Indiana’s defense walked out of the Ohio State game looking every bit like a unit built to hang with the country’s best.
Yes, the Hoosiers lost at home to the Buckeyes. But the performance still said plenty about what Bryant Haines has built. Last season’s Broyles Award winner continues to give Indiana a defense that can carry weight, even after all the turnover this group had to absorb.
That turnover was no small thing. Indiana had to move on from key pieces like Aiden Fisher, Mikail Kamara, D’Angelo Ponds and Louis Moore, among others, and still reconstruct the thing without losing its edge. So far, the rebuild has held up.
The new look starts at linebacker with Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy, while freshman Jacob Savage has already shown he belongs right there with them. In the secondary, Jamari Sharpe has stepped into the No. 1 corner role, with Penn State transfer AJ Harris taking the No. 2 spot. Wisconsin transfer Preston Zachman is handling safety duties, Byron Baldwin has moved up at rover, and Amare Ferrell has stayed exactly where he was, still as important as ever.
Up front, the interior remains a problem for opponents in all the right ways. Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino are still doing their thing, while Tulsa transfer Joe Hjelle and freshman Blake Smythe have also made their presence felt. Add in Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor, plus the late returns of Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, and Indiana has found toughness across the board.
It did not all come together instantly. The secondary drew criticism early, with some warning signs popping up in non-conference play and against Northwestern. But that group has tightened up, and Harris coming back into the lineup has helped steady things even more.
That showed up against Ohio State. Indiana held the Buckeyes to their lowest scoring output of the season to that point, while the defense piled up four sacks, six and a half tackles for loss and two interceptions. That kind of disruption kept the game within reach while the Hoosiers tried to sort out their own offensive issues against Ohio State’s defense.
The defense also did a solid job of limiting Jeremiah Smith. Indiana took advantage of Julian Sayin’s dependence on Smith and kept pressuring the quarterback, and the result was four catches for 68 yards for the star receiver.
There was one blown coverage in the end zone, and yes, that mattered. But outside of that, Indiana kept Smith from taking over the game.
If this group can do that to Ohio State, it can do it to just about anybody. That was the story for Indiana’s 2025 defense, too: it kept the Hoosiers alive against Iowa, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State while the offense worked through its own problems.
In Other News...
Indiana Heads To Michigan With An Edge Fans Will Notice
A healthy roster has become one of Indianas quieter advantages heading into Saturdays trip to Michigan. While the Wolverines are juggling a long availability report that includes seven players out and seven more questionable, the Hoosiers arrive with no one listed as unavailable and a roster that looks close to full strength. Even better for Indiana, running back Khobie Martin is expected back after his injury, which gives the Hoosiers another option as they prepare for a Noon ET kickoff on FOX.
In a Big Ten game like this, that kind of stability can matter just as much as scheme or momentum. Michigan will still have plenty of talent on the field, but the uncertainty surrounding so many names on its report adds another layer to a matchup that already carries real weight. Indiana does not have to navigate the same injury concerns, and that edge could be one fans notice once the game starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Raised The Pressure On Two Big Ten Powers
Curt Cignettis start at Indiana has done more than change the mood around Bloomington. It has also sharpened the spotlight on two Big Ten heavyweights now dealing with the awkward reality that rapid turnaround is possible, and that patience is getting thinner in a conference where every stumble gets magnified. With UCLA also in the mix of coaching change and roster upheaval, the leagues latest wave of rebuilding has only made Indianas jump forward look more striking.
For Michigan and Penn State, that comparison is the uncomfortable part. New coaches Kyle Whittingham and Matt Campbell inherit the same modern pressures every program now faces, from the transfer portal to NIL, but Indianas rise under Cignetti is a reminder that excuses do not last long when results start showing elsewhere. The Hoosiers have effectively raised the standard in the room, and that puts even more pressure on the established powers to prove they can keep pace. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces A Make-Or-Break Test As Passing Game Draws Focus
Indiana heads into its upcoming Big Ten matchup with Michigan carrying more than just the usual conference pressure, because the passing game has become a major point of attention. Josh Hoover remains central to what the Hoosiers want to do offensively, and freshman Tommy Carr is part of the conversation as Indiana looks for answers against a Michigan defense that has earned its reputation for being difficult to move the ball against.
The matchup feels like a revealing one for Indiana because recent struggles have sharpened the focus on how the offense responds when the margin for error shrinks. Michigans defensive strength presents a tough test for the Hoosiers, and the way Indiana handles that challenge could say plenty about where the passing game stands right now, even before any final result comes into view. [Read more 🡒]