Indiana is headed into a bye week with the No. 4 spot in the first College Football Playoff rankings, but the Hoosiers won’t be able to sit back completely. With one loss on their résumé, they’re now tied to the results of other teams in a way they weren’t a year ago, and Saturday’s full slate could shape the road ahead.
A few games stand out as especially important for Indiana’s hopes.
The first is No. 8 UCLA at Minnesota.
UCLA enters the weekend alone in first place in the Big Ten at 8-0, and a win would keep the Bruins in prime position for a Big Ten Championship Game berth. Minnesota nearly knocked Indiana off this past Saturday, and now the Gophers have a chance to do the Hoosiers a favor at home.
If UCLA slips, Indiana gets a cleaner path back to Indianapolis. And if that Bruins loss turns into a second one later, even better for the Hoosiers.
Then there’s No. 23 Oregon at No.
12 Ohio State. Ohio State is currently behind Indiana in the conference standings because it has played one fewer Big Ten game, but the Hoosiers’ own loss to the Buckeyes makes that result matter all the more.
Oregon hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut this season, yet a road upset in Columbus would help create some separation between Indiana and Ohio State. It’s a long shot, sure, but it’s the kind of long shot Indiana needs.
No. 9 BYU at No.
3 Utah also has Indiana’s attention. Utah sits just above the Hoosiers in the latest playoff rankings, so a home loss to BYU could open the door for Indiana to move ahead next week.
Utah has earned its place, and a defeat wouldn’t automatically send the Utes tumbling, but BYU winning would be a better outcome for Indiana than Utah rolling to 12-0.
The biggest game of the weekend is No. 1 Miami at No.
11 Notre Dame, and it matters plenty for the Hoosiers too. Indiana has already dealt with both teams, losing to Notre Dame in its inaugural playoff appearance back in 2024 before beating Miami in last season’s National Championship Game.
A Miami win would push Notre Dame further from the playoff picture, while an Irish victory would give them a major resume boost. A loss to Notre Dame wouldn’t necessarily drop Miami below Indiana, but a win over the Hurricanes would go a long way toward locking the Irish into the field - and possibly setting up another matchup with the Hoosiers down the line.
In Other News...
Indiana Fan Who Missed $1 Million Kick Had A Wild Next Move
Jackson Stallings turned a rough moment on ESPNs College GameDay into something very Indiana in a hurry. The student was on the spot for two 33-yard field goals that carried a $1 million prize, and both kicks sailed wide before the Hoosiers game against Minnesota. With Pat McAfee involved in the scene and the spotlight fixed squarely on campus, it was the kind of public miss that can linger for a while.
Instead, Stallings took the attention and pushed it somewhere unexpected, posting a viral LinkedIn message that framed the experience through business lessons. For a fan base used to seeing the football program under a microscope, it was a reminder that the days most memorable moment did not end with the kicks themselves. The bigger curiosity now is how far that post travels, and whether the miss ends up being remembered more for the money left on the table or the way Stallings handled it afterward. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem It Cant Ignore
Josh Hoovers early exit against Minnesota turned a routine injury update into something more complicated for Indiana. The backup, Grant Wilson, stepped in and helped guide the Hoosiers to a win after Hoover did not return for the second half, giving the staff a live look at how the offense might function if the depth chart has to change.
Curt Cignetti said the possibility of a quarterback switch was discussed, which only adds to the pressure around Hoovers status moving forward. Indiana stuck with him for now, but with injury concerns and uneven play both in the picture, the Hoosiers are suddenly facing a decision they cant put off for long. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas New-Look Rotation Just Raised A Bigger Question For Next Week
Indianas second game of the season offered a clearer look at how much this roster can change from night to night, and the early returns were encouraging. In a 92-69 win over Bellarmine, Duke transfer Darren Harris delivered a career-high 23 points, while Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay added 15 points and four assists off the bench, giving the Hoosiers a burst of scoring and playmaking from two newcomers who are already carving out roles.
Even with the offense rolling, coach Darian DeVries spent part of the night pointing to defensive lapses that still need cleaning up before the schedule stiffens. Indiana has enough depth to keep experimenting with lineups and roles, but next week will offer a better test of whether this new-look rotation can hold up when the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]