iacta alea est.
January 10th, 49 B.C.
Cisalpine Gaul
Gaius Julius Caesar is marching southbound to the river Rubicon with an army.
He pauses.
To cross this river and move into Italy would amount to insurrection. Treason against the republic. Doing this, entering Italy at the command of troops, would lead he and his men to automatically be condemned to death.
Caesar considered this. Standing on the northern shore of the river, he uttered one phrase.
“iacta alea est.”
“The die is cast.”
He pressed forth. Over the river. South.
Into Italy.
…
January 14th, 2025 C.E.
Assembly Hall. Bloomington, Indiana
The last few minutes of the first half are counting down.
Indiana is losing to Illinois. By over 20 points.
It’s been an utterly hapless showing for the Hoosiers and it’s coming on their own home floor. The Illini seized control of the game immediately as the cream and crimson just about ceded doing so at all.
This isn’t the first blowout loss Indiana has seen this season. Not even the first it’s seen in the past few days. But those came far, far away, in a makeshift basketball arena in The Bahamas or Carver Hawkeye Arena, where the program has had its fair share of trouble.
But no. This is Bloomington. This is Assembly Hall. Branch McCracken Court.
This is different. This is too much.
Indiana’s student section, the largest in the country, is bearing witness. Those who haven’t left already are preparing to do what student sections do best in letting their voice be heard.
This is one chant you can’t take back.
The die is cast.
…
The Mike Woodson era is, unofficially, over.
This is it. There is no coming back from this.
Look, other teams have and will falter to Illinois like this. Oregon already did out in Eugene. That is just going to happen, they’re that kind of team.
But this loss just adds to the ever-growing list of blowout losses that have come under Woodson’s watch in his coaching tenure in Bloomington.
You can absolutely afford those in a true year zero situation. Can get away with some in year one. In year two it’s forgivable, but it better not be too many. Year three or four? It’s your team and your program.
And it’s not acceptable. Not here.
The Indiana job naturally comes with expectations. Five national championship banners have loomed over the last four men who’ve held the title of head coach, all of which were doomed to leave without adding a sixth.
Woodson was a bit different. He played here. Donned the candystriped warmup pants, hustled in the cream and crimson and nearly hung that fourth banner before the ‘81 team had a chance to.
When he took this job, came home, he set the expectations himself.
Big Ten Championships. National Championships.
Woodson’s fourth team, made up of highly talented additions from both the high school ranks and transfer portal, is nowhere near contending for a Big Ten title, let alone a national title.
Four years ago now the fanbase let out a similar chant in Lucas Oil Stadium at the lone Indiana game the general public was permitted to attend. Maybe it was built up frustration. Maybe that loss was just that bad.
But either way, “Fire Archie” descended onto the court loud enough for everyone, including athletic director Scott Dolson, to hear.
That was different. Archie Miller’s final team similarly wasn’t good enough, yes, but that was predictable. Indiana didn’t look like world beaters on paper so it wasn’t stunning when they hit the court and underwhelmed.
This? This team?
Indiana has the best center the transfer portal could offer down low. The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in its backcourt, a guy who took Washington State to the NCAA Tournament. A five-star scorer on the wing, another on its bench and veteran talent in guys like Trey Galloway and Luke Goode.
This team has every reason to at least be competitive. Instead their getting run out of the gym by every opponent with a pulse.
This didn’t happen with any of these guys at their previous stops. Myles Rice was in the Tournament. Oumar Ballo was in the Sweet Sixteen. Luke Goode was in the Elite Eight.
Now they’re all, together, losing by well over ten points on a regular basis.
That’s coaching.
…
Back to Caesar for a second.
When he crossed the Rubicon and moved into Italy, he ignited a civil war. The result was a dictatorship. Caesar got exactly what he wanted.
Those fans who chanted “Fire Archie” in 2021? Same thing.
Those who chanted “Fire Woodson” tonight? Not yet.
But, at some point, probably.
iacta alea est.