Who, Where, and When: The Indiana Hoosiers (0-0) and the Indiana State Sycamores will tangle August 30th in Bloomington at Memorial Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for noon Eastern on some ESPN channel only about half the country even gets ESPNNews, with Mike Corey and Don Hawkins on the call. The Hoosiers are 5-0 against the Sycamores in football, with last season's meeting ending 73-35, firmly in IU's favor. The Hoosiers would go on to a 5-7 season; the Sycamores crashed to 1-11.
With A New Beginning, Comes an (Expected) Ending: This season opener for both teams is likely to be the last time IU and Indiana State will meet on the gridiron for the foreseeable future, as the conference-wide move away from playing FCS teams will leave State out in the cold starting in 2016.
A-Train Pulls Into Town: IU football legend and current associate athletic director Anthony Thompson will be recognized on Saturday during pregame ceremonies. The team will wear a decal honoring Thompson, and he will join the team on the field for the coin-toss.
Fun Fact About Indiana State: The athletes of ISU used to be known as the "Fighting Teachers" until 1922, when "Sycamores" won a vote from the student body.
Prediction: PAIN
Actual Prediction: No, seriously, pain. It's almost certainly going to be hot, and it's a noon game in an open-air stadium, so it certainly won't be comfortable for the participants. That said, what you actually came looking for is a score prediction, so here it goes: I like IU to win 48-17. Nothing terrible fancy from an offense still letting Nate Sudfeld settle in as the #1 guy, and the defense clamping down on a middle of the road FCS team (hopefully). Just get out healthy, and everything will be fine.
Next Game: IU gets an early break, so the Hoosiers' next game is at Bowling Green on September 13th.