Indiana U’s Historic Season | The American Spectator

Congratulations to Indiana University for a huge, historic victory over the seemingly invincible Ohio State Buckeyes in a great game on Saturday night. With the win, the Hoosiers take the Big 10 for the first time since 1967 and — even more significant — supplant the Buckeyes for the number one ranking in college football. They had not defeated the Buckeyes since 1988 —going 0 for 30 against OSU in that period. Yes, the Indiana Hoosiers, known for decades for basketball and sports like swimming, but notorious for being lousy at football, end the college football regular season at no. 1. That’s the university’s first-ever no. 1 ranking.

It’s only the third time ever that Indiana has won the Big Ten, the previous two occasions being 1967 and 1945.

The triumph for the Hoosiers is notable for The American Spectator, which was founded by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. and friends on the Bloomington campus in 1967. Indeed, I was struck by that irony when I read the graphic on the TV screen when the game ended. It declared:

Last Time Indiana Won Big Title, 1967 Season:

• Coach Curt Cignetti: 6 Years Old
• In Theaters: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• Did Not Exist: Personal Computers

I couldn’t help but add my own: “The American Spectator founded on IU campus.”

The game was an all-around terrific effort by the Hoosiers, who played the best team in football right down to the wire. We knew IU’s offense was good, but the defense performed better than I expected against a juggernaut. They really proved themselves. The big win and big season are a major credit to Heisman candidate quarterback Fernando Mendoza and coach Curt Cignetti. The two have turned around the program, especially Cignetti.

This is now Cignetti’s second straight season winning Big Ten Coach of the Year — in as many seasons. In two splendid, unprecedented seasons for IU’s program. With a staggering 24 wins thus far in his first two years, Cignetti has tied the Big Ten record for most wins in first two seasons for a coach (along with OSU’s Urban Meyer). His rise has been meteoric, stunning, and has captured the football world’s attention.

I personally feel a bond to Cignetti. We were both born in Pittsburgh (him five years before me), and his first coaching job out of college at West Virginia University, where he was a quarterback (1979-82), was at the University of Pittsburgh (my alma mater). He left Pitt shortly before I arrived there. He developed his excellent coaching skills not far from there in the town of Indiana (ironically), Pennsylvania, which is the hometown of legendary actor Jimmy Stewart. There at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (what we call IUP) — a D-II powerhouse — he coached for several seasons before moving up the ladder and eventually taking the job at Indiana University in Bloomington.

As for Mendoza, he was terrific, especially with a big-time long completion to his roommate wide receiver Charlie Becker to put the game away in the closing possession. Mendoza was not only grateful after the game but emotional, and spiritual. The first words out of his mouth through his tears of joy gave praise and credit to God.

Mendoza’s burst of emotion was certainly due. The closing minutes of the contest were riveting — just terrific football. I would say it was terrific television, too, but Fox did its best to crush the drama by slavishly and egregiously dashing to commercial breaks at every possible opportunity. In the last two minutes or so of regulation, OSU used each of its three timeouts. Each time it did so, the stupid Fox crew immediately broke away from the aura and action to repeat the next queue of commercials. Viewers were aching to see what was happening inside the stadium and get commentary. Instead, Fox moronically broke away to mindless ads every time.

Of all the TV networks that cover football, Fox is the very worst at that. Shame on them. They don’t deserve the games they get to cover.

But try as it might, Fox couldn’t kill the excitement of a fabulous football game on Saturday night between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes.

Now the college football playoffs begin, and IU is seeking the first national title in the history of its football program. Best of luck to Cignetti and his squad. Our TAS Hoosiers, alumni Bob Tyrrell and Wlady Pleszczynski, will be cheering hard for them.

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