GAVEL GAMUT
By Jim Redwine
www.jamesmredwine.com
(Week of 02 December 2024)
STILL A WINNER
Gentle Reader, if you read last week’s Gavel Gamut column you know I predicted
Indiana University would win last Saturday’s football game against Ohio State University; we didn’t. On the other hand, I.U. has already won 10 games this season and, I predict, I.U. will defeat Purdue November 30, 2024 in Bloomington, Indiana. I am ever hopeful when it comes to I.U. sports.
O.S.U. played an excellent game. Their victory was not due to bad calls or untimely
injuries or the weather. They just out played us in all phases of the game. However, we were competitive in the first half and evidenced the elements of a future Big Ten champion. Who knows? Next year? Five years from now? In my life-time? The most important elements this year’s team has displayed on the football field are a belief in themselves and a will to win.
But, what about now? Indiana has never before had a 10-game season and, when we beat
Purdue, it will be 11. On top of that, if I.U. does win against Purdue there is an excellent chance it will be selected as one of the 12 teams playing in the College Football Playoffs. Should we lose to Purdue there is probably no chance. But I.U. could make the CFP and have a chance to win more games with a win this Saturday (November 30, 2024).
Regardless, I.U. has already won 10 games this season including teams such as Michigan,
Michigan State, Nebraska, Washington, UCLA, Wisconsin and Illinois. While several of the
games have been close, that simply shows character and an ability to compete when games are challenging. You may recall, Gentle Reader, that last week’s column exposited some of Indiana’s past teams of character such as the teams of 1945 and 1967. This team of 2024 can lay claim to that same mantle.
We did not beat O.S.U. last week but this year we have shown the character to beat them
in the future. This team is a winner no matter what 2024 score was predicted.
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