#1 Indiana University Football Comes Up Roses in Domination of #9 Alabama Playing its first ever game as the number 1 ranked team in the nation in Football the Indiana Hoosiers continue to change the course of the College Football World with 38-3 rout of the # 9 Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California Thursday afternoon as the rain that has pounded Southern California the last two days went away before the game started. The Hoosiers are 14-0 and will face #5 Oregon in the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta Georgia Next Friday night at 7:30 PM on ESPN. The Ducks shutout the #4 Texas Tech Red Raiders 23-0 in the Orange Bowl in Miami which is the site of the National Championship game on January 19. Indiana beat Oregon 30-20 on October 11th in Eugene which was the Ducks only loss of the season and now the two will meet for a chance to advance to the National Championship Game which means a Big Ten team will play in the National Championship.
Indiana won its first College Football Playoff game in program history after losing to Notre Dame last season in the first round in South Bend a season ago. The Hoosiers snap a seven-game bowl losing streak and win a Postseason Bowl/Playoff game for the first time since the Copper Bowl in 1991 in Tucson, Arizona when they beat Baylor 24-0 as the Hoosiers are 4-11 now in the postseason. Curt Cignetti is 25-2 overall at Indiana and that is most wins ever by Big Ten Coach in their first two seasons at a Big Ten program. Indiana has won 21 of those 25 games under Cignetti by double digits. Indiana became the first team with a bye to win a game after all four teams lost a year ago and Texas Tech lost today in the 12 Team playoff format. The Hoosiers played in just their second ever Rose Bowl Game 58 years to the day that the Hoosiers lost to USC 14-3 in 1968. Alabama played in its 9th Rose Bowl Game and fell to 5-3-1 all time. This is the worst loss for the Crimson Tide since 1998 when they lost to Arkansas 42-6 in the regular season and 38-7 to Virginia Tech in the 1998 Music City Bowl. The Crimson Tide finish the season 10-3 and have lost two of their last three games after losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta and beat Oklahoma in the first round of the college football playoff in Norman
Heisman Trophy Winner Fernando Mendoza did not disappoint completing 14 of his 16 passes for 192 yards and 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions while running 8 times for 16 yards and sacked 3 times. Younger brother Alberto finished the game with 2 carries for 6 yards. Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson was 12-16 for 67 yards and knocked out the game in the second quarter when he scrambled 8 yards up the middle and D’Angelo Ponds knocked the ball out and Isaiah Jones recovered and Simpson was done for the remainder of the game. Austin Mack came in and completed 11 of his 16 passes for 103 yards with no touchdown passes and no interceptions replacing Simpson to start the third quarter. Indiana dominated the running game with 215 yards to just 23 for Alabama. Kaelon Black had 15 carries for 99 yards and Roman Hemby had 18 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Charlie Becker, Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt all caught a touchdown pass as six different receivers caught the ball for the Hoosiers. Alabama had six different receivers catch the ball as the Crimson Tide were held to a Connor Talty field goal. Indiana outgained Alabama 407-193 and had 22 first downs to 11. Indiana controlled the game after a scoreless first quarter and rough first drive in which Mendoza was sacked twice, and the Hoosiers had to punt. Indiana scored 17 points in the second quarter and outscored Alabama 21-3 in the second half as the Hoosiers win the first meeting between these two programs in Football and a game that Hoosier fans will never forget. Indiana continues to prove the doubters wrong and have 2 more games left to do what no one ever thought was possible and that is win a national championship in Football. Indiana has a rematch with Oregon next and no doubt after the team returns to Bloomington Curt Cignetti will have this team ready for a rematch with the Ducks. Hoosier Nation can enjoy this one and relish the fact that Indiana wins a Rose Bowl Game against one of the bluebloods in all of college football.
