Week Eight Primer – No. 3 Indiana vs. Michigan State Spartans (Old Brass Spittoon Game)

First and foremost, Indiana is now ranked third in the country. That is the highest ranking in school history and with the lofty achievement comes increased pressure with every game. Indiana knocked off Oregon and that means they are now in the driver’s seat to reach the Big Ten Championship Game. Taking care of business each week is paramount to keep the season’s goals squarely in front.

A large crowd of fans in a stadium, predominantly wearing red clothing, cheering and waving towels, with some in green attire. The atmosphere is lively and energetic. — Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Indiana Hoosiers football fans cheer for their team against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

What: #3 Indiana Hoosiers (6-0) vs. Michigan State Spartans (3-3)

When: Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on Peacock and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Spread and Total: IU (-27) | Total of 52.5

Series History: The Hoosiers and Spartans have played each other 71 times including matchups annually since 2011. Michigan State has won 50 of the 71 games in the series including eight out of nine contests between 2011 to 2019 but the Hoosiers have won three of the past five including a 47-10 whooping in East Lansing last season.

What’s at Stake: First and foremost, Indiana is now ranked third in the country. That is the highest ranking in school history and with the lofty achievement comes increased pressure with every game. Indiana knocked off Oregon and that means they are now in the driver’s seat to reach the Big Ten Championship Game. Taking care of business each week is paramount to keep the season’s goals squarely in front. On the other side of the matchup, pressure is mounting on Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith and he could certainly use an impressive performance to cool off the hot seat. Beyond that, these two rivals play annually for the Old Brass Spittoon and winning rivalry trophies is always a primary goal for the season.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Lines of Scrimmage

The Michigan State Spartans are among the Big Ten’s worst teams at pass blocking and have struggled for the entirety of Jonathan Smith’s tenure to prevent quarterback pressures. On the other side of the ball, they are allowing 4.16 yards per rush and 2.2 sacks per game. Indiana showed just how good they are on both lines of scrimmage last weekend against Oregon and they’ll have a chance to put up some big numbers against the Spartans unless MSU makes some major improvements before this game. You may remember, the Hoosiers seemingly could have had double-digit sacks in last year’s game in East Lansing and this year’s unit might be even better.

2. Quarterback Questions

Aidan Chiles got a lot of hype heading into the season but things have not gone as planned for the Spartans or for the talented signal-caller that transferred to East Lansing from Oregon State. Chiles was only 8-17 for 66 yards against UCLA last weekend before exiting after a hit to the helmet. It was not the first time Alessio Milivojevic entered in relief this season. It seems likely that IU ends up seeing both quarterbacks in this game but this should be an opportunity for the Hoosiers to dial up the pressure and present some opportunities for the secondary to take advantage of mistakes. Indiana does not have similar concerns at the game’s most important position. To the contrary, Fernando Mendoza is among the leading contenders for the Heisman Trophy and if he has designs on winning that prize, this is the kind of game that he’ll need to put up big numbers.

3. Mental Preparation

The mindset of these two programs could not be more disparate. The Indiana Hoosiers are up to #3 in the polls, the highest number in program history, after knocking off Oregon in Autzen Stadium and spending the week being told how amazing they are. Michigan State is winless in the Big Ten and they were just spanked by the UCLA Bruins. Fans of Michigan State commented that it looked like the team quit during that game and that time was ticking on the tenure of head coach Jonathan Smith. If you’ll recall, Smith was hired from Oregon State at the same time Scott Dolson hired Curt Cignetti away from James Madison. The two were bound to be compared and most national analysts were sure that Smith was a slam dunk hire while Cignetti was no more than a “solid” move for Indiana. Can Indiana be focused from the start for this game? Will Michigan State be prepared to play and rally around their embattled coaching staff?