Hopes stretched thin

How low do you go before you make the decision to pull the plug? \nIs five losses in a row enough? \nIf you ask Gerry DiNardo, the answer would without a doubt be 'no,' but the fact of the matter is that the Hoosiers need to win the rest of their games to become bowl eligible. \nIs it possible? Well, of course. \nIs it likely? Not really.\nThe Hoosiers' loss to Ohio State Saturday hurt more than just another tick in the loss column. The Hoosiers lost starting cornerback Tracey Porter to injury, but more importantly, the loss represented the practical end to the season for IU. Yes, IU still has games against fellow Big Ten bottom feeders Illinois and Penn State, but the other two remaining games are against Minnesota and Purdue.\nIn his post-game press conference, DiNardo had this to say about IU's running game, "We have struggled most of the year. We are trying to devise some ways to generate a running attack." \nOK, this is basically coach speak for, "We can't run the ball, and we honestly have no idea how to fix it." \nThe coaching staff must not be thinking too hard about the running game situation because I have a one-step solution for it; bench BenJarvus Green-Ellis. I never thought I would have to utter these words, but unfortunately it has come time. Against the Buckeyes, backup tailback Chris Taylor managed to rush for 53 yards on nine carries while Green-Ellis managed a meager 31 yards on 18 carriers behind the same injury-plagued line. That adds up to a 1.5 yards per carry average. If you simply fell over, you could probably gain more yards than that And hey, would it hurt the Hoosiers to give Yamar Washington a few touches in these next few games?\nDefensively, the team played well for the most part, except for at the beginning when the Buckeyes scored on back-to-back drives. Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that the Buckeyes were using their backup quarterback, their third string tailback and a new offensive line. Maybe all those changes benefited Ohio State, or maybe the Hoosiers are forever destined to have a mediocre defense. For the sake of the team, let's hope it was the former and not the latter.\nOn a brighter note, congratulations are again in order for senior wide receiver Courtney Roby. During Saturday afternoon's game, Roby became the all-time receiving yards leader in IU history, which is yet another testament to how much Roby has brought to the IU football program. One can only imagine where the Hoosier passing game would be without him.\nThe Hoosiers have a chance to reach the program's best record since the 2000 season if they simply split the next four games, however, at the rate the team's playing, winning two games might be a stretch.