Both rankings figure to rise after IU’s victory against No. 1 Notre Dame on Wednesday.
While IU may be ranked high in the national rankings, it only ranks in seventh place out of nine teams in the Big Ten standings.
It has an opportunity to improve that standing Sunday against Michigan.
Michigan sits in sixth place in the standings with just one more point than IU in the Big Ten season.
While IU sits in seventh place, hope is not lost on a successful finish in the Big Ten. Despite its low standing, IU is still only five points behind leader Penn State. It also only sits three points behind second place teams Maryland and Michigan State.
IU has three regular season Big Ten games remaining against Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Michigan and Michigan State are both ahead of IU in the standings but not by much, and Wisconsin sits in last place without a single point in Big Ten play.
One thing that could propel a Big Ten resurgence may be the play of IU’s midfield.
Against Notre Dame, the Hoosiers controlled the game throughout except for a small stretch at the start of the second half.
This against a Notre Dame team that prides itself on its midfield play with players such as Nick Besler, the younger brother of World Cup veteran Matt Besler.
“Besler is an All-American level player,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “To take nothing away from Besler, I think he’s one of the best midfielders in the country. I thought Dylan (Lax) was the best midfielder on the field tonight.”
Notre Dame struggled to get a touch of the ball in the first half Wednesday night.
This was due in large part because of IU’s midfield play, especially the play of its defensive midfielders, Lax and junior Matt Foldesy.
“Lax broke up so many plays, sat in the passing lanes and started some of our attacks,” Yeagley said. “He did everything you could want in that role.”
IU’s two holding midfielders serve as both the first stage of the attack and the first line of defense. They were excellent in both facets.
Going forward, the duo was excellent as well. They often collected the ball from the defense and calmly strode up the field, eluding tackles, finding a teammate to pass to or firing a shot of their own.
Both Lax and Foldesy finished the match Wednesday with one shot on goal.
Wednesday also saw IU post a shutout — only the second shutout in its last eight games. Yeagley often says the most important thing his team does is keep balls out of the net and that when IU is winning games 1-0, it’s playing well.
While going on the road may seem a difficult task, it may actually be preferred for IU.
IU is a perfect 3-0 this season in road environments and 5-0 when neutral site games are ?factored in.
