No. 6 Indiana is trying to shake off its first regular-season loss since Nov. 23, 2024, and there’s no soft landing waiting in Ann Arbor.
After falling 19-15 to Ohio State on Saturday, the Hoosiers head straight into another tough matchup, this time against Michigan (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) on the road. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti didn’t dress it up.
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire as we get ready for Michigan," said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.
That’s the reality for a team that had been rolling until the Buckeyes slowed it down. Indiana is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, but the loss in Columbus exposed a few cracks, especially in the run game. The Hoosiers managed only 73 yards on 29 carries against Ohio State, averaging 2.5 yards per attempt, and their longest run went just eight yards.
It wasn’t much better the week before against Nebraska, when Indiana finished with 65 rushing yards on 22 carries. