Anthony Corsaro said it best.
“We might have lost that game, but I’ve never been more proud to be part of an organization,” the senior tight end said. “I’m truly proud to be an Indiana Hoosier today.”
In a 34-27 loss to Ohio State, IU football proved to us that there is such a thing as a moral victory.
Why? Because this game was about more than beating the No. 1 team in the country.
It was about the IU football program coming into its own.
For the first time in five years, there was a sell out at Memorial Stadium — meaning there were more eyeballs on IU football today than in the last half decade.
It would be nice, then, to see the Hoosiers put up a fight — and that’s exactly what they did.
Through the loss of starting running back Jordan Howard and quarterback Nate Sudfeld, the Hoosiers made it a contest down to the last second.
By the fourth quarter, IU had earned the attention of the nation, with the hashtag #iufb the No. 10 trending topic in the United States.
IU came away with its first tally in the loss column, and more respect than it has garnered the entire season thus far.
The Hoosiers proved they can play with any team in the country.
IU outgained Ohio State 114 yards to 36 in the first quarter, even without the commanding presence of starting defensive tackle Darius Latham up front.
Against the defending national champion, the IU defense picked up seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two turnovers and limited early-season Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller to just two touches.
What would have happened if Sudfeld and Howard had been healthy?
That is the question fans must contemplate internally, with the solace that, in the words of IU Coach Kevin Wilson, the injuries to Sudfeld and Howard are just “minor deals.”
And that, as Wilson indicated in his postgame press conference, this loss is merely “a stub of the toe” in the grand scheme of IU football.
A team that at the beginning of the year aspired simply to get to a bowl game — a team that was one two-point conversion away from an 0-1 start to the season at the hands of Southern Illinois — can aspire to much more now.
I’ll let Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer tell you what is a foregone conclusion for IU football.
“That’s a team that will be going to a bowl game.”
vziege@indiana.edu