#24 Michigan State Runs Away from Indiana University Women’s Basketball in the Second Half #24 Michigan State Spartans used a 40-25 second half run to put away the Indiana Hoosiers 80-60 Thursday Afternoon in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to kick off the New Year. Michigan State is 13-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten while Indiana is 11-4 and 0-3 in the Big Ten for the first in the Teri Moren era. The Hoosiers have lost all three Big Ten games by 20 points or more and it does not get any easier as Indiana faces former Hoosier Yarden Garzon and #6 Maryland Sunday Evening at 6 PM in College Park. The Spartans were held 10 points under the scoring average as the put four in double figures led by Jalyn Brown 20 points as she put up 18 in the first half. Grace VanSlooten added 18 points along with 14 rebounds. Kennedy Blair scored 13 and South Bend Washington Graduate and Purdue Transfer Rashunda Jones added 10 points. The Spartans finished 29-55 from the field for 55%, 8-17 from three-point range for 47% and 14-16 from the free throw line for 87%. Michigan State pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 17 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 16 turnovers. The Spartans had 34 points in the paint, 24 points off turnovers, 15 Fastbreak Points, 15 Bench Points and 13 second chance points.
Shay Ciezki led Indiana with 16 points and played the full 40 minutes. Ciezki has played 40 minutes in five games this season and she has scored 10 or more points in straight games going back to last season. Lenee Beaumont added 14 points, and Neveah Caffey added 10 points to score double figures for the third straight game. All seven Hoosiers that played scored. Maya Maklausky and Edessa Noyan scored 8 points apiece along with 2 points each from Jerni Kiaku and Jade Ondineme scored 2 points apiece. The Hoosiers frontcourt scored 18 points which was big change from Monday’s Game when they only scored 2 points and no points of the bench. The Hoosiers finished 22-40 from the field for 40%, 6-22 from three-point range for 27% and 10-11 from the free throw line for 91%. Indiana pulled down 24 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, 6 steals, 0 blocks and 16 turnovers. The Hoosiers scored 30 points in the paint, 16 Points off Turnovers, 16 second chance points, 6 fastbreak points and 4 bench points. Coach Moren said that Sophomore Forward Zania Socka-Nugemen has not returned to practice and has been doing 30-minute workout since her lower leg injury that has sidelined her for the last 8 games, and she does not know when she will return. Sophomore Faith Weisman was in uniform, and Coach Moren Said ” She has been cleared but we are bringing her back slowly and we felt today was not the day to bring her back.”
Michigan State led 19-18 after the first quarter as Jayln Brown scored 11 points and went 3-3 from downtown 4-5 from the field. Brown continued her hot streak in the second quarter scoring 7 points as the Spartans outscored the Hoosiers 21-17 in the second quarter and led 40-35 at halftime. The third quarter has been the Achilles heel for the Hoosiers as Michigan State put away Indiana with a 21-12 third quarter and 19-13 fourth quarter as the Spartans lead the all-time series 50-33 and 22-18 in Bloomington and snapping a five-game losing streak to the Hoosiers in Bloomington with their last win coming on December 28, 2017. “I thought our effort was better today, but the game is so funny and how two or three possessions can change the game and flip so fast and change the momentum” Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game.
When asked after the game about the third quarter breakdowns both Shay Ciezki and Coach Teri Moren they both said, “I wish they had the answer and knew why it keeps happening”. Coach Moren added that they are going to keep working at it until it is corrected. Phoenix Stotjin and Chloe Spreen were available but did not play and Coach Moren was asked about why some of the bench is not getting minutes and others are. Moren praised Jerni Kiaku who knows her role and “Bench players have a defined role and Jerni knows and embraces her role” while others have not embraced it and she is a big believer in how your practice is how you play and Moren said ” you earn your playing time and it’s everything you do plays a role in that.” Indiana will keep chopping away at it and ready for the next opportunity which will be a very tough road test at Maryland.
Monroe County Teams Head to Indian Creek for the Girls Wrestling Sectionals The Second annual IHSAA Girls Wrestling State Tournament gets underway this morning with 16 Sectionals around the State that start between 9 and 10 AM. The top four place winners in each weight class will advance to the Regional Tournament which will take place at four regional sites around the State on January 10. The State Finals will take place at the Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center in Indianapolis on January 16. Bloomington North, Bloomington South and Edgewood will compete this morning at Indian Creek Sectional at 9 am. They will be joined by Bedford North Lawrence, Brown County, Columbus East, Columbus North, Eastern (Pekin), Franklin, Indian Creek, Mitchell, Seymour, Shelbyville, West Washington and Whiteland.
