Hoosier legends celebrate IU's return to gridiron glory
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Doug Crusan and Ken Kaczmarek were on the 1967-68 IU football team that played in the program's first Rose Bowl. Photo: Courtesy of Indiana University Archives
Doug Crusan knows that IU can beat Oregon Friday night.
Why it matters: The Indiana Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion's unwavering confidence in the Hoosiers is the product of their performance the past two seasons, and it doesn't stop at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
- "The success that they've had … well, that success builds upon itself and makes each of them better players," Crusan told Axios. "The ball is rolling. Everything is in place. And quite frankly, they could — they should — win it all."
State of play: Ken Kaczmarek, a fellow Hall of Famer who played alongside Crusan on the IU team that took the program to its first Rose Bowl in 1968, called that shift in mindset among the fanbase a powerful motivator for the players.
- He said with Curt Cignetti at the helm, the impossible seems attainable.
- "Before you'd say, 'We hope we win,'" Kaczmarek said. "Now I think when they step on the field, people expect them to win."
The intrigue: Crusan and Kaczmarek see parallels between today's IU team and their playing days in the late '60s when Indiana made a similar climb from worst-to-first.
- The 1967-68 team that played in the Rose Bowl against USC went 9-2 and won the Big Ten title.
- The season prior, they went 1-8-1.
Between the lines: During that era, Crusan said it was encouraging to see fans throughout the state pause their rivalries and rally behind the Hoosiers.
- "Everybody just kind of backed us and was proud of the success we had, and it's nice to once again see everybody gather up, so to speak, and back IU," said Crusan, who lives in Fishers. "I mean, Purdue is No. 5 in basketball, and IU is going to the Peach Bowl with two more games to go. There is reason to celebrate and be proud of so much here in the state."
For Kaczmarek, any question about whether or not IU fans are all-in this season was answered by looking at the stands during the Rose Bowl.
- "I saw how we outnumbered Alabama … and I think the same thing's going to happen in Atlanta," he said. "I mean, Atlanta is an eight-hour drive … so it's going to be more hardcore Oregon fans against a larger contingent from Indiana."
What's next: Kickoff is hours away — at 7:30pm on ESPN.
- Victory means advancing in the College Football Playoffs and playing for a National Championship.
The bottom line: "I think they're going to have their hands full. And if they play to their capabilities, they should win," Kaczmarek said. "And if we have a couple really bad breaks, things could go against us. But I think this team could have two interceptions and a fumble and still win it."