On Nov. 1, 1913, the University of Notre Dame’s Charley “Gus” Dorais and Knute Rockne forever changed the sport of football with the introduction of the forward pass. Exactly one week later, Indiana football traveled to Iowa City, Iowa, for the first time in program history for a Week 5 matchup against the Hawkeyes.
“Iowa Eleven Swamp Indiana By Tune of 60 to 0,” The Richmond Palladium’s Nov. 10 byline read.
A lot has changed since then. The world has witnessed two World Wars, the invention of the cheeseburger and — last but certainly not least — a competitive Indiana football team.
Still, some facts remain the same.
The Hoosiers will travel to Iowa City for a Week 5 matchup against the Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon. Only this time, the stakes are far greater for the visiting Cream and Crimson.
In 1913, Indiana entered the Hawkeye State with low expectations — the Hoosiers finished the 1912 season with a conference-worst 2-5 record.
Fast forward to the present day and the script has flipped. Head coach Curt Cignetti has Indiana ranked No. 11 in the latest Associated Press poll after steamrolling then-No. 9 Illinois 63-10 in a statement victory. After reaching the College Football Playoff last season, the Hoosiers are already making strides for a potential return in 2025.
That could all screech to a halt in front of a hostile sold-out crowd at Kinnick Stadium this Saturday. The term “must-win” is an overused cliche, but Indiana’s first road test of the season is just that.
“It's a tough place to play, Kinnick Stadium,” Cignetti said during his Monday media availability. “They sell out almost every Saturday. It's loud. So, we're going to have to play well. This will be a challenge, a more difficult challenge than the last one, for sure. And the sooner our guys realize that, the better.”
Ignoring a rather blatant diss to the Fighting Illini, the Hoosiers’ second-year coach has a point. Cignetti knows Iowa provides an obstacle he’s yet to overcome since coming to Bloomington — beating a quality team on the road.
I don’t want to hear any arguments. Last season, Indiana’s only road wins were against UCLA, Northwestern and Michigan State. Those teams had a combined 8-19 record in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers’ quality road matchups were against Ohio State and Notre Dame — their only two losses.
That’s not to say Indiana was bad last season. I’m simply pointing out that the Hoosiers’ sole slip ups corresponded with their tough road games. The Hawkeyes aren't Ohio State and they aren’t Notre Dame — but they are well coached.
Since taking over the program in 1999, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has had just four losing seasons — two of which came in his first two years. The Hawkeyes have finished above .500 in 12 consecutive seasons. Iowa is the spitting image of consistency.
“The thing about Iowa in general, they will not beat themselves,” Cignetti said. “You will have to beat them. They're not going to beat themselves and they play really well at home.”
In some ways, the Hawkeyes are the perfect opponent for Indiana. Iowa gives Cignetti a chance to coach his team through a tough environment while still having an advantage in overall talent.
Simply put, it’s a test — a test the Hoosiers must prove they can pass.
Indiana has trips to No. 6 Oregon on Oct. 11 and No. 3 Penn State on Nov. 8 remaining on the schedule. If Cignetti can’t get the Hoosiers past Iowa, those games might as well be chalked up as surefire losses. With three defeats in conference play, Indiana could kiss its chances of a CFP return goodbye.
Hence my use of everyone’s favorite cliche, the Hoosiers’ first road trip this season is a “must win.”
It’s not 1913 anymore — the cheeseburger exists, and Indiana has a football team competing for a Big Ten title. Still, a loss Saturday would be just as disappointing as the 60-point rout all those years ago.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
