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If you’re a fan of both the Indiana Hoosiers and the Chicago Bears, you must think this is all a dream, right?
It’s the middle of January, both of your favorite football teams are still playing. One of them is playing for a national championship despite having the most losses in college football history before this year, and the other hadn’t won a playoff team in 15 years and just won one against its biggest rival.
Not too shabby.
With fewer and fewer teams taking the field this week and the storylines really starting to slim down, I’m not sure there’s anything worth talking about more than these two teams. If you flash back to September, I doubt you would find anyone that predicted one of these teams would be in the spot it's in, let alone both.
So how did we get here? How did these two teams, with these two histories, overcome the odds stacked against them to make it to the national championship game and the NFL divisional round? Would you believe me if I told you it could be simplified into just one word?
Coaching.
That’s right. Coaching. Curt Cignetti and Ben Johnson may not make the plays on the field that decide the games, but they certainly have put their teams in the best position to win all season long.
Let’s start with Cignetti. I’m sure you all remember him being shot out of a cannon when he arrived in Bloomington. The “I win. Google me.” comment at the press conference. Listing all of the Big 10 teams that suck at halftime at Assembly Hall. Coach Cig talked an awful big game, but he was able to back it up.
He set a school record with eleven wins and made the playoffs in his first year. Many saw that to be a fluke as a result of an easy schedule. This year, against much stiffer competition, they’ve been even better. IU is 15-0 and has won the biggest game in program history four separate times now. They aren’t just winning these games, they’re dominating them.
I’d be remiss to not mention the fact that Fernando Mendoza is a Heisman-winning quarterback and will probably be the first pick in the NFL draft, but it goes so much deeper than that. When you watch the Hoosiers play, you notice that they do everything right.
The offensive line never misses a block. The running backs always choose the right hole when going through blockers. Mendoza is lethally accurate, and his receivers are always in the perfect place with sure hands. The defense is undersized, but boy is it mean. They will out-physical you for 60 minutes.
The Indiana Hoosiers do all of the little things right, and that starts with the top. No matter how great things are going, Cignetti is standing on the sidelines with his signature scowl. Never satisfied, always hungry for more. That’s what makes this team great.
Before I move on, I want to emphasize one point about Cig. He has not just transformed Indiana football, but the sport as a whole. He has shown that you don’t need to spend $40 million on a super team to compete at the highest level. You just need the right guys. He’s given hope to programs all across the country. If Indiana can do it, anybody can.
Ben Johnson has done things a different way. Obviously, he’s coaching in a different sport. But what he’s done is equally as important. He’s provided the Chicago Bears with something they’ve desperately needed for years now.
A culture.
You can see it after every win during his postgame speeches. Every single soul in that locker room is bought into what he’s saying. The players love him because you can tell he loves them. The winning certainly helps, but he’s got his fingers all over that too.
The Bears’ M.O. for years and years was that if you waited long enough, they’d find a way to lose the game themselves. That couldn’t be further from the opposite of this year’s team. They play for all four quarters and have come back in the final two minutes seven different times. This is a team that believes in itself and it shows on the field.
But it takes a lot more than belief to win these games. Johnson’s adjustments in the second halves of these games have been nothing short of remarkable. The Bears look like a different team after the break, and that starts with him.
Ben has created a tough, hardnosed team that will fight you for 60 minutes and will have an edge doing so, and I love it. It’s what we Bears fans have been waiting years for. His disdain towards the Green Bay Packers is representative of how his fanbase feels and he’s leaning into that.
As Caleb Williams continues to improve and the defense adds pieces, this team is only going to get better. For the first time in my life, I feel confident about my future as a Bears fan. Fans of the Hoosiers should feel the same way. Which brings me to my closing remarks…
My dad went to IU. I can probably count the amount of Hoosier football games I watched before I left for college on one hand. For 99% of its existence so far, Indiana football has not meant anything, and I mean that as respectfully as possible. For decades and decades, it just existed.
The same can be said about the Chicago Bears. Even though I’ve watched a whole lot more Bears games than IU, I’m not certain I’ve seen that many more wins. Sure, they’ve made the playoffs a couple of times, but I hadn’t even reached high school the last time they won a game in the postseason. Despite being an original franchise in one of the biggest markets of the country, the Bears just existed.
I don’t have to tell you good people this, you’ve all lived through it too. There’s a certain type of pride that comes with rooting for a team that doesn’t always top the standings or finish the season on top. It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses rooting for these teams, far from it. Not all of us are lucky enough to be born into rooting for dynasties like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Alabama football. It takes a real fan to live through the mud.
So while things may be looking up as we head towards the future, don’t forget to soak up every moment of this run. Sports can provide us with so much pain, making it extra important to sit back and smell the roses when things are going your way. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so let’s enjoy today. Bear Down, and Go Hoosiers.
I stayed hot with three more wins last week. Improving the column’s record to 8–0 over the last two. Let’s continue to finish strong.
FAVORITE FAVORITE
Buffalo Bills (-1.5) at Denver Broncos
Things get a little tricky this week, as there are only four games to choose my three categories from. I was surprised to see Buffalo as the favorites in this game, but seeing as the other favorite I liked, the Seahawks, were a touchdown favorite, I decided to go here. To me, this really boils down to one team having Josh Allen while the other team doesn’t, and even that might not be enough in this spot. The Denver defense really is fantastic, and they will make Josh’s life difficult all afternoon. I don’t think the Bronco offense will be able to keep up if the Bills figure it out though. This is easily my least confident pick out of the three.
The Pick: Bills -1.5
BIG DAWG GOTTA EAT
Houston Texans at New England Patriots (-3)
I spoke incredibly high of the Houston defense last week, and I hope you can all see why now. The Texans’ D absolutely dominated the Steelers in the first round, scoring two touchdowns by itself in a rout. Quarterback CJ Stroud was absolutely awful, turning the ball over three times, and his team still won 30-6. The Patriots are much better than the Steelers, and they have a physical enough defense to make life for Stroud difficult, but I think it’s Houston picking up another road playoff win.
The Pick: Texans +3
BEAR DOWN
Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) at Chicago Bears
Just when I think the Bears are done pulling off unbelievable comebacks, they say “watch this.” That game against Green Bay last week was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Real tears streamed down my face as I realized we had ended the stinky cheeseheads’ season in remarkable fashion. Caleb Williams is a bonafide superstar. Things are awesome. The Rams are an incredible team, but I somehow feel a lot better mentally heading into this one. Having already ended the Packers’ season, everything else is just gravy in my eyes. There’s no shame in losing to a Rams team that can win a Super Bowl, but if they win… they become legendary. I’m excited to see what happens. You guys know who I’m picking.
The Pick: Bears +3.5
With there only being two games next week, I’ll be picking both of them regardless. Hopefully the Bears are still playing and the Hoosiers are national champions. Enjoy this week’s action!
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 3-0
Season Record: 45-32
