Welcome to the fourth edition of two game Tuesdays! I am calling this week the “Cignetti Speech” week, as the Hoosiers are taking on The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan: the two teams Cignetti mentioned in his initial speech to IU fans.
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Week 7: Ohio State Buckeyes
All time series: Ohio State leads 80-13-5
The Hoosiers face their toughest test of the year at home against Ohio State on Oct. 17.
Ohio State Last Season
Ohio State started out their national title defense with a dominant, albeit low scoring win over the University of Texas at Austin. They were certainly impressive throughout the regular season, but did end on a two game losing streak with losses to Indiana and the University of Miami, the two national title participants. I could bore you with the stats about how dominant the Buckeyes’ defense was, or how good junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is, but the bottom line is that this was the most talented team in college football a season ago.
The fact that Ohio State lost in the quarterfinal of the CFP was disappointing to most Buckeye fans. The biggest problem with this team was the inability to jumpstart the offense down the field against good teams. Head coach Ryan Day did not trust redshirt sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin enough to take the leash off, and it cost them down the stretch. The Buckeyes played at the slowest pace in college football last season, and they could not turn it up when they needed to. It is important to remember Sayin finished fourth in Heisman voting a season ago. The Ohio State standard is just impossibly high.
Buckeyes Season Preview (Offense)
Ohio State lost a ton of talent to the NFL. Still, they are one of the favorites to win the national championship. Day brought in a program record 51 new players to retool and compete at the highest level. However, they return Sayin, who should be better with a year of experience and confidence. They also return sophomore running back Bo Jackson, a freshman standout at the position who wore down at the end of the year.
At receiver, it is an embarrassment of riches per usual. Smith comes back for what should be his final collegiate season, and the addition of freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. will provide Sayin with another superstar when teams double Smith. Smith, Henry, and senior Brandon Innis make up the best WR trio in the country. The offensive line had questions last year, and they did not do enough this offseason to quiet those concerns. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Austin Seireveld is a day two NFL talent, and the guards are good. The tackles make me question this group as a whole.The Texas game will be a great barometer of how this team matches up against top defensive lines.
Buckeyes Season Preview (Defense)
On defense, this team has to replace Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, and five other defensive starters. As usual, they have the 5-star talent to do it, and will only get better as the season goes along. Redshirt senior defensive end Keynatta Jackson is the next great Ohio State edge rusher, and he will be counted on to generate pressure on the quarterback to help out a secondary that is going to rely on youth.
The linebacker position will almost certainly be weaker than last year, as replacing two first round draft picks and expecting no drop off in play is impossible. However, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was outstanding in his first year, and he will be able to scheme some things up to make it feel like Styles and Reese are still in scarlet. Look for sophomore linebacker Riley Pettijon to take a huge leap at that position. In the defensive backfield, senior cornerback Jermaine Matthews will be counted on to play a bigger role, as well as sophomore cornerback Devin Sanchez. Redshirt senior safety Terry Moore was a standout at Duke University in 2024, but tore his ACL last season, and it remains to be seen if he can regain the form that brought him to Columbus.
Hoosiers vs Buckeyes
Game of the year. This has a great shot to be a 1 vs. 2 matchup, and will be a blockbuster of a Saturday. I am hoping that FOX will have mercy on the good people of Bloomington and make this a 7:30 kick. However, Big Noon is likely where this game is headed. The weeks leading up to this game will be very interesting to watch from a national narrative perspective. Ohio State, with their inexperienced defense, could lose to Texas in September, and have a lot of pressure to win. If they lose to Texas and Indiana, it would be the first time since 2011 that Ohio State had two losses before November
For Indiana, this game is their first shot at a statement win against the most consistent program in the sport. Indiana beat Ohio State in Indianapolis last winter in a 13-10 defensive battle. I expect this game to feature more offense. To put it simply, Ohio State will have a better offense than a season ago, and a worse defense.
The Bottom Line
If Indiana can win, they will the frontrunner for a Big Ten Championship and CFP appearance, even with a loss. More than that however, it would show the world that Indiana is the new leader in the Big Ten clubhouse. The key to this game will be the play of the quarterbacks. If Sayin has the confidence to make big time throws, it could be a long day for the corners. If Hoover can protect the football, he will make the Buckeye offense consistently drive the whole length of the field. Indiana will wear out the Buckeye offensive line over time.