A year ago, the teams competed at the West Washington Sectional as Whiteland won the first team title with 230 points. Bloomington South finished 4th with 156.5 points, Edgewood finished 6th with 78 points and Bloomington North finished 8th with 43 points. Bloomington South’s Abigail Goodwin won the 135-pound sectional title to become the first Girls Wrestling Sectional Winner for Bloomington South and Monroe County. Mariah Pope was runner up in the 100-pound class. Faith Hand finished third in the 125-pound class. Jaclyn Hillenburg finished third in the 190-pound class. Ilia Pierce finished fourth in the 115-pound class and Lexi Parker finished fourth in the 170-pound class. Edgewood’s Katelyn Holmes was runner up in the 105-pound class, Laylaa McCormick finished third in the 140-pound class. Helen Bower finished third in the 170-pound class and Ayrica DeHart finished third in the 235-pound class. Bloomington North’s Alexzandria Burns finished third in the 130-pound class and Moxie Juers finished fourth in the 135-pound class as 12 Monroe County Girls Wrestlers advanced to the Regional. 9 of the 12 that advanced to last year’s regional return Including Goodwin who could be the first repeat champion. Faith Hand, Helen Bower and Ayrica DeHart all graduated but Monroe County will be represented for this year’s sectional as Brown County added Girls Wrestling this season and was added to this sectional.
Northern Kentucky Beat IU-Indianapolis Men’s Basketball in New Years Day Matchup Donovan Oday’s 18 points helped Northern Kentucky defeat IU Indianapolis 81-72 on Thursday. Oday shot 6 for 12 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Norse (11-5, 3-2 Horizon League). Dan Gherezgher scored 17 points, going 6 of 8 (5 for 7 from 3-point range). LJ Wells had 14 points and shot 4 of 6 from the field and 6 of 9 from the free-throw line. Kyler D’Augustino led the way for the Jaguars (4-12, 0-5) with 20 points and two steals. Finley Woodward added 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals for IU Indianapolis. Kameron Tinsley also recorded 10 points and three steals.
Six-Time Indy Car Champion Scott Dixon receives Knighthood from his Native New Zealand Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon was awarded a knighthood Wednesday in New Zealand’s New Year honors list. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but I never thought that ‘Sir’ was going to be one of them,” Dixon said. “That was kind of crazy. Totally out of the blue … You automatically go back to the start like the first time driving a go-kart and then all the rest of the memories happened at warp speed.”
Scott Ronald Glyndwr Dixon, now a Knight Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit, was born in Australia to New Zealand-born parents who later returned to live in Auckland. Dixon, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 2008, received the knighthood for services to motor sport. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2024. “Sir Scott is a hero to young New Zealand motor sport fans and his work fundraising for children’s charities is invaluable,” New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said.
Dixon won karting titles in Australia and New Zealand before heading to the United States where he raced in Indy Lights and CART series before moving to IndyCar in 2003. Dixon has had 23 consecutive seasons for Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar with 58 wins and 142 podium finishes from 380 starts. He has started 32 times from pole position and won the championship in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020. “It’s all about outside racing giving back to the community and the partnerships you make away from the track and causes you get involved in,” Dixon said.
The Cambridge Sisters combine for 30 Points as Ohio State Dominates Purdue Women’s Basketball The Cambridge sisters combined for 30 points 16 by Kennedy and 14 from Jaloni and No. 19 Ohio State routed Purdue 83-56 on Wednesday. Jaloni Cambridge also had seven rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocks. Jaloni Cambridge scored 11 points in the first quarter and the Buckeyes raced to a 30-17 lead. The Buckeyes shot 67% in the first quarter and 55% for the half. The Buckeyes scored 11 of the first 13 points in the second quarter as their lead reached 22 points, which they hit three times before halftime. The halftime score was 47-28. Kennedy Cambridge scored seven points in the third quarter and her 3-pointer near the seven-minute mark gave the Buckeyes a 28-point lead. The margin reached 34 points — 81-47 — with 3:20 left in the game. Chance Gray scored 14 points and Ava Watson 13 for Ohio State (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten). Kylee Kitts had nine points and 10 rebounds. Madison Layden-Zay scored 17 points, Nya Smith 11 and Tara Daye 10 for Purdue (8-6, 0-3). Ohio State shot 42% for the game and made 16 of 18 free throws. Purdue shot 30% and made 20 of 29 from the free-throw line. Ohio State has outscored Purdue 181-102 in their last two matchups. Purdue will travel to Nebraska on Sunday for a matchup with Cornhuskers.