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I confess that I know nothing or next to nothing about Indiana University. I don’t recall having ever met anyone personally who claims to have gone to the University of Indiana nor a single alum. I know that they’re called the Hoosiers. I know that a hoosier is a person from Indiana. Other than that, zippo.
I tried to find evidence for the origin of the word “Hoosier” and.. there really isn’t all that much out there that’s definite.
Three features, though, he finds, are common to most of the suggested etymologies (“he” being Jacob Piatt Dunn of the Indiana Historical Society):
1. They are alike in the idea that the word was first applied to a rough, boisterous, uncouth, illiterate class of people, and that the word originally implied this character.
2. They are alike in the idea that the word come from the South, or was first applied by Southern people.
3. They are alike in the idea that the word was coined for the purpose of designating Indiana people, and was not in existence before it was applied to them.
Fightin' Words: Origin of the name Indiana "Hoosiers" - Rock M Nation
There is a lot of debate about the origin, meaning, and use of the word "Hoosier," so I took the opportunity to do some investigating.
Ask most people (“people being non-Indianans since I don’t know any) what they associate with the word “Hoosiers” and they might point out the 1986 movie “Hoosiers” with Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper about a teeny town winning the state basketball championship.
Indiana University is in Bloomington, Indiana. I know nothing about it other than the 1979 movie “Breaking Away” was set in Bloomington. It’s a coming of age movie - most people think it’s about cycling - but really it’s about a group of young men wondering what the future holds. They’re referred to by the (Indiana) university students in derogatory fashion as “cutters”, as their blue-collar fathers were the ones who cut rocks from the quarry. Those jobs are gone - chrome and glass were cheaper than rock for building materials - leaving their sons to fulfill service jobs; jobs that won’t ultimately allow them to follow whatever dreams they might have. Dennis Christopher plays the protagonist, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and Jackie Earle Haley play his best buddies.
There are a couple of scenes from that movie that still stick with me. One is the father (Paul Dooley in an excellent role) telling his son (Dennis Christopher) as they walk through campus about what happened after the university was built:
Dad:
I cut the stone for this building. I was one fine stone cutter. Mike’s dad, Moocher’s, Cyril’s. All of us. Well, Cyril’s dad, never mind.
Thing of it was, I loved it. I was young and slim and strong. I was damn proud of my work. And the buildings went up! When they were finished the damnedest thing happened. It was like the buildings was too good for us. Nobody told us that. Just felt uncomfortable that’s all. Even now I’d like to be able to stroll through the campus and look at the limestone... I just feel out of place.
I remember that scene because even at a young age (17 in 1979) I understood that there were places that you just couldn’t go - not because there was a law against it, but because for some reason or another you just weren’t good enough. You didn’t fit. You were subclass.
The other is Mike (Dennis Quaid) speculating on the future that awaits him:
I never realized this, but Indiana limestone is kind of a big deal. The Pentagon, The Empire State Building, Washington National Cathedral, Rockefeller Center... there’s more at the linked site. An impressive list.
Indiana University Famous Alums:
Kevin Kline, John Mellencamp, Ernie Pyle, Jane Pauley, Lee Majors, Angela Brown, Mark Cuban, Jamie Hyneman, Dick Enberg, Jimmy Wales.... you can look them up. Just google “famous Indiana University alumni”.
Look at all the photos of these people that Google presents you. All are nice photos of each person, except for one - Joe Buck. Buck’s photo in that lineup is horrible. Even convicted child molester Jared Fogle has a decent photo. What the hell did Joe Buck ever do that he’s portrayed as being worse than a child molester?
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Mascot:
The Flying Chair.
Oh. Now. That’s not true and you know it. Indiana University doesn’t have a mascot. But if they did....
Coaches You know:
Bobby Knight. Tom Crean. Lee Corso. Gerry DiNardo.
Coach In Common with Nebraska:
Ewald O. "Jumbo" Stiehm
1911—1915 Nebraska - Stiehm left Nebraska because they wouldn’t pay him what he wanted. Stiehm had a 35-2-3 record at Nebraska, one of the best coaches in school history. He also had a 55-14 record as the basketball coach.
1916-1921 - Indiana - He had a 20-18 record at Indiana.
Check this Out:
#10 Nebraska and a national television broadcast are in Bloomington. Can the Hoosiers prevail for their first-ever Homecoming victory, probably?
QUICK FUN FACT: The Hoosiers have never won a Homecoming game at any point in their entire existence.
Your first reaction has to be comparable to mine - “That can’t be right”, or “Did they purposefully not play or have Homecoming games until recently?”.
NO to both accounts. Saturday’s game will be Indiana’s 104th Homecoming game! 104th!
Unfortunately, it’s not true. Indiana’s game notes state - The Hoosiers own a 44-53-6 record on Homecoming - so I’m not sure what that reference was to.
