Indiana looks as if it has come full circle.

Two years ago, Indiana pulled off an upset of then-No. 13 Iowa at Memorial Stadium, scoring a 31-28 victory in what would become the signature win of the late Terry Hoeppner's time with the Hoosiers.

Fast forward 24 months, and it's clear the Hoosiers have forgotten what it takes to win in the Big Ten. Indiana's 45-9 loss to the Hawkeyes marked a new low for a program that already has suffered through a season filled with more disappointment than joy.

Both sides of the ball are lacking fire. Indiana's offense has produced 16 points in the past two weeks and has scored a total of seven points after halftime in its last four games. The offensive line is a mess, with players being shuffled in and out of the lineup on nearly every play and occasionally switching positions from play to play. The running game was awful vs. Iowa, and Indiana is lacking a consistent go-to receiver in the passing game.

Indiana's defense, meanwhile, is having a problem getting off the field. After allowing Minnesota to hold onto the ball for 37:41 the previous week, the Hoosiers lost the time-of-possession battle to Iowa by a count of 39:06-20:54.

All the positive feelings that were generated by last year's bowl trip have faded away, and now it's up to head coach Bill Lynch and his staff to try to recapture the magic that made Indiana an up-and-coming program in the past two years. Attendance is dwindling, and the fans are frustrated with what they believe is a lack of effort from the team.

Lynch seems close to a blowup, and he has said he will spend this week re-evaluating everything in the program. Although he wasn't specific about what kind of changes might be made, it seems the Hoosiers are entering a very dangerous phase of their journey to respectability. A blowout loss this week to Illinois could see the turmoil that is bubbling just below the surface turn into a full-blown explosion.

SEASON RECAP

Indiana 31, Western Kentucky 13: Indiana leaned on QB Kellen Lewis both on the ground and through the air in the Hoosiers' win over the Hilltoppers. Lewis ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns, and he passed for 144 yards and two more scores to give the Hoosiers their fifth straight season-opening victory.

Indiana 45, Murray State 3: Five different Hoosiers scored rushing touchdowns and RB Marcus Thigpen ran for 100 yards and two scores to push IU to a blowout win over Murray State. Indiana totaled 254 yards rushing and dominated on both sides of the ball to give IU its fifth straight 2-0 start.

Ball State 42, Indiana 20: Ball State ran for 224 yards and threw for 239 more to pull away in the second half for a blowout win. Indiana's offense never found its rhythm, and there were few bright spots outside of QB Kellen Lewis, who accounted for 307 yards of total offense -- 148 yards rushing and 159 yards passing.

Michigan State 42, Indiana 29: RB Marcus Thigpen ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass, but it wasn't enough to help the Hoosiers win at home vs. Michigan State. MSU RB Javon Ringer rolled up 198 yards on the ground, but IU's defense got stronger as the game progressed and Indiana learned plenty of lessons about itself in defeat.

Minnesota 16, Indiana 7: Minnesota held the ball for nearly 38 minutes, and IU's offense failed to produce much on the ground, sending the Hoosiers to their third straight defeat. Gophers WR Eric Decker made a career-high 13 catches for 190 yards in the win, and Indiana was held scoreless in the second half for the second time in three weeks.

Iowa 45, Indiana 9: Iowa scored 28 unanswered points after halftime to blow open what had been a close game and send Indiana to its fourth straight loss. Hawkeyes RBs Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton both ran for more than 100 yards as Iowa controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

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