Indiana and Minnesota will probably struggle this year in B1G play, but I like the trajectory of both programs. I think both programs have better days ahead. After a stunning upset of Iowa in 2006, the late Terry Hoeppner proclaimed that his Indiana Hoosier's football program was a shooting rocket. The next summer Hoeppner passed away due to brain cancer. In December of 2007 the Hoosiers played in the Insight Bowl, which was their first bowl appearance since the 1990 Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers goal that season was to "play 13", something that Hoepnner put an emphasis on and the Hoosiers did just that in 2007, playing 13 in the honor of their deceased coach. Bill Lynch, who took over for Hoeppner, was fired last year after failing to make the Hoosiers a consistent bowl team. The 2007 Insight Bowl remains the Hoosiers only bowl appearance in the last 20 years. Minnesota meanwhile has been to bowl games in 9 out of the last 12 years, but haven't even come close to winning a Big Ten championship since they tied for the title in 1967 with Indiana. The Gophers haven't been to the Rose Bowl since 1961. A 50 year major bowl drought for a team that was at one time considered a national power.
This past week the Hoosiers and Gophers picked up commitments from Gunner Kiel and Jonah Pirsig respectively. Kiel is considered arguably the best QB prospect in the country for the class of 2012, while Pirsig, an offensive tackle, had offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and defending national champion Auburn. Kiel is from Columbus, Indiana and Pirsig is from Blue Earth, Minnesota. I think both Hoosier and Gopher fans alike would have been surprised if not shocked to find out that their schools would secure commitments from these prospects a year ago. Kevin Wilson, who developed Sam Bradford into the top choice of the 2010 NFL draft at the University of Oklahoma, has a wide open spread the field offense and has been compared to the most popular unemployed head coach in the history of college football, Mike Leach. Wilson has that mad scientist feel to him offensively and let's be honest, if he puts Indiana on the map as a trendy offensive team that puts up arcade game numbers defensive players will follow. Sexy programs that are known for things can sell recruits that are known for other things. Meanwhile Jerry Kill is accomplishing something that the guy he replaced and the guy he replaced predecessors were never able to do. Lock down the borders of the state. The scary thing is Kill is doing it before Labor Day. Fall camp hasn't started and Kill already has 17 commitments, including the state of Minnesota's top 4 prospects: Pirsig, WR Andre McDonald, OL Isaac Hayes, and QB Philip Nelson.
It is hard to find the right leader for the right program. Just ask these two programs. Both programs have had 8 different head coaches in the last 30 years. Wilson and Kill have several things working for them. 1. Both teams have upgraded their facilities. 2. They are off to hot starts in recruiting. 3. If they elevate their teams to the level of programs such as Iowa and Wisconsin they will be looked at as legends. There is no where to go but up and I predict both programs will do just that, or as the late Terry Hoeppner said turn into "shooting rockets"!
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