Indiana has had very little success in football. They’ve only had six coaches in their history that have had a plus .500 winning percentage, and the last one was Alvin N. "Bo" McMillin, who coached from 1934-1947 and had a winning streak against Nebraska.
They’ve been to nine bowl games.
IU Traditions
It’s important to note that in the Big Ten, “IU” is Indiana University, while “UI” is the University of Iowa.
Candy stripe pants. They wear them at basketball games.
There’s a thing called “Fist and Blades”.
NEWS
Husker Offense Gearing Up For Indiana - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska football team practiced in full pads and helmets for just over two and a half hours Wednesday afternoon.
The candidates for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in college were announced on Wednesday. In addition to the 30 candidates from around the nation the Senior CLASS Award recognized Sam Foltz as the award's first-ever honorary nominee.
Husker O-Line Recognized for Work - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
The Nebraska offensive line is one of 17 offensive lines recognized for their outstanding work during the first half of the 2016 season.
Lincoln - Nebraska Men's Basketball Coach Tim Miles and senior guard Tai Webster are in Washington, D.C., over the next two days for the annual Big Ten Media Day.
Huskers Make Road Trip to Ohio State, Maryland - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
The second-ranked Nebraska volleyball team will look to avenge its only loss of the season when it travels to face No. 19 Ohio State on Friday at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Game Six Preview: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers - Off Tackle Empire
or the first time in the Big Ten (and first time at all since 1978), Indiana and Nebraska meet on the football field. Kickoff in Bloomington is at 3:30pm on Saturday, with Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham broadcasting for ABC/ESPN2, assisted by Dr. Jerry Punch on the sidelines. It is Homecoming for Indiana, which seems like the perfect time to welcome a top 10 team into Memorial Stadium.
Stats Six-Pack: Nebraska-Indiana | Hail Varsity
It has been nearly 30 years since Indiana has defeated a top-10 team. Whether or not you think Nebraska merits its current ranking, you can bet the Hoosiers would be happy to hang that pelt on the wall and end the streak anyway.
The Nebraska visit was great too. I got there on a Friday and met with the coaches then we got something to eat and hung out with everybody. I’d been there multiple times so I didn’t take the tour. After that we went to the walkthrough practices and then hung out with the players. Saturday was gameday so that was cool! I think all of the festivities around the game would have to be my favorite part of the visit. Their fans are live!
Rodger Craig and Tom Rathman, who both played at Nebraska, had a "Huskers" decal on the bumper of their Helmets until NFL stopped them. pic.twitter.com/mQR6cKR2ct
— Helmet Addict (@HelmetAddict) October 12, 2016
Big Ten
Q&A: What to expect from Ohio State vs. Wisconsin - Bucky's 5th Quarter
Land-Grant Holy Land fills us in on the No. 2 Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s Jerome Baker just might beat Wisconsin by himself if he has to - Land-Grant Holy Land
Wisconsin’s high rank disguises an offense that can’t withstand a player like Baker.
Minnesota Volleyball: Gophers Dominate Badgers - The Daily Gopher
The Gophers made a statement sweeping the Badgers in Madison. The Badgers were no match for Minnesota Wednesday night as the Gophers dominated along the net.
37 Random Thoughts on Maryland - Black Shoe Diaries
Random musings on Homecoming Weekend against the Terps
Northwestern vs. Michigan State: Three matchups to watch - Inside NU
Their seasons couldn’t have started any differently, but going into this weekend, Northwestern and Michigan State both sit at 2-3. A win for either side would go a long way for two teams scrapping...
How Michigan is turning into a classic Jim Harbaugh powerhouse | FOX Sports
Aaron Taylor is a former two-time All-American lineman at Notre Dame and won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. He’s been retired for almost 20 years now, but he says he’s almost watching as much tape of line play as he did when he played.
KIRK SPEAKS: IOWA VS. PURDUE - Black Heart Gold Pants
Should we be scared of the Boilermakers?
Iowa at Purdue Preview - Hammer and Rails
It is homecoming in West Lafayette, and Our Most Hated Rivals are in town.
Iowa's Big Ten TV money is going into the north end zone | The Gazette
The Gazette | IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa filed paperwork with the Board of Regents on Tuesday seeking approval for a nearly $90 million renovation of the north end zone.
Elsewhere
Oregon Football's Cameron Hunt: Teammates Don't Care About Winning
Oregon football is in the midst of its worst season in a decade, and senior OL Cameron Hunt is not afraid to call out a major problem.
Fired Baylor coach Art Briles showed up at Browns practice as a guest coach - SBNation.com
Fired at Baylor in May, Briles keeps popping up.
Who’ll be in college football’s new class of overachieving teams? - SBNation.com
Are we seeing a changing of the guard among programs that field elite teams despite not recruiting at championship levels?
In case you were wondering, Tim Miles tells us that Nebraska's players shave twice a week, as mandated by their girlfriends.
— Matt Brown (@MattSBN) October 13, 2016