Indiana takes on Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament in a few hours. IU is the 11 seed, while Penn State is seeded sixth. The Nittany Lions are favored by nine.

Terry Hutchens of the Indy Star has IU in the upset, citing the fact that the game is in Indianapolis, and the Hoosiers having no pressure on them, whereas it’s a must-win for Penn State if they want to assure an NCAA Tournament birth.

Hutchens could very well be right; IU has played Penn State pretty good this year. And for as much as I’d like to see the Hoosiers win — though, the more Big Ten teams in, the merrier — and have a shot at Purdue in the next round, it’s OK if they don’t. I won’t feel that much disappointment.

Because the chapter on the worst season record-wise in IU’s history will be closed. For good. Forever. No longer will we have to rely on a bunch of guys working their tails of for little reward, we’ll have a bunch of guys with more talent working their tails off for wins and perhaps more. We’ll no longer have to lament this season, because the next time the Hoosiers take the floor, it will actually be here.

I will root for the Hoosiers today. I hope they win. If they don’t? Then let the countdown to Hoosier Hysteria begin.