No. 20 Indiana football opens its 2025 season against Old Dominion University at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
The Hoosiers enter their second season under head coach Curt Cignetti coming off an 11-2 season, which ended with a 27-17 loss to the University of Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff First Round.
While notable players such as quarterback Kurtis Rourke, center Mike Katic and linebacker Jailin Walker exhausted their eligibility after last season, Cignetti and his staff brought in a plethora of transfers — 12 offensive players, eight defensive and four special teamers — to retool the roster in hopes of returning to the CFP.
The Hoosiers’ schedule is headlined by a pair of marquee road contests against current top 10 opponents, and a trip to Kinnick Stadium to face Iowa.
The Indiana Daily Student gathered its two reporters’ and columnist’s predictions for all 12 regular-season matchups.
August 30 vs. Old Dominion University
James’ prediction: Win
Banks’ prediction: Win
Richards’ prediction: Win
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Colton Joseph is set to lead an Old Dominion offense that ranked 14th in the nation with 209.8 rushing yards per game last season. Indiana proved its dominance against the run in 2024 and will find success against the Monarchs’ poor defense to open the season.
September 6 vs. Kennesaw State University
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
Coming off a 2-10 season, Kennesaw State opens its season against Wake Forest University on Friday. Indiana hasn’t played Kennesaw State before, but it will dominate and improve to 2-0.
September 12 vs. Indiana State University
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
Not only are the Sycamores an FCS team, they also aren’t a very good one. Indiana State hasn’t had a winning season since 2018 and is 0-6 all-time against the Hoosiers — depending on who you ask.
September 20 vs. Illinois
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Loss
After a weak nonconference slate, the Hoosiers get thrown into the deep end with their conference opener against the Fighting Illini. A sold-out Memorial Stadium might be the edge Indiana needs to scrape out a hard-fought win, but a severe step up in competition could easily prove too drastic for Cignetti’s squad.
September 27 at Iowa
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Loss
Indiana’s first away test of the season will be played at an already sold-out Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes’ home crowd has reached max capacity for 21 straight games dating back to 2022. Cignetti was 0-2 against ranked teams on the road last season and — although Iowa currently sits outside the initial Associated Press Top 25 — it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Hawkeyes to sneak into the rankings when week five rolls around.
October 11 at Oregon
James: Loss
Banks: Loss
Richards: Loss
Coming off its first idle week of the season, Indiana will take on preseason No. 7 Oregon at Autzen Stadium. With former Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel departing for the NFL after 2024, redshirt sophomore Dante Moore has taken the reins of the offense. Assuming Moore displays considerable development after a season behind Gabriel, he’ll lead Oregon to victory.
October 18 vs. Michigan State
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
Hampered by injuries last season, a healthy Michigan State defense should make considerable strides in 2025. The Spartans face inconsistencies at quarterback and uncertainty surrounding their running game after losing running backs Nathan Carter and Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams in the offseason — its top two rushers from the 2024 season. These factors will make life difficult against the Hoosiers.
October 25 vs. UCLA
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava made headlines in the spring, transferring from the University of Tennessee to UCLA. Iamaleava will now play under offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri — the lone assistant to leave Indiana after 2024. Even with Iamaleava becoming the Bruins’ signal caller, the Hoosiers will put together a similar performance to their 31-point victory in 2024 en route to another win this season.
November 1 at Maryland
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
The Terrapins took a step back in 2024, losing seven of their final eight games en route to a 4-8 record. This year, Maryland seems to have taken a step forward thanks to a slew of roster turnover. Regardless, the talent disparity should be enough for Indiana to leave College Park with a win.
November 8 at Penn State
James: Loss
Banks: Win
Richards: Loss
The Nittany Lions return much of their 2024 core that nearly led them to the National Championship. Playing in Happy Valley and against the best running back tandem in the nation, Indiana needs to dominate the line of scrimmage and control the passing game to have a shot.
