Indiana football reached the midway point of the regular season after securing a 20-17 road win over Nebraska on Oct. 10. Following the 11-point comeback victory, the Hoosiers jumped to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 poll.
As Indiana moves into the second half of its schedule, the Hoosiers will look to maintain their undefeated season and continue building upon their 22-game win streak. The Cream and Crimson’s next chance to stay undefeated comes at noon Saturday against No. 4 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium. The contest will be the first ever top-five matchup played at Memorial Stadium.
The Indiana Daily Student’s two football beat reporters and columnist share their takeaways from the first six games and provide their predictions for the rest of Indiana's season.
Biggest surprise
CONOR BANKS: Now-junior running back Turbo Richard was productive last season at Boston College, totaling 749 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Still, few could’ve forecasted the impact he would have in his first season with the Hoosiers. Richard was thrust into a larger backfield role with a Week 1 injury to redshirt sophomore Khobie Martin. At the midway point of the regular season, Richard has 597 rushing yards on 71 attempts. Richard has been the anchor of Indiana’s top-20 rushing offense, and his 8.41 yards per carry leads the nation.
NATHAN SHRIBERG: Redshirt senior defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi came out of nowhere. Prior to the start of the season, Indiana's defensive line was rightfully hailed as its strongest and deepest position group. What nobody predicted was Osunsanmi's ascent to the top of the Big Ten in tackles for loss. With 9.5 TFLs through six games, the Kansas State University transfer is only three short of his three-year total with the Wildcats — and there's still six games left on Indiana's schedule.
ELAKAI ANELA: At this point in the year, I expected Indiana to be undefeated. So, while the Hoosiers’ tight games against now-No. 25 Northwestern and Nebraska were surprising, their record isn’t. What has shocked me is who’s dominating the defensive line. Coming into the year, I thought redshirt senior Tyrique Tucker and junior Mario Landino would dominate up front. Instead, they’ve both taken a backseat to Osunsanmi and fifth-year Stephen Daley. Both lead the team with five sacks each.
Biggest question
BANKS: My biggest question through six games last year: Can Indiana’s secondary hold up? I have the same concern this time around. The Hoosiers have largely limited the explosive plays through the air that were allowed early last season, but Indiana still ranks toward the middle of Big Ten teams in passing defense. The Cream and Crimson’s secondary dealt with injuries to begin the year but are getting close to 100% with senior defensive back A.J. Harris’ return against Nebraska. The Hoosiers’ matchup against Ohio State on Saturday will be a major test for the secondary.
SHRIBERG: What version of redshirt senior quarterback Josh Hoover will end the year? With all the chatter about his missed throws, you wouldn't believe he's top three in the nation with 17 passing touchdowns. He's also one of two Big Ten signal callers who has played every game and has yet to throw an interception. He's efficient enough to inspire belief that the Hoosiers can once again compete with the top teams in the nation. But will the miscues persist?
ANELA: Will Indiana’s top-heavy receiver group continue to work out? Through six games, juniors Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker have tallied a combined 1,057 receiving yards. The rest of that unit — split between four other receivers — has only 288 yards. While the lack of receiver depth isn’t a glaring concern, it’s something that could hold the Hoosiers back down the stretch if Marsh and Becker are quiet in big games.
Key to sustaining success
BANKS: One key to last season’s success was a nation-leading +22 turnover margin. Indiana forced 30 turnovers through its 16 contests, but through six games this year, this squad has gained just four, which ranks near the bottom among NCAA programs. However, the Hoosiers have also lost just one turnover and currently sit tied for 37th in the country with a +3 turnover margin. To repeat last season’s title run, Indiana’s offense will need to continue protecting the ball, while its defense continues to force opponent’s mistakes.
SHRIBERG: Indiana has repeatedly had issues with dual threat quarterbacks. When the opposing signal caller is effective with his legs, the Hoosiers have struggled to finish plays. Turning pressure into sacks is the key to stopping broken plays. If Indiana's pass rushers can get quarterbacks on the ground without allowing any room for escape, it eliminates a sizable portion of the chunk plays the defense has allowed.
ANELA: Indiana must continue to win in the trenches. It’s a cliche, but one that is fundamental to success. The Hoosiers’ defensive line has been one of the best and deepest in the country — as anticipated — so far. It must stay that way if the Cream and Crimson want to make a deep run again. The offensive line needs to continue to open gaps in the running game and hold up long enough so Josh Hoover has enough time to go through his progressions.
Most Valuable Player
BANKS: Josh Hoover has only improved as the season has progressed. After struggling with his deep-ball accuracy and timing early in his Indiana tenure, the redshirt senior has looked more confident in recent weeks. In a hostile road environment against Nebraska, the signal caller remained composed and threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally back from an 11-point deficit. Hoover’s 17 touchdown passes ties for third in the nation and equals Heisman Trophy-winning Fernando Mendoza’s total through six games last year.
SHRIBERG: In his first few weeks in the Big Ten, Turbo Richard has solidified himself as a top tier rusher in the conference. The Boston College transfer has lived up to his name by routinely exploding up the field to turn short bursts into long gains. Richard leads the Big Ten in rushing yards and yards per carry amongst primary backs. He's already set a single-game career high in rushing yards with 204 against Rutgers on Oct. 3. Averaging 99.5 yards per game, he's on pace to surpass his season-best mark of 749 rushing yards in the Hoosiers' eighth game. Richard's ability to surge forward and break through defenders has been crucial to Indiana's offensive success.
ANELA: Coming off tied for a team-best nine tackles against Nebraska, redshirt senior Isaiah Jones remains the backbone of an Indiana defense that has held opponents to 263.5 yards per game — the 11th-best mark nationally. The Hoosiers have allowed 11.8 points per game as well, which is the fifth-lowest tally allowed in the country. Not only does Jones wear the green dot at linebacker — meaning he oversees the defense and manages playcalls on the field from defensive coordinator Bryant Haines — but he also leads the team with 46 total tackles.
Bold prediction
BANKS: After last season, it’s difficult to consider any Indiana prediction to be bold as long Curt Cignetti is at the helm, but Josh Hoover’s lack of turnovers is surprising. At Texas Christian University last season, Hoover tossed 13 interceptions. However, as Cignetti said in the spring, Hoover now has a “great defense and a really good run game.” Despite commonly being tagged as a turnover-prone quarterback, Hoover has yet to commit one in an Indiana uniform. I believe this trend will continue. and Hoover will finish the season with the fewest turnovers of any Big Ten starter.
SHRIBERG: Indiana will successfully defend its Big Ten Championship. Before the season began, I said the Hoosiers would go 12-0. Doubting Cignetti has been proven foolish many times before, and I won't fall for it. Have the Hoosiers had too many close calls for comfort? Yes. But that was also true last year with Oregon, Iowa and Penn State. Close games don't make me believe any less. Overcoming adversity early in a season builds winning tendencies and gives a team the confidence it needs to do it again. And I don't see why Indiana can't beat any team it faces.
ANELA: I truly believe Purdue will be Indiana’s second-hardest opponent this year. It might sound crazy considering the Boilermakers won just three games over the past two seasons, went winless in the Big Ten and were outscored 122-3 by Indiana. However, this year, Purdue looks different. The Boilermakers opened the season with losses to No. 2 University of Notre Dame, No. 12 UCLA and No. 21 Wake Forest University. But since then, Purdue has two straight wins in Big Ten play. With a favorable late season schedule outside of Wisconsin and No. 17 Iowa, head coach Barry Odom’s squad won’t be a pushover.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