I am looking for the Indiana lines to control the line of scrimmage, much like they did a season ago, and force Ohio State to try to out-talent them on the outside. On both lines, it is more than fair to say that Indiana has the more proven commodities, and in a heavyweight battle like this one, that could play a huge role in determining the outcome of this game.
This game is a drop everything and watch game for college football fans nationwide.
After 4 warm-up types of games, IU’s schedule gets aggressive quickly with a hostile road matchup and then the biggest game of their season back to back. If IU is 6-0 after the OSU game, they’ll be ranked #1 in the country and likely the betting favorite to win the CFP, again.
Week 8: Michigan Wolverines
All Time series: Michigan leads 62-11
After a tough home game against Ohio State, the Hoosiers travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan on Oct. 24th.
Michigan Last Season
Michigan was a little disappointing a season ago, even though they finished 9-4. They beat everyone who had less talent, but could not win a game when the talent was equal or the other team was stronger. True freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood was clearly still raw, and the offense sputtered from the beginning. The shocking part about his freshman season was just how little the Wolverines utilized his ability to run. He is super athletic, and he only finished the year with 392 yards rushing. Fernando Mendoza had 276 for some context. The Wolverines were 107th in the country in passing offense. They were too one-dimensional, and good teams took advantage of that all season long. Their defense was still top 30 in the country, but they could not overcome the poor offensive performances.
Michigan This Season
The biggest offseason change for Michigan was the hiring of new head coach Kyle Whittingham, and the firing of Sherrone Moore. Whittingham took over at the University of Utah for Urban Meyer, and he was consistent throughout his time. He brings stability, experience and toughness to a team that has lacked identity since Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL. It is impossible to understate just how much of an upgrade Whittingham is over Moore, and I believe many people are underrating Michigan for this reason. They went 9-4 with one of the most problematic head coaches in college football. I think 9-3 is their floor this year, even with a tougher schedule.
Underwood is back to play quarterback, along with 2023 Ohio Mr. Football, sophomore running back Jordan Marshall. Underwood should use his legs more, as Devon Dampier, the Utah starter, ran for 835 in Whittingham’s system. On the outside, Sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh looks to have another great season in maize and blue. If he turns into a reliable option down the field for Underwood, this offense could be scary.
On the other side of the ball, redshirt junior defensive end John Henry Daley comes over with Whittingham after an 11.5 sack campaign. Redshirt junior corner back Jyaire Hill is someone I have penciled in to be an all conference selection. The defense relied heavily on young players inlinebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and look for production from linebacker Chase Taylor, both of whom are sophomores. If they can take a leap, this defense will once again be at the top of the country. Don “Wink” Martindale is out at defensive coordinator, and Whittingham brought in Jay Hill from Brigham Young University to replace him. I love this move, as Martindale’s system seemed overly complicated for college kids a season ago.
Hoosiers vs. Wolverines
The worst part about this game for Indiana is that it comes right after Ohio State. Regardless of what happens in that game, the ability to refocus is critical for the Hoosiers. Michigan will be a tough opponent all season long, and their physical style of play will wear on teams. The X factor in this game is Underwood. If he plays well, Indiana will have a tough time stopping both him and the potent rushing attack. However, if he struggles, a key turnover could swing the game in Indiana’s favor.
Indiana has struggled in the past with dual threat QBs, and Underwood is the most athletic one they will face all season. The Michigan defense is always good, and this unit has a chance to be special. I expect Indiana to establish the run early to negate the presence of Daley, and to avoid dangerous third and long situations. This is a big halftime adjustments game, and could turn out to be a tale of two halves.
If Indiana manages to get out of Ann Arbor unscathed, they will be well on their way to cementing a playoff spot, as well as contending for another Big Ten Title. Depending on what happens the week prior, IU could be staring down the barrel of the first two game losing streak in the Curt Cignetti Era if they lose.
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Cover picture courtesy of Indiana University Athletics