November 15 vs. Wisconsin
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
Wisconsin faces a tough schedule this season including matchups against six teams in the Associated Press’ preseason poll — one that could wear the Badgers out as the season progresses. With Indiana set to be one of those ranked matchups late in the season, fans of the Cream and Crimson pack the rock for an Indiana victory.
November 28 at Purdue
James: Win
Banks: Win
Richards: Win
Purdue enters 2025 under new leadership in head coach Barry Odom. While another 66-0 victory over the Boilermakers seems unlikely to happen in West Lafayette, Indiana will still dominate Purdue on Black Friday.
Game to watch
JAMES: Indiana’s two losses in 2024 came to Ohio State and Notre Dame — the two schools that played for the national championship. The next step for the Hoosiers is competing and beating top programs such as No. 2 Penn State. The two are set to face off Nov. 8 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. It’ll serve as a chance for Indiana to prove they’re no longer an “emerging superpower,” as Cignetti described it last season, and instead solidify its arrival near the top of the college football landscape.
BANKS: After three consecutive weak non-conference games, I am intrigued at how Indiana will come prepared to face Illinois, its first conference opponent in 2025. The Fighting Illini held a 10-3 record in 2024 and are expected to step forward this season after being ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press’ preseason poll. Illinois is one of the most experienced teams in the nation, with 16 starters returning from last year.
For Indiana, this is a must-win game and a tone-setter for the rest of conference play. A victory against Illinois would relieve some of the pressure going into tough conference matchups such as Oregon and Penn State, while drastically improving their chances at a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.
RICHARDS: Indiana faced two teams with plus .500 records on the road last season, Ohio State and Notre Dame — its only two losses. Iowa will likely be above that mark in 2025 and were unbeaten in the confines of Kinnick Stadium one year ago. While the Hawkeyes aren’t the Hoosiers’ toughest matchup on paper, they’ll serve as a benchmark for their performance in other hostile environments in ensuing games.
Passing an early road test from a consistent Iowa program proves Indiana could overcome similar atmospheres against Oregon and Penn State. With a loss, the Hoosiers’ hopes of winning those pivotal matchups would seem desperate at best.
Record prediction
JAMES: Coming off an 11-1 regular season in 2024, I see the Hoosiers finishing at 10-2 in 2025. Beating Penn State on the road — something Indiana has never done — is a tall task, and one I don’t think will happen this season.
I think the Hoosiers also fall on the road to Oregon on Oct. 11; however, I think that matchup comes down to Dante Moore and whether he’s made marked improvement since his true freshman season at UCLA in 2023, so I could see a world in which the Hoosiers sneak out of Autzen Stadium with a victory. In the end, I think with two losses, a second consecutive CFP appearance wouldn’t come to fruition.
BANKS: 11-1 – While this may seem ambitious, Indiana returns much of last year’s roster that made the College Football Playoff with the same record. I expect the offense to be better suited against the top defenses the Hoosiers will face this season with the acquisition of quarterback Fernando Mendoza in addition to offensive line upgrades. The Hoosiers’ one loss of the season comes at Oregon. However, Indiana bounces back against another ranked opponent and leaves Happy Valley with a win. Penn State boasts one of the best running back duos in the nation, but if the Hoosiers can replicate their success against the run from last season, I think they have a good chance at a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.
RICHARDS: 8-4 – I think the Hoosiers’ weak nonconference schedule hurts them in the long run. Illinois uses a week two matchup against Duke University in Durham to prepare for a ruckus Big Ten opener against Indiana, ultimately giving the Hoosiers a loss in week four. The following week, Kinnick Stadium’s stage is too big for the Cream and Crimson who fall to 0-2 in conference play. I’m in accordance with Dalton that the talent of Oregon and Penn State is too much for Indiana, giving them an 8-4 (5-4 Big Ten) record.
Follow reporters Conor Banks and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) for updates throughout the Indiana football season
