There's a lot of football to be played, but looking at the current standings, it could be interesting. If you're someone who thinks "it's way too early to talk about the title game", you can stop reading now. Go on with your day.

Right now, it's UCLA and Ohio State at the top, then us and USC, Iowa, Northwestern. So I started wondering, what if Indiana, UCLA and Ohio State all win out? That leaves us out of the Big 10 title game.

Ohio State's remaining games: USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan
UCLA's remaining games: Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, USC
IU's remaining games: Michigan, Minnesota, USC, Washington, Purdue

Of course with Sayin being out for a few weeks, Ohio State could drop any of those. USC is ranked, Oregon needs a statement win, Northwestern is ranked and the records don't matter when they play Michigan.

UCLA seems to have an easier remaining schedule, though the USC game could trip them up.

Any of the three could certainly lose games, but it's also not impossible to see all three winning out. UCLA and Ohio State finish undefeated in the Big 10 and the Hoosiers with the one loss to Ohio State. That scenario makes IU 11-1 and in a great spot for the CFP. But an 11-1 Hoosiers vs a 12-0 UCLA in the Big 10 title game would sure be fun too.

I saw that Hoover was in pain during the game. Cig never shows his hand before a game and he would never let people know who is hurt willingly. That man has a strong poker face, imo. I hope we find our run game bc I am not sure our passing game will stay the same or improve/worsen if our back up QBs are in there.

Thoughts?

our running game has been MIA since NW...and instead of focusing on the nonexistent R in the RPO...y'all are focused on the P who has been present and who STILL has not thrown a single interception.

gtfo if you think our problems are bc of Hoover. He is doing his best with what he is given.

Perhaps our o-line is too weak to make holes for Turbo/Beebe to run through.

Last year, the only game when IU went blow 100+ yds was Wisconsin game 31-7. A functioning and healthy run game helped Mendoza look better than he was. It is not like we do not have two elite running backs this year...so what gives?

And compare that to this year where we have had three games and counting below 100 rushing yds.

Michigan will tear us up defensively if we can't get our run game up and running again bc Michigan has a very good secondary which will snuff out Marsh and Becker.

On a side note, If Marsh would have landed on his right foot, he would have been inbounds and we would have won the game. That was a doable catch but Marsh screwed up. Cooper Jr made a similar catch at Penn State and a foot in got us that win so don't tell me it wasn't doable...also not the best throw by Mendoza either like Hoover.

There is no doubt that there are a few gems in this freshman class, but I'm wondering why some of the freshman who were highly rated (and paid) aren't even suiting up...

If there was a week to lose, a team to lose to, and to lose the way we did… this was the best case scenario. Sucks losing but all in all we should be fine. Regardless it was a Saturday for the history books with everyone losing. We’re on to Michigan. NEVER DAUNTED ⚪️🔴🦬

Shanahan has forgotten more about football than I'll ever know, but I do have a question on why the team runs so much early but then when they go to the air, they're more successful. Here's yesterday's stats:

Is the early goal to wear down the defense? And yes, I understand the 4th quarter breakdown is 2:16 because they had to catch up but at the same time, Ohio State knew that too and could put defenses on the field specifically for the pass. And in spite of that IU was still able to move the ball upfield.

On multiple plays, the TV showed the wide angle pre-snap and could see Becker at the top in 1:1 coverage. The OSU defender really looked like he was on an island. Becker had a 4 inch height advantage. Why don't they send Becker on a straight fly pattern, tell him to just go beat the defender deep and see if they can connect that way. The other thing that does is gets safeties to back off, which can then open up the run game. It may have bee the same for Marsh on his side.

Maybe there are good reasons but I just feel like Becker and Marsh are weapons that are hard to cover and the offense could use them more. Even if the play doesn't connect, the threat of a long pass can loosen up the run game.

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It turns out Curt Cignetti is not the only gimlet-eyed, busy-browed, nostril-flaring icon synonymous with Indiana football’s historic national championship last season.

There’s also Hoosier the Bison.

You’ll be forgiven if you tuned in during that College Football Playoff run, or ahead of Saturday’s heavyweight bout against Ohio State, and wondered why Indiana’s mascot is a bison. The university reinstated the bison as Indiana’s official mascot ahead of last season, bringing it back for the first time since an initial stint in the 1960s.

“There have been several failed mascots, and the school established so many traditions without a mascot,” said Jeremy Gray, Indiana’s senior associate athletic director for strategic communications. “But there was a small, committed group that had a ‘Bring Back the Bison’ campaign.”

The movement gained momentum in recent years after the apparel brand Homefield, which has deep roots in Bloomington, Ind., released IU clothing featuring a retro bison logo. But the tipping point may have been in 2024, Cignetti’s first season at IU, when he immediately led the Hoosiers to 11 wins — then a program record — and the College Football Playoff. That October, Indiana hosted its first full broadcast of ESPN’s “College GameDay” on campus, marking a homecoming for legendary host and former Indiana football coach Lee Corso.

The entire weekend was a core memory for Indiana football, but Corso’s famous headgear pick left something to be desired. 

“We knew he was going to pick us to beat Washington, but he was going to put on a baseball hat,” said Gray. “This is a missed opportunity. We don’t have a mascot head.”

A couple of months later, in December 2024, the Indiana University Student Body Congress passed the Bring Back the Bison Act, and the athletic department gladly obliged. It proved to be perfect timing. The bison’s return for the 2025 football season opener kicked off a 16-0 title-winning campaign that flipped Indiana from the losingest program in college football history to the sport’s most remarkable turnaround story. Hoosier the Bison even has an edge over Cignetti since his comeback: an undefeated record, currently at 22 straight wins entering Saturday against the Buckeyes. (Cignetti lost twice in his first season.)

Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if we get something very familiar to BIG 10 Championship game vibes here.

I will say that I’m excited to see how our DL performs against Sayin considering he’s a little less mobile than Colandrea and Chiles.

Gonna be a dawg fight regardless!

HOO HOO HOO HOOSIERS!!! ⚪️🔴🦬

Back in stock after they sold out yesterday. All sizes still available on Dicks