IU football game 1: Early facts, odds, projections, details vs. North Texas

The long wait is almost is over.  College football is back, as the reigning national champs return to action this Saturday.

The No. 6 Hoosiers (0-0) will face North Texas (0-0) Saturday at Noon ET inside Memorial Stadium in Bloomington (FOX).

This is the third all-time meeting between the programs.  They played in 2011 and 2014, with each team winning on its home field.

Like Indiana, North Texas is coming off its most wins in a season in program history.  The Mean Green went 12-2 a year ago and won the American Athletic Conference title.  They finished the season in the AP top-25 for the first time.

But North Texas lost head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State, and he took most of the key returning players with him, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker.  The Mean Green have brought in more than 50 transfers during the offseason.

Neal Brown was named the 21st head coach in UNT Football history on Dec. 2, 2025.

Brown joins the Mean Green with 10 seasons of experience as a head coach at the FBS level and nearly 25 years of collegiate coaching experience.

Across 10 seasons as a head coach at both Troy and West Virginia, Brown compiled a 72-51 overall record with seven bowl appearances, five bowl victories, three 10+ win seasons and the 2017 Sun Belt Conference title. He was also the 2017 Sun Belt Coach of the Year at Troy.

This is Brown’s first head coaching job since he went 37-35 at West Virginia and was fired following the 2024 season.  The Mountaineers finished the 2024 season No. 54 in scoring offense, and No. 110 in scoring defense.  West Virginia consistently struggled on defense during his tenure, and the offense was never operating at an elite level.

North Texas’ starting quarterback will be a familiar face.  Former IU signal-caller Tayven Jackson, younger brother of IU basketball star Trayce Jackson-Davis, will lead the way.

Jackson is coming off the most extensive action of his career in 2025. As a fourth-year at UCF, he completed 63.5% of his passes and threw for 2,151 yards, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games. The nimble Jackson also rushed for 85 yards and three more scores.

So what’s the outlook for this Saturday in Bloomington? Everything is pointing to the Hoosiers by a wide margin.

As of Monday morning, the gambling forecast is calling Indiana a roughly 40.5-point favorite vs. the Mean Green

ESPN’s FPI model gives IU an 98.2% chance to win.  The Hoosiers are No. 6 in FPI while North Texas is No. 91.  ESPN’s SP+ model projects a 47-7 IU win, and gives them a 99% probability to pull it out.

The early weather forecast for Saturday is calling for a hot day at 88 degrees and a chance of thunderstorms. Obviously you’ll want to check back on that later in the week.

We will of course have much more on this game in the days to come.

PREGAME FESTIVITIES

There will be a lot going on ahead of the game.

The FOX Big Noon Kickoff crew will be in Bloomington on the south lawn of Memorial Stadium before the game.

Indiana is also planning an Air Force flyover at 11:38, following by a national championship sign unveiling at 11:40.

After skydiving in a year ago, mascot Hoosier the Bison is also expected to make another grand entrance.

Here’s the full gameday timeline:

TICKETS AND PARKING

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