What Indiana what this season has accomplished has been the story of the year, a feel-good turnaround from a Big Ten punching bag, a moribund program that was billed every season as an easy win for conference teams.
Instead, the Hoosiers have struck back and shut down every opponent.
MORE: Latest buzz on five-star prospects still looking at others
CLASS OF RANKINGS 2025: Rivals250 | Team | Position | Stands
CLASS OF RANKINGS 2026: Rivals250 | Team | Position | Stands
CLASS OF RANKINGS 2027: Top 100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team rankings | Search transfer | Transfer tracker
Not only is Indiana 10-0 for the first time in program history, it’s the first time the Hoosiers have won games by double digits, dating back to the program’s inception in 1899. There are two regular season games remaining against State of Ohio And Purdueand the Boilermakers are so bad that this is another virtually guaranteed win.
First-year coach Short Cignetti deserves all the honor in the world. The players deserve boundless praise. What they did in Bloomington was surprising and incredible.
But it makes you wonder if all the Indiana exuberance is a bit overdone?
Founder of Outkick.com Clay Travis asked an interesting question on social media on Tuesday when he asked: “Honest question, does anyone actually think that Indiana, BYU, Miami or Notre Dame would beat Alabama, Ole ma’am or Georgia on a neutral field? Not me. These play-off rankings are a joke.”
The rankings may not be a farce, but the Hoosiers are trailing alone at No. 5 overall Oregonstate of Ohio, Texas And Penn State (another team that may be a bit bloated), leaves some scratching their heads.
Sure, Indiana is undefeated and the Hoosiers deserve all that honor. But it also only played one team with a winning record this season and that’s it Nebraska at 5-4. The Huskers have lost three straight, demoted and brought in their offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen call plays.
Indiana’s wins — though almost all blowouts — haven’t come against the best of the best.
FIEWestern Illinois, UCLACharlotte, Maryland, NorthwestNebraska, Washington, State of Michigan and a Michigan team that can’t throw the ball downfield has been beaten so far this season. Indiana defeated the Wolverines by just five points.
The combined record of Indiana’s opponents this season is 40-53.
© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Should we believe if Indiana were to line up against one loss? TennesseeNotre Dame or Miami that the Hoosiers would win? Should we believe that if Indiana were lining up against two losses? AlabamaOle Miss or Georgia that the Hoosiers would win?
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is a transfer from Ohio. Lead rusher Justice Ellison came to the Hoosiers from Wake up forest. Leading receiver Elijah Sarratt was one of many players who followed Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana. Leading tackler Aiden Visser is also a JMU transplant. So too Mikail Kamarawho leads the Hoosiers with 9.5 sacks.
No one doubts Indiana’s right to be in the top twelve of the playoff rankings. Everyone appreciates what the Hoosiers have done on a historic basis this season.
Last season, Indiana scored 266 points. This year, the Hoosiers already lead the Big Ten with 439, but they haven’t played Ohio State yet and missed Oregon, Penn State, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa And Wisconsin on the schedule.
The progress in one year was phenomenal. In 2023, Indiana went 3-9 and lost by 20 to Ohio State, needed four overtimes to beat Akron, lost by 27 to Maryland, lost by 45 to Michigan, lost by 17 to Rutgers and fell to rival Purdue.
Indiana looks like a completely changed program this season. But the Hoosiers are still a 9.5-point underdog against Ohio State next weekend and that sounds good.
Even with a loss to Ohio State, Indiana should still be comfortably in the playoffs.
But there are plenty of elite one-loss teams and countless two-loss SEC teams licking their chops to prove they belong too, and Indiana has to go through it to win hardware.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH INDIANA FANS AT THEHOOSIER.COM
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Rivals.comthe leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
