The Hoosiers are Refreshed and Ready to Face Nebraska
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Written By: Nick Gonzales (@nrgonzales_)
After what seemed to feel like an eternity, the Hoosiers are back from their bye week and ready to compete and continue their season after a historic start of going 6-0 for the first time in 57 years. Hoosier fans are ready to pack the rock this Saturday with a sold-out crowd. Not only are Indiana fans excited, but so is the rest of the college football world who want to see if Coach Cignetti can lead Indiana to 7-0 in his first season. Plus, after Week Seven there are only two teams left that haven’t trailed a single second this season. Those two teams are Army, and your Indiana Hoosiers.
After a hard-fought victory against a tough Northwestern team (who just beat Maryland 37-10 this past Saturday), Indiana had a much-needed bye week to let the players rest their bodies. The bye week couldn’t have been at a better time because it gives star linebacker transfer, Jailin Walker, some time to recover after exiting part way through the Northwestern game. “J-Walk is a guy you never count out, and I expect him to be full speed on Saturday,” Cignetti said during his weekly press conference on Monday. Walker has been an excellent linebacker for the Hoosiers this season and when he’s on the field, it’s a whole different ball game. The time off also gives freshman defensive lineman, Mario Landino, some rest since he was not active for the Northwestern game. Landino has done a great job so far this season providing depth to the defensive line and keeping the other linemen fresh.
Coach Cignetti knew his players needed some time to recuperate but also knew that they shouldn’t waste this extra time remaining idle.
“It's balls to the wall all the time because you're getting better or getting worse, never staying the same. We practiced three times, and we did some prep on this upcoming opponent.
Then you're looking at other people across the country seeing who's doing what well and trying maybe to get a few ideas that may help you down the road. Using that time wisely.” Cignetti responded when asked what the bye week was like.
Cignetti has been coaching for many years and by now he knows what’s best for the team, but also for the players. Indiana is now ranked 16 in the AP Poll and that has caused quite the excitement around Bloomington. However, Coach Cig knows that it can be harmful for players to focus on little things like that and keeps the players focused for their next opponent.
“You've got to eliminate the noise and clutter and focus in on what's going to help you prepare so you can be your best on Saturday. We have enough maturity and leadership and experience on this football team, I'm confident that we can handle that. But that's my job, too, to make sure if I see an area that's maybe not quite where it needs to be, to push the right buttons and get it where it needs to be.” Coach Cignetti stated during his Monday press conference.
Though, some may worry that a bye week makes players a little too comfortable and are afraid of a falloff in their performance. For that, Coach Cig responded on how Indiana can continue to have success after a week off, “I just think we have a way we do things, and we have a way we do things during bye weeks, and then we have a way that we do things the week after a bye week. It really doesn't change very much. It's not quite as intense during the bye week, but we still have a structured routine. When you've got good players, you have a better chance of being successful.”
The Hoosiers are set to host the Cornhuskers this weekend and plan on playing a physical football game like they have in previous weeks and like most Indiana fans, Hoosier Huddle is excited for the return of IU Football after a short hiatus. The players are itching to get back onto the field and put on a show for their first home sellout crowd since October of 2021.