn State win 35-29 in a game they DOMINATED for 50 minutes was too much for them to overcome in the polls. They finished 12-0 after blowing out the Oregon Ducks in The Rose Bowl. Their final rank was #2 behind Nebraska. Were all in the Big Ten now!
So, here we are in 2025. You better believe many old Indiana Football fans will be feeling pretty good when the Indiana Hoosiers of here and now go up to Happy Valley and put one on the Nittany Lions for the first time up there in the middle of Pennsylvania Nowhere. Beautiful place. But man, it is an outpost.
Let’s get to the picks. Last week 12 winners and 2 losers. Finally broke that streak of 10-4 that went on for what seems like years.
Georgia beats Mississippi State… We know they don’t like the 11 AM kicks there. Strange things happen with these early games.
Indiana beats Penn State… Am I worried? You better believe it. Muscle memory.
SMU beats Boston College… Coach O’Brien is having a bad time of it in Chestnut Hill.
Ohio State beats Purdue… At Purdue. Does not matter.
Rutgers beats Maryland… This could be the game of the day.
Iowa beats Oregon… My head says Oregon’s speed will win out. My heart says Go Iowa! I’m a stubborn traditionalist.
Mizzou beats Texas A&M… They get this one in before the cold front makes it to Columbia. If A&M is going to stumble, it will be this week.
Vandy beats Auburn… Funny how Vandy QB Pavia is a superstar when IU’s Kurtis Rourke was on a team getting lucky last year.
Washington beasts Swissconsin… The Huskies are too much for the Badgers. Always glad to see Bucky go down.
Louisville beats Cal… Look out for the Cards. They will be in the CFP mix. RBs playing today need to stay healthy.
Virginia beats Wake Forest… Won’t be close.
Alabama beats LSU… Ya know… this could be “one of those”. I don’t see it. Tide wins rolling.
Notre Dame beats Navy… This should be a good one.
UCLA beats Nebraska… Tim Brando gets to call this one on FOX tonight and I will be with him every play. Go Bruins!
Have fun today. It’ll be brisk in these parts tomorrow. Stay warm.