Lucky #13

Playing 13.

For who knows how many collegiate football teams, getting to play in a bowl game is not only sweet, but one of the best things in the world that could happen should they accept a bid to play in one. Of course, it's easy for these very teams to bask in all the hype & excitement which are part of the bowl experience; that's to be expected. But in the state of Indiana, two ballclubs are a very lucky group to be playing 13 games this season.

First off, the Indiana Hoosiers, playing in honor of Hep, paid their dues to get this far & what better way to state their case that they belonged in a bowl by beating in-state & conference nemesis Purdue.

Secondly, the Ball State Cardinals are back in the bowl spotlight for the first time in over a decade. I, among many Cards football fans, was just wading it out in hopes that they'd actually get into a bowl (& like IU, their road to play 13 games wasn't exactly an easy one, what with the MAC Championship sorting things out at the 11th hour). But they've come a long way to reach this plateau & the Cards could once more be one of the MAC's most feared ballclubs once the 2008 season arrives.

As for Purdue, more of the same old, same old. And what better way to make their day than to play a rematch against the Central Michigan Chippewas. Go Boilermakers!! I believe they can find redemption after playing completely blah in their last bowl game against Maryland.

Notre Dame...don't even start...hahah. Their season was one of the most atrocious on record & the thought that they'd be playing 13 games is positively out of the question. Maybe next year, Irish, maybe next year. Not this year.

For Purdue, IU & Ball State, life is good now that their season is extended by one game. The next question is, will they be up for the challenges which their opponents (CMU, Oklahoma State & Rutgers) will bring on in short order? We shall see. But at any rate, they're one of the teams playing 13 & hopefully this number is a lucky one for sure.