In about seven weeks we tee it up. It’s the legitimate start of college football in Indiana as the smallest of our so-called “Big Three” — sorry, IU — matches line-of-scrimmage insults the night of Sept. 2 against, wait for it, Towson.
Not Towson State. Towson. In researching this pigskin mega force, I discovered the Maryland-based university dropped “State” from its name 13 years ago perhaps in an attempt to become more athletically aerodynamic.
Whatever the case, the Tigers, a 12th-place finisher in the 12-team Colonial Conference in 2009, should serve as padded-up dental floss for the Hoosiers the same way the Western Illinois Leathernecks (fire the person who came up with this unsightly nickname) will Purdue nine days later in a three-quarters-filled (at best) Ross-Ade Stadium.
September represents many things to many people. Birthdays. Anniversaries. The start of another school year, not to mention, autumn. And, of course, there are the unshakable images of 9/11.
When dialogue turns to college football, September is the undeniable “Month of the Cupcake,” a 30-day behind-the-woodshed period in which inevitable Ws are put in the books before the home team’s marching band so much as plays its first note.
The amusing part of this is that the powerhouse programs are as, if not more, guilty of this than the Indianas and Purdues of the world.
Despite playing in temperatures equivalent to the sun’s surface, defending national champion Alabama may not break a sweat against San Jose State on Sept. 4 or at Duke two weeks later. And give it up for those Florida Gators, who open their march to a possible third title in four years in The Swamp against Miami.
Of Ohio, not Florida.
In their defense, ’Bama and Florida compete in the colossally brutal Southeastern Conference, so we should look the other way when they go cupcaking. Not so much the Big Ten’s newest face, Nebraska, which plans to steamroll Western Kentucky, Idaho and South Dakota State at home before venturing into the teeth of a Big 12 slate for the final time.
Even if the Cornhuskers were officially part of the Big Ten in 2010, they would have a difficult time out-cupcaking Iowa (home against Eastern Illinois, Iowa State and Ball State) and Michigan State (Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame and Northern Colorado, all at home). Don’t know what bowl games the Hawkeyes and Spartans are going to, but they are going. Their schedules assure it, just like Indiana’s guarantees the Hoosiers will be 1-0 the morning of Sept. 3.
THE FALL OF LEARY
I haven’t spoken to Todd Leary since covering his games when he starred alongside Eric Montross for the 1988-89 Lawrence North Wildcats, one of the genuinely superior teams high school basketball teams I’ve witnessed in 26 years of sportswriting.
Now 39, Leary is in deep trouble having last week pled guilty to charges rooted in an ex-business partner’s mortgage fraud scheme. He finds himself possibly facing up to three years in jail.
A talented player at IU from 1989-94 under coach Bob Knight and, more recently, Don Fischer’s candid sidekick on the Hoosiers’ radio broadcasts for men’s basketball, Leary’s downward spiral should amuse no one.
Todd Leary is a husband, father and son who somewhere along the line either couldn’t free himself from the boulder of bad advice he had received or the misguided habits he had formed. And, at the moment, his name is mud. In the end, that’s just sad.
• Mike Beas is a freelance writer/columnist and Kokomo native who resides in Carmel. He may be reached by e-mail at mtbeas62@yahoo.com.
