Hoosiers Fully Healthy Ahead of Top-5 Matchup With OSU

Written By: Ben Gillard (@benjgillard)

After getting off to the best start in Indiana football history, the Hoosiers celebrated with a well-earned bye week. While talking to the media on Monday, Head Coach Curt Cignetti stressed the importance of the bye week following a gritty win against Michigan. “I think the off week came at a great time because it was a physical football game. We've played a number of games in a row. It was good for everybody to catch a breather and get refreshed and recharged, and gave us a little extra time on the next opponent,” Cignetti said.

That next opponent will be one of the most important games in Indiana football history. The Hoosiers travel up to Columbus to take on the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes in a top-5 matchup that will have major Big-10 Championship and CFP implications. Following a physical game against Michigan, which saw starters Myles Price and Justice Ellison banged up, many were worried about their status for the OSU game. Cignetti quickly put those fears to rest, however, saying, “Yeah. We'll be at full strength for the game.”

While the Hoosiers are at full strength, they suffered a major loss two weeks ago as starting offensive lineman Drew Evans suffered a season-ending achilles injury, elevating Tyler Stephens into the starting lineup. When asked about this change, Cignetti said, “Yeah, I think those guys have been very consistent all year long… and for the most part it was five guys playing pretty much every snap until Drew Evans went down, now Tyler Stephens in there. So those guys have played a lot of snaps. They're all blue-collar guys, hard-working guys.”

Cignetti continued by praising Stephens' performance against the Wolverines  saying, “I thought Tyler did a good job. I'm proud of him going in and playing the way he did.”

Ultimately, however, Cignetti understands that injuries are a part of college football: “In terms of the bye week, I think across college football, everybody is hurting a little bit at this point. Even when you're playing every play in the game, you've got something.” He commented.

The Hoosiers’ depth and ability to grit through injuries have helped them reach new heights this season; here’s hoping that they can continue the success in Columbus on Saturday.