Welcome to the sixth and final edition of two game Tuesdays! We preview Indiana’s toughest road test of the year against the University of Washington, as well as the Old Oaken Bucket game against Purdue University to close out the season.
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Week 12: Washington Huskies
All time series: Indiana leads 3-1
The Hoosiers take on the Huskies in Seattle on Nov. 21.
Washington Last Season
Washington went 9-4 last season, even though they were decimated by injuries. Head coach Jedd Fisch continues to prove how good he is at rebuilding programs. Washington had a disappointing game against the University of Wisconsin, but played pretty well overall. The offense averaged 34 points per game even though it felt like Washington was going into games with at most six healthy offensive linemen. Jonah Coleman was a star, and is now a part of the Denver Broncos running back room. The defense flashed, and ultimately finished 21st in the nation. The run defense was stellar, but the pass rush was lacking.
Last year’s Washington team was good, but not great. Their losses (besides Wisconsin) were Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan. Had they not had the unfortunate performance against. Wisconsin, last season would’ve been mostly a positive.
Washington Season Preview
Junior quarterback Demond Williams is back after a weird offseason that perfectly encapsulates where college football is right now. He tried to leave for more NIL money, but ultimately re-signed with Washington before fall camp. The offensive line returns four starters; if they can stay healthy, will be a much improved unit. Senior running back Jaydan Limar transfers in from Oregon to fill the backfield role, and he has a chance to shine in this explosive offense. Sophomore Wide Receiver Dezmen Roebuck will have big shoes to fill with the loss of Denzel Boston to the NFL. Senior wide receiver Christian Moss, a transfer from Kennesaw State, also appears primedto play a big part in the passing offense.
The defense will again take a leap forward, even though they have to replace some production at all three levels. Senior linebacker Jacob Manu was injured in 2025, but is expectedbreak out in a big way for the Huskies. Senior defensive linemenJacob Lane and Isaiah Ward to be much better in the pass rush this season, which will help them against the top competition. The secondary only returns senior defensive back Alex McLaughlin at safety, but I trust defensive coordinator Ryan Walters to develop the back of this defense throughout the non-conference schedule, and be ready for conference play. Junior defensive back Emmanuel Karnley is a corner back from Virginia that will bring experience and talent to a room that lost two corners to the NFL. He does not have the highest ceiling, but he is a reliable option for the defense.
Huskies vs Hoosiers
This is a bad matchup for Indiana. After a tough game against USC, they have to travel across three time zones to a stadium with a great home field advantage. The weather in Seattle in November is also not historically great. Adding on, the Washington run defense is one of the best in the country. If Indiana’s running game is ineffective, a lot of pressure will be on Hoover to be the primary playmaker. Williams is also the type of scrambling QB who can pose problems for the Indiana defense.This will likely be a low scoring game, and special teams execution will be vital.
The key in this one will be turnovers. If the ball is slippery, or if Hoover feels like he has to play hero ball to win, this could be a loss for Indiana. Even though they are the better team, the travel and the matchup really hurt the Hoosiers in this game. Do not sleep on the Huskies, and do not expect this game to be anything more than a field goal difference.
Week 13: Purdue Boilermakers
All time series: Purdue leads 77-44-6
Indiana hosts Purdue on Nov. 28th to close out the regular season.
Purdue Last Season
Purdue went 2-10 last season, which is actually an improvement over the year before when they went 1-11. First year head coach Barry Odom at least got the train back on the tracks for the Boilermakers last year. However, it seems this will be a steep uphill rebuild. The offense was 102nd in the nation a year ago, which was a positive sign for Purdue. The passing offense was pretty average, but the run game was not. In the Big Ten, if you cannot run the ball, you cannot win.Purdue fans have become way too familiar with this in recent years.
The defense also improved last year, even though they were still 17th in the conference. Odom is a defensive minded coach, so it makes sense to expect another jump up this year.
Purdue This Season
I see 2-4 wins on the schedule for Purdue this year, including a conference win against Maryland or Wisconsin at home. The Boilermakers could feasibly start out 2-0 with games against Indiana State University and Wake Forest University, which would be great for their fanbase. Junior quarterbackRyan Browne should see some improvement at the position, and senior wide receiver Xavier Townsend, the transfer from Iowa State, should quickly turn into Browne’s favorite target.
The defense is going to be better. If they can get some more turnover luck, they could make some games scary for teams like the University of California, Los Angeles, Penn State University and the University of Illinois. If Purdue is able to beat a team outside the bottom tier in the Big Ten, that would be a sign that Odom has this rolling in the right direction.
Hoosiers vs. Boilermakers
This is a rivalry game, so anything could happen. However, the last two years under head coach Curt Cignetti have shown that Indiana is not susceptible to losing games against these types of teams. The Hoosiers should once again dominate the Boilermakers on Senior Night, and look to carry that momentum into a playoff push.
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Cover Photo Courtesy of The Southerner