by Matt Zemek, USA Today-College Sports Wire
INDIANA might be the most fascinating team in the league in 2025 after coming out of nowhere to make the college FB playoffs, College Sports Wire thinks it might be a challenge for IU to be as good as it was last year.
This team can be solid again, but with everything it lost & the fact that it really benefitted from its schedule last season, putting INDIANA in the top 25 feels a bit ambitious.
If INDIANA can remain a top 15 program, the Hoosiers will earn a ton of respect. But a lot of pundits think the magic of 2024 won't be replicated in 2025. We will soon find out.
Yeah, let’s get this going!
It's fun being a fascinating team that gets the CFB world fired up. Some people like us, someone people don't, but that sure beats no one caring.
And I don't give a flyin' F about the people who don't like us.
After we beat all the Big Ten teams this year, will the pundits say again our schedule was weak?
**Edit - I got a little heated here lol. Please note this is me shouting into the void towards the media, not towards anyone here. We all know the Hoosiers can be truly great**
It's frustrating that blanket statements can just be applied to us. The cinderella from one year never replicates their performances, so Indiana is overrated and will disappoint this year.
NO!
Look into the team at all and you see that there is clear, NFL-ready talent on this roster with some of the best coaching in the country. All the pieces are there for us to replicate our performance last year and yes, our schedule is tougher this year, but don't just cast us off.
I'm excited that this year is the year where we command respect from the media. We deserve it and I'm excited to fight for it. The Hoosiers are a GOOD football team. We all know this, I'm shouting into the void, but I'm fired up. All these media comments annoy me - we will prove them wrong.
Check out my latest at Hoosier Huddle here
@evanalvarez8 Yes. A lot of media comments about us are lazy. I’m not saying there aren’t fair points of concern about IUFB, but they’re rarely thoughtfully presented.
@evanalvarez8 Yes. A lot of media comments about us are lazy. I’m not saying there aren’t fair points of concern about IUFB, but they’re rarely thoughtfully presented.
@tammany - Yes no doubt, I agree. Hopefully we can show them what we're all about this season!
Check out my latest at Hoosier Huddle here
The schedule looks to be markedly more difficult...as it stands today. No one was saying anything about a weak schedule before the season last year though. At OSU, the most difficult possible game in the B10. Michigan and Washington, the defending national championship game participants. Nebraska seen as a program on the rise back to prominence. At UCLA and at MSU, both seen as programs that should have been reemerging as solid B10 level teams. Maryland a returning bowl team with upper B10 level returning talent at the skill positions.
What if Oregon has a "24 Michigan like year" without Gabriel? What if Iowa is flat? What if Illinois and Wisconsin are flat?
And then I think too little is put in to how we won our 11 games. Dominant fashion for most of them. And then the Michigan win, at that point in the season, was an elite level win... just ask Ohio State.
In order to get rid of that reputation we have to replicate or pretty close to what we did last year to earn respect. Sustained success over several years ! We do this for 6-7 years or so we are developing a program. And then keeping rolling.
Most of the media does extremely shallow analysis. They don’t dive in and study the roster.
In my experience, the national media writes to a moronic level. Couldn't agree more with the weak media comments. Massive Grin! Go Hoosiers!
I'm not expecting the massive let down of the Tom Allen year(s) when we had a little hype.
But, if we lose more than expected, and have media and fans mocking, we'll still look coached and play well, probably still have a good year by past standards, and probably have a big bounceback next year as the team fixes what went wrong in some games.
Just happy we will look well coached. The wins are the bonus.
I do expect a big year though. To me 9-3 is big. If we do a game worse, OK . 2 games worse? Bummed, but like I said above, better year incoming...
Better than 9-3? Awesome. No self imposed limitations though. Win them all!
I'm not expecting the massive let down of the Tom Allen year(s) when we had a little hype.
But, if we lose more than expected, and have media and fans mocking, we'll still look coached and play well, probably still have a good year by past standards, and probably have a big bounceback right away next year as the team fixes what went wrong in some games.
Just happy we will look well coached. The wins are the very sweet bonus.
I do expect a big year though. To me 9-3 is big. If we do a game worse, OK . 2 games worse? bummed but like I said above... Better? Awesome. No self imposed limitations though. Win them all!
@openwheel - I agree. I feel like if we get 8 wins or above, everything is normal and okay and happy. If we get 7 or lower, I'm not going to panic because it likely means we had bad injuries, but it would be very disappointing.
Check out my latest at Hoosier Huddle here
Yes, injuries are always the big issue. Starting out we look great. Let’s hope we can stay fairly healthy.
I think they can win them all (crazy to think about) but I expect to drop 1-3 games and no more. Fernando is really good, and we will be better than expected. Go Hoosiers!