Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 18 Days (Ben Bach)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

#18

We are less than 20 days away! That’s right, the Hoosier Huddle Countdown is more than 80% complete and we are in the homestretch of the long offseason. In only 18 days, the Indiana Hoosiers will take the field at Memorial Stadium and begin the 2017 season against the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes. Today’s countdown article focuses on a player from the Land of Lincoln, defensive back Ben Bach.

Ben Bach (Redshirt Senior)

-Height: 6’1”

-Weight: 195 lbs.

-Hometown: Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville High School)

-Position: DB

You are a loyal and passionate fan and you have read each of the countdown articles in the run-up to the 2017 season. As a result, you know how deep and talented IU’s secondary appears to be. Just in case you missed a few of our articles, here’s a quick recap, IU’s secondary could be as good of a group as the Hoosiers have had there in at least the last 25 years. All four starters return, plus IU adds talented newcomers and brings back a number of veteran depth pieces. All in all, the secondary is in as strong of a position as you can hope for. One of those veteran depth pieces is redshirt senior Ben Bach.

Bach came to Indiana after a successful career at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School. His team advanced to the 2011 state championship game and he was a two-year letterwinner in both football and baseball. Bach walked on to the IU program in 2013 and redshirted the season, earning scout team player of the week once.

He did not see any game action during the 2014 season but was again named scout team player of the week one time. Prior to the 2015 season, Ben Bach’s hard-work earned him a scholarship. He played in all 13 games as a redshirt sophomore and made his first career start against the Duke Blue Devils in the Pinstripe Bowl. Bach was a standout on special teams and provided some stability in an otherwise shaky back-end of the defense. Bach was again named a scholarship player prior to the 2016 season and he started the first four games for new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. True freshman A’Shon Riggins eventually unseated him, but Bach still played in 11 games and had his first career interception in the opener against Florida International. Bach is an Academic All-Big Ten selection, studying healthcare management and policy.

He enters his redshirt senior season as a walk-on that has evolved into a valuable piece of IU’s team. He’ll likely continue to be a part of the coverage units on special teams and be a rotation piece at defensive back. Rashard Fant and A’Shon Riggins are not giving up their starting positions but Bach’s size makes him a good option against bigger wide receivers and he will certainly see some snaps against pass-heavy opponents. Being able to turn to redshirt seniors that have playing experience to fill rotation spots is a luxury and it’s just one of the many reasons so many are so high on IU’s 2017 defense.

Please share any comments or thoughts in the comments section or in our message board. The countdown continues each and every day so make sure to check Hoosier Huddle daily as we churn towards the 2017 season!