B1G 2023: Indiana Final Predictions

Well we’ve reached the end of my bemoaning of Indiana Hoosiers football. I just remember coming in to OTE in the fall of 2021, with a ranked Indiana Hoosier team ready to roll into Iowa and win and start a new dynasty of Indiana football. Since then, it’s been basically a perpetual kick in the nuts every time I watch this team play.

Anywho, it’s time for me and us to make some predictions about the season for Indiana football. Before doing that, let’s just go over the odds. I know Han, don’t tell you the odds. But seriously, these odds kind of suck.

Indiana’s odds to win the B1G Title in 2023: +10000 on draft kings

Indiana’s Season win total is being shopped at: 3.5 games. -162 Over and +132 Under

They’ve still got to play the games, but setting the over/under at 3.5 wins is really…something. Vegas isn’t all knowing, but they’re pretty good. That doesn’t give me a ton of confidence in Indiana to do anything this season.

So here is the schedule again:

Sept 2 – Ohio State – HOME

Sept 8 – Indiana State – HOME

Sept 16 – Louisville – Lucas Oil Stadium

Sept 23 – Akron – HOME

Sept 30 – Maryland – AWAY

Oct 14 – Michigan – AWAY

Oct 21 – Rutgers – HOME

Oct 28 – Penn State – Away

Nov 4 – Wisconsin – HOME

Nov 11 – Illinois – Away

Nov 18 – Michigan State – HOME

Nov 25 – Purdue - Away

At BEST, here is how Indiana can get to the 6-6 ceiling. First, you get play your 3^rd team and take the ass kicking you’re going to get from Ohio State. Then you go off and win the next 4 games. Play decent but lose to Michigan. Then you win against Rutgers at home. Lose to Penn State, and then you knock off 1 of Wisconsin, Illinois, or Michigan State with Sparty and Wiscy being at home. That gets you 6. Lose the Louisville game, and you’ve gotta get 2. That’s pretty much the only way you’re getting to a bowl this year.

At WORST, you start out 2-4, holding serve at home after Ohio State and losing all road or neutral site games. You beat Rutgers at home to go to 3-4 and then just get thumped the rest of the way. Mel Tucker humiliates you in Memorial Stadium and the entire fanbase turns its attention to the basketball team as the first game happens in November. With any luck, Tom Allen is an after thought and holds his job one more year.

What I think will happen is the aforementioned canoodling by Ohio State, win against Indiana State and Akron, win against Rutgers, and then you get one of Michigan State or Wisconsin, but you don’t get both and end up right back here at 4-8.

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Anywho, let’s ask the “writers” here.

1) What do you think of when you hear Indiana football?

Brian: I think of a team that always gave Michigan fits. The Hoosiers finally broke through in 2020, but pushed the Wolverines to the brink many times before that.

What else do I think of? An Anthony Thompson team that made a run at the Rose Bowl. Antwaan Randle El. Anthony Carter and his last-second, game-winning touchdown reception that’s still considered by many to be the greatest play in Michigan football history.

RockyMtnBlue: A win streak that dated back to my high school days ending in the grisly dark ages of COVID football.

MaximumSam: That’s still a thing, huh? Who knew?

Kind of...: Tip my had to @Brian as my list is similar. Though the Antwaan Randle El memory is specifically of Indiana hanging 62 on UW in Camp Randall in ‘01, so that was no fun. But I also remember Indiana pretty regularly giving up 400-500 yards rushing to UW during the 2010s. Just checked: UW scored exactly 300 points in 5 games—i.e., 60 ppg—vs. Indiana from 2010-2017. This year they meet for the first time since IU’s 14-6 Covid year win in Madison. Hope to start a new streak.

misdreavus79: How they’re the Penn State basketball of football.

MNW: The ones who claimed the all-time losers mantle from Northwestern.

2) What do you think Indiana’s final record will be this season?

BoilerUp89: I’ll say 4 wins, but can see the upside for 5. Indiana State, Akron, and Rutgers make sense. Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State are losses. I don’t see Indiana beating Louisville since they are basically Purdue’s 2022 squad that IU just lost to. Any of Illinois, MSU, wisconsin, Purdue, and Maryland are possible (especially the November games as injury attrition could have hit the opponents depth particularly hard by then) but drawing three of those on the road didn’t do Indiana any favors.

Brian: I said earlier this week that I really don’t know what to expect from Indiana this season. And I still don’t. But after the past two seasons, it’s hard to project the Hoosiers to be much more than a .500 team.

RockyMtnBlue: Well lessee. Play in the east division? check. Play the defending west champs? check. Play the team that actually was the best in the west last year (Illinois)? check. Play the historically strongest program in the west, who also has the best coaching hire in college football this year (Wisconsin)? check. Oh yeah, and Louisville is pretty good. That’s...rough. I’ll go with 4-8. Indiana State, Akron, Rutgers, and one other because college football is fun. Let’s hope it’s MSU.

MaximumSam: I’m going 3-9. I don’t have much confidence in this group. They are in that bottom group with Sparty and Rutger but I’m not sure they are any better than those teams.

Kind of...: @BuffKomodo must really be traumatized as none of his paths to 6 wins mention beating Purdue with their new coach (Buff here, CTA has won exactly 1 bucket game. Traumatized I am)! I WILL pay attention in September as both Louisville and Maryland games are intriguing. However, I don’t think they’ll win either, and I’m 4-8/2-7 with conference wins over Rutgers and Purdue either in Allen’s last game, or with an interim coach who gets the team hyped to end a bad season on an upswing.

misdreavus79: 4-8 sounds about right.

MNW: Give me...Indiana State, Akron, Rutgers. 3-9 (1-8). And Tom Allen comes back.

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What do you think Indiana’s final record will be? Is the over/under at 3.5 a little disrespectful or just right? Let us know!