BLOOMINGTON — The big game is here.
Indiana football is back from its second bye week of the season with a potentially season-defining game on tap. The fifth-ranked Hoosiers take on No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in Columbus.
IU is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll, the AFCA Coaches Poll, and the College Football Playoff rankings, the latter of which will update on Tuesday. Indiana hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1988, and its last win at Ohio Stadium came in 1987. That, alone, would make a Hoosiers upset historic. But if they can pull this off, they’d likely earn a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis, and would surely secure a CFP appearance.
Head coach Curt Cignetti met with local media on Monday to discuss the upcoming showdown and other topics around his program. Here are a few key things he talked about.
A big challenge ahead
The Buckeyes will clearly be the toughest test Indiana’s faced all season.
They rank second in the nation in total defense, with just 250.8 total yards allowed per game. Their offense is No. 17 in the country in total offense, racking up 451.4 yards per game.
IU has blitzed through its schedule so far this season. But OSU has the most complete roster these Hoosiers have seen, and Cignetti knows his team will be challenged on Saturday.
“Very skilled at the skill positions, and the offensive line is good. Obviously everybody knows about the running backs, receivers, quarterback, tight ends. Chip Kelly has done a great job offensively everywhere he’s been. They’ve got an excellent scheme. It puts defenses in conflict,” Cignetti said. “They have it all. They really do.”
Ohio State has played some other tough teams already, with its tight loss at No. 1 Oregon and a narrow victory at No. 4 Penn State. But Indiana — third in the country in total defense and 15th in total offense — is right there with those two opponents for OSU. The Hoosiers will be just as big of a test for the Buckeyes as the inverse.
But this game is a big step up for IU from what it’s played against so far this season. The Hoosiers may be able to make the CFP without defeating the Buckeyes, but if they want to lock in their berth, they’ll need to pass this test.
“Obviously an excellent football team. One of the favorites to win the National Championship. A lot of great players, extremely well-coached. Their tradition speaks for itself, so it’s a big game for us because it’s this game coming up.”
Full strength
Indiana suffered some attrition during its game against Michigan.
Running back Justice Ellison and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. both got banged up, and receiver Myles Price left the game and didn’t return after taking a big hit. The Hoosiers overcame those injuries to win, and had the bye week to heal up.
Cignetti didn’t directly confirm Price’s status when asked about it on Monday, but he had a generally promising update: he said IU will be at full strength for the Ohio State game.
Health-wise, extra rest at this time of year is big for everyone.
“I think across college football, everybody is hurting a little bit at this point. Even when you’re playing every play in the game, you’ve got something,” Cignetti said. “I think the bye week came at a really good time to kind of get refreshed and recharged.”
The bye, of course, allowed Indiana to get some extra time preparing for the Ohio State game. It also gave IU coaches a chance to hit the road for some more in-season recruiting.
Cignetti acknowledged that his staff has noticed a difference in the reception they’ve received as this season’s gone along.
“When you win, it opens a lot of doors in a lot of areas, and recruiting is no different. We have definitely reaped the rewards of being successful on the field,” Cignetti said. “It’s an ongoing process. We’ve got a signing day coming up here in a couple weeks, and then the portal will hit in December. But everything is on the up-and-up.”
New contract
Cignetti’s new contract, announced on Saturday, is a big step for IU in sustaining this season’s success.
Indiana locked in its head coach for an extra three years, through 2032, and gave him a significant pay raise. The full details of the contract are still unknown, but it clearly contained additional guarantees of continued investment in the entire program, beyond the head coach.
Cignetti expressed further appreciation to IU for that commitment in his brief acknowledgement of the news on Monday.
“The university has made a very significant financial commitment to football in a lot of areas, and I’m appreciative of the opportunity and to lead the program and continue to develop the program moving forward. I’m excited about our future,” Cignetti said. “We’ve done a lot of good things. We’ve got a lot of people behind us. This is where I wanted to be. I played the what-if game with my wife and my agent three weeks ago, four weeks ago, and it all pointed to where I’m at right now. I’m glad we have that behind us and now we can focus on what we should be focused on this time of year.”
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