https://hoosierhuddle.com/2026/09/22/initial-availability-report-for-indiana-northwestern-released/
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I was hoping AJ would be at least questionable. Darn. Idk what he did to his knee.
Northwestern has a lot of guys out for only playing two games!
Which is why you don’t want to play near peers (Colorado) early… Even when you win and have an entertaining game “for the fans” you have a high probability of screwing up the rest of your season for some early gratification…
What's up with Carson Williams, has he been hurt all season so far? He was someone I'd hoped would benefit from losing Harris and Sharpe, but hadn't heard his name and wondering if that's the reason?
Can you show me the data that says you lose more players to injury long term when playing good teams vs bad teams?Which is why you don’t want to play near peers (Colorado) early… Even when you win and have an entertaining game “for the fans” you have a high probability of screwing up the rest of your season for some early gratification…
Lee Beebe - Indiana St.
Khobie Martin - UNT
@gros-louis Yeah, I get the assumption, but would agree, possible injury is way down the list of reasons not to play better comp. Also Sharpe and Harris this year too, I believe. It's a violent sport and guys get hurt in all kinds of ways and games.
Can you show me the data that says you lose more players to injury long term when playing good teams vs bad teams?Which is why you don’t want to play near peers (Colorado) early… Even when you win and have an entertaining game “for the fans” you have a high probability of screwing up the rest of your season for some early gratification…
Lee Beebe - Indiana St.
Khobie Martin - UNT
Tyler Morris - Practice
@76-1 I don't see a ton of benefit, for IU, playing non elite P4 teams in the non conference. I think the Notre Dame cancellation is confusing, as that's exactly the type of Non Conf home and home we should have. But the others that have been cancelled, 1000% agree with. We don't need to be playing at Virginia.
Schedule a couple decent non P4 teams, and a slaughter victim. Use the extra few weeks of legit practice time, uninterrupted by the need to spend days game planning for someone like Virginia... to get the fellas ready for the B10 season. Enter in to the conference season with 3 home games under your belt, 3-0, with some buzz.
This is the third year in a row its happened, and I like the feeling. I'd love it if IU had a team like Texas, a top level SEC team, Notre Dame... on their schedule! But I don't see a big difference between teams like ODU, UNT, and Virginia.
Can you show me the data that says you lose more players to injury long term when playing good teams vs bad teams?Which is why you don’t want to play near peers (Colorado) early… Even when you win and have an entertaining game “for the fans” you have a high probability of screwing up the rest of your season for some early gratification…
Lee Beebe - Indiana St.
Khobie Martin - UNT
This is something I've always wondered about....it would seem inherently obvious that playing bigger, faster players would result in more, and more serious, injuries. When you see someone like L. Bond being stuck by a PSU middle linebacker you cringe and hope for the best. But I'm not sure it's the reality I've observed. One possible explanation? When you're playing feisty but lesser talented opponents, perhaps they are more prone to use low or late hits, tripping, stumbling into your player and the like. Think of the slow, awkward 6'8" mid-major basketball center trying to cover a talented 7 footer.
On the other hand, the starters will play fewer snaps against an overmatched team....
@76-1 I don't see a ton of benefit, for IU, playing non elite P4 teams in the non conference. I think the Notre Dame cancellation is confusing, as that's exactly the type of Non Conf home and home we should have. But the others that have been cancelled, 1000% agree with. We don't need to be playing at Virginia.
Schedule a couple decent non P4 teams, and a slaughter victim. Use the extra few weeks of legit practice time, uninterrupted by the need to spend days game planning for someone like Virginia... to get the fellas ready for the B10 season. Enter in to the conference season with 3 home games under your belt, 3-0, with some buzz.
This is the third year in a row its happened, and I like the feeling. I'd love it if IU had a team like Texas, a top level SEC team, Notre Dame... on their schedule! But I don't see a big difference between teams like ODU, UNT, and Virginia.
I blame the powers that be for creating a system that creates incentives NOT playing OOC teams that the fans want to see. That is idiotic. I would definitely favor a more data-centered system that strongly incentivized playing average to great P4 opponents, and live with the results.
That doesn't mean in IU's case that we'd have to play a Miami or a Texas in an OOC game......give schools one 'freebie' to play anyone you want with no penalty as long as you win (also helps the small schools, and essentially acts as an exhibition game), and the other two could be regional opponents like UK, UL, Cincy, Missouri, or Pitt. That would be best, but playing one lower division team, one MAC-level team, and one P4 team would be better than nothing, which is what we got this year. That way schools could decide to play 2 P4 opponents for the rankings boost rather than 1.
College football is my absolute favorite non-family thing, but sitting through endless timeouts to watch the likes of North Texas State & Howard is trying, to say the least. It's simple. Stop creating incentives not to go or not to stay.