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Big Ten Countdown: 78 - Indiana and Nebraska

Ok.  First off, you need to be warned.  Indiana fans have some ammunition against us Huskers fans.  We just happened to play most of our games with the Hoosiers during the 40s and 50s.  And they beat us. Nine times.  Ouch.  There was even one year (1945) that they were ranked #8 and we were unranked.  They freaking spanked us that year 54-14.  It was like bizarro world.  They actually have beaten us more than we have beaten them.  Have I said ouch yet?  Indiana holds a 9-7-2 record over Nebraska.  No other team in the Big Ten has a losing record vs. Indiana.  Penn State has never lost to Indiana.  They are going to use 9-7-2 against you whenever they find out you're a Husker fan.  I even have it on the highest authority that Indiana requested to remain off of Nebraska's schedule for as long as possible so that they can stay ahead of us in the win column for at least another 6 years!  Damn them!

So, eventually the 40s and 50s ended an we started to get good again.  We had a four game series scheduled with them in the late 70s where we just cleaned their clocks.  We won all four games by a combined total of 190 - 43.  We started to close in on the series record with them and they decided they didn't want to play us again.  The last game we played with them was in 19(78).

Ok.  So Indiana owns us for at least another 5-6 years.  What have they done when they haven't been beating up on Nebraska?  Well, not a whole lot.  They have never won a national title and have only won two conference titles (remember that 1945 year?  Also in 1967).  They have been to a grand total of 9 bowl games and have a 3-6 record in them.  They haven't won a bowl game since 1991 when they de-pants Baylor and have only been to one Rose Bowl (losing to USC in the 1968 game).

Kevin Wilson is their coach.  You may remember him as the Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator.  He's bringing his style of play to Indiana.  Another name to mention is former Husker LB coach Mike Ekeler.  He is one of their co-defensive coordinators.  If those guys are still there when we play them next, don't chalk up Indiana as a "W".  If they are there five years from now, then they are doing something right.  And if they are doing something right, they are winning some football games.

Their stadium name is also named Memorial Stadium.  Remember when we use to jokingly call Jack Trice Stadium Memorial Stadium east?  Well, Indiana's stadium can now truthfully be called Memorial Stadium east.  The Hoosiers are also known for using visiting Ohio State and Wisconsin home games as an opportunity to take aerial pictures of the stadium mostly full for their program or brochure or whatever.  It's not quite the Texas Tech tradition of wanting to be Nebraska, but it's close.

What about a rivalry game with Indiana?  Well that's probably not going to happen.  It appears that Indiana will be the Big Ten school that Nebraska will play the least.  No point in even attempting anything.  They already play for two trophies and unless they really wanted to do something with the "Big Red" theme, there isn't going to be anything happening.  Their red does look a lot like Oklahoma's which is probably bad news for them.  But, if they can win a couple games against us, it might create some interesting game day stories. 

Going back to their trophies, they have the Old Brass Spittoon with Michigan State (Indiana's protected cross-over) and the Old Oaken Bucket with their in-state rival Purdue.  They also have a rivalry with Illinois.  Even though we have them on the schedule until at least 2015, we can still beat up on some hapless Big Ten team in Indiana before that.