Author: Mike Schumann

Another expansion of the College Football Playoff is imminent according to ESPN. “The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, per sources,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on X Thursday.  “The new format will start in 2027 and is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals.” The move to a 24 teams CFP is expected to have a meaningful impact on both the Big Ten and Indiana. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti has said multiple times a 24-team playoff will mark the end of the Big Ten Championship game.  This year’s edition…

Believe it or not, we are halfway through the 2026 regular season. It seems like a good point to take a step back and compare quarterback Josh Hoover’s first six games at Indiana to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza’s 2025 start with the Hoosiers. Perhaps this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, since Mendoza did face at least one more difficult game than Hoover over the first six weeks of their respective seasons. Both quarterbacks saw relatively light competition in the nonconference plus three Big Ten opponents through the first six games. It would be reasonable to argue 2026 Northwestern is at…

IU running back Khobie Martin is progressing.  So is tight end Andrew Barker. They are the only Indiana players on the first week seven Big Ten availability report ahead of this weekend’s showdown against Ohio State. Martin, who has been out since a first quarter injury suffered in week one is listed as doubtful.  This is the first week he has been listed as anything other than out. Meanwhile Barker, who was injured against Rutgers and out last weekend, is questionable. Notably absent from the availability report are receiver Lebron Bond and cornerback Carson Williams.  Both had been regulars over…

October 8, 1988 — Bloomington, Indiana For generations, Ohio State has been the bully of the Big Ten, routinely blowing out its conference foes almost every week. But on a beautiful early October afternoon in Bloomington, in front of a sold out Memorial Stadium crowd and national television audience, it was the Hoosiers who asserted their dominance. A year after the “darkest day” in Ohio State history, IU had one of its brightest. Legendary Indiana running back Anthony Thompson ran around, through, over and past Ohio State defenders on his way to 190 yards, 4 touchdowns, and multiple new entries…

In a shocking development, the SEC hype machine churned out some new noise this week. And this new noise sounds a lot like all of the other bluster from the South. Fresh off a win at Alabama, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was asked how Curt Cignetti’s run at Indiana has changed the expectations placed on first-year head coaches. The questioner wondered if there’s a Cignetti Effect where the expectations are too high too soon. Smart and Cignetti were on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama for four years from 2007-10.  They know each other well.  That’s why it was a…

Indiana basketball landed a commitment from class of 2029 in-state guard Micah Mohler on Tuesday. He announced his commitment in front of friends and family at his high school. The 6-foot-4 Mohler attends Austin H.S. in Austin, Indiana. The Southern Indiana sophomore grew up an IU basketball fan.  He also had offers from Purdue and several mid-majors. As a freshman at Austin, Mohler averaged 21.5 points per game and led Austin to a Class 2A regional win. For travel basketball Mohler played for the Midwest Basketball Club on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.  He averaged 19.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per…

Even on a roster full of five stars, Curt Cignetti places Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in a class by himself. “Not only do they have a lot of excellent players they have a wow player,” Cignetti said Monday.  “That’s really the only word to describe him that I can think of.” Listed at 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Smith’s frame alone will wow you. But his numbers through six games tell you he more than just looks the part. The No. 1 player to stop in every opponent’s gameplan, Smith has already posted 48 catches for 916 yards and…

The situation looked pretty dire for a few days. So much so that Indiana had to move freshman linebacker Henry Ohlinger to its running back room ahead of the Rutgers game after a wave of injuries struck the group. Turbo Richard, Lee Beebe, Jr., Khobie Martin and Sean Cuono were all listed on Indiana’s availability report two weeks ago.  And they are four of just five scholarship running backs on the team. All but Martin ended up playing against Rutgers, and now the Hoosiers are trending back towards full strength. Martin suffered multiple breaks in his right forearm in the…

Perhaps the biggest game in Memorial Stadium history is finally here.  And the teams have delivered with a top-five matchup. The polls can’t even agree on which team is better. No. 5 (AP) / 4 (coaches) Indiana (6-0) will take on No. 4/5 Ohio State (5-1) Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington (Noon ET, FOX). Indiana is 13-81-5 all-time against the Buckeyes, but the Hoosiers won the last meeting 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship game last December.  IU has not defeated Ohio State two games in a row since 1987-88.  This will be Ohio State’s first game in…

INDIANAPOLIS — IU basketball opened exhibition action with a 96-68 win on Sunday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Here are some notes, observations and stats from the game. — As we reported separately, Markus Burton, Aiden Sherrell, Samet Yigitoglu, Jaeden Mustaf and Darren Harris got the start for IU.  Mustaf, Harris and Bryce Lindsay were competing for two spots on the wing. – The main rotational players appear to include Trent Sisley, Sam Alexis, Trevor Manhertz, and Bryce Lindsay. — IU outscored Butler 52-27 in the second half, including a 33-4 run. — Freshmen Prince-Alexander Moody didn’t really see meaningful action.…