2023 Indiana Football Schedule Analysis and Breakdown
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Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
As we draw closer to the 2023 Indiana football season and Big Ten Media Days, it is time to take an in-depth look at the Hoosiers schedule for the upcoming season. We’ll breakdown each game and give an overview on the path IU must get to six wins and bowl eligibility.
Overview
The 2023 football schedule features six home games, five road games and a neutral site contest at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It features four opponents who were not on the schedule last season.
For me, I break the IU schedule into three categories: Probable Losses, Probable Wins and toss-up games. This season IU has three games that are probable losses (Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State) and two games that are probable wins (Indiana State and Akron. The rest fall into the toss-up category (I included Wisconsin here because of the coaching change).
The Hoosiers season will rest on how they perform in the seven toss-up games. To make a bowl game they need to at least go 4-3 in those games. Let’s take a deeper look at each game.
Schedule
Week One vs. Ohio State, September 2nd- For the second time since 2017, the Hoosiers open with the Buckeyes. It’s not an ideal opponent to break in a new quarterback and build momentum to start the season. However, IU had to play OSU at some point, so why not to open the year.
Week Two vs. Indiana State, September 8th
The Hoosiers should roll against the FCS Sycamores, but they need to play well and show that they have improved from 2022. This is a chance to play the reserves and build depth.
Week Three vs. Louisville, September 16th (Indianapolis)
This is the first swing game of the season for the Hoosiers. A win in front of many alumni on a neutral field over a Power Five opponent is a major step in the right direct. It could be the difference between a 2-2 and 3-1 start.
Week Four vs. Akron, September 23rd
The Hoosiers should be able to handle this MAC opponent at home. To me, this is a must win game.
Week Five at Maryland, September 30th
This will not be an easy game for IU and many will put it in the probable loss category, but this series has had some funky games since 2014. These are the games that IU must get back to winning. It was at Maryland that the 2019 team flipped the script and started a run to eight wins.
Week Six Bye, October 7th
If the Hoosiers can reach the bye week at 3-2 at worst, they’ll be in business needing to go just 3-4 on the back end of the schedule to get to six wins.
Week Seven at Michigan, October 14th
The Hoosiers get right back in the deep end of the pool after the bye week with a trip to Michigan. The Wolverines are the favorite again to win the conference and IU has not won at Michigan Stadium since the 1960’s. While a loss does not end bowl hopes, IU needs to show they can be competitive and get out of Ann Arbor healthy for the last half of the season.
Week Eight vs. Rutgers, October 21st
If IU wants to go to the postseason, they need to beat Rutgers on Homecoming. It’s an important game for multiple reasons. First, Rutgers is a team IU should beat more times than not. Second, a Homecoming win helps the health of the program as it is the only game some fans make it to all year.
Week Nine at Penn State, October 28th
The good news is that IU will be done with the big three before November. The bad news is that IU is winless in Happy Valley and this year’s Penn State squad could very well be in the mix for the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff.
Week 10 vs. Wisconsin, November 4th
The Badgers brought in Luke Fickell as head coach prior to the end of last season. This will not look like the Wisconsin teams of old as they will move to more of an Air Raid offense. I put this as a toss-up game due to the fact we don’t know how Wisconsin will look. A win would be great, a loss would just continue Wisconsin’s win streak in Bloomington.
Week 11 at Illinois, November 11th
The Hoosiers knocked off Illinois last year and the win was kind of wasted during a four-win season. A win this year could help keep IU’s bowl hopes alive as they enter trophy games the final two weeks of the season.
Week 12 vs. Michigan State, November 18th
Last year’s Spittoon win was fun and may have given the embers of IU football so much needed oxygen. The Spartans are leaking oil coming into 2023 and IU could again take advantage. A trophy win is always nice, especially if it vaults you into the postseason.
Week 13 at Purdue, November 25th
It’s the Old Oaken Bucket. It’s always important. This year the Hoosiers have a chance to set the tone for the Ryan Walters Era in West Lafayette. A loss to a first-year head coach will not go over well. A win would help tilt the scales back in favor of the Hoosiers for the near future.