Numbers That Matter: #20 Indiana vs. Old Dominion

Sep 28, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti signals to his team during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Subscriber Content Numbers drive so much in today’s world and the sports world is no different. Now more than ever teams are hiring and building analytics teams to get every edge possible over their opponents. Over the course of the season, we’ll look into many of those numbers ahead of the Hoosiers’ matchups each week, so be on the lookout for that! Without further ado, let’s get into it: 12 ...Represents Indiana's undefeated streak against non-conference home openers since 2001. The Hoosiers will be looking to extend this streak to 13 with a win on Saturday against the Monarchs. The Hoosiers are a 22.5 point favorite per FanDuel Sportsbook and are also given -2500 odds to win the game. This 12-game undefeated streak ending on Saturday would be catastrophic to Indiana's goals this season, so it is paramount that the Hoosiers come out swinging. 21% ...Represents Indiana's likelihood of making the College Football Playoff, per Pro Football Focus' (PFF) pre-season projections. This places them tied for 16th in PFF's preseason overall rankings and also includes an 89% likelihood the Hoosiers make a bowl game in general. In case you're curious, the projections do have a 1% chance that Indiana wins the CFP National Championship and a 5% chance that Indiana wins the Big Ten. 121 ...Represents, by similar metrics as above, Old Dominion's place in PFF's preseason overall rankings (among 131 teams ranked in total by PFF). Old Dominion has a 39% chance to make a bowl game and averages out at 5 wins over the season in PFF's projections. Interestingly enough, the team in 120th place in PFF's preseason overall rankings, just one spot above Old Dominion? Indiana's Big Ten counterpart: the Michigan State Spartans. These two teams might play into Indiana's strength of schedule ranking being just 67th in the country, per PFF, but that is an analysis for another day. As a Hoosier fan, let's beat everyone on our schedule and then be their biggest fans for every other game of the year. 8.4 vs. 10.4 ...Represents Fernando Mendoza's aDOT (average depth of target) in 2024 and Kurtis Rourke's aDOT in 2024, respectively. This metric measures how deep a quarterback's receivers are in their route yard-wise upon the ball being thrown their way. It's generally a good metric to gauge aggressiveness and confidence in a passing offense. For example, Rourke's 10.4 aDOT ranked 16th in the country last year per PFF and we all know how fantastic the Hoosiers' passing offense was. This leads me to believe that Mendoza's 8.4 aDOT in 2024 will rise to the level Rourke's was during his time in Indiana. Mendoza will have better receivers to throw to, a more aggressive offense, and another year of experience under his belt. I believe Mendoza will land in the top 20 lists in aDOT in 2025, which will be a huge indicator for how well this offense is expected to perform this season. 0 ...Represents the number of meetings Indiana and Old Dominion have in their programs' histories. Thus, this Saturday represents the first ever game between these two teams. No doubt, both schools will be looking to set the tone and win this inaugural game. On a personal note, my wife went to Old Dominion, so we will have our first ever 'house divided' event and I'm quite excited for it. 0 ...Also represents the number of injuries we should all hope for after Indiana's first game of the season. Last year, Indiana was quite lucky - all things considered - when it came to injuries to key players. Kurtis Rourke was hurt of course, but he played through it and played phenomenally. For Indiana to mimic or even exceed the success that was seen in 2024, keeping the team healthy will be one of the most important factors to make that happen. Indiana kicks off against Old Dominion on Saturday, August 30 at 2:30 PM EST! The game will be shown on FS1 for those watching at home. Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana football and Indiana sports - all season long. Subscribe to get access Read more of this content when you subscribe today. Log in

Numbers That Matter: #20 Indiana vs. Old Dominion

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Numbers That Matter: #20 Indiana vs. Old Dominion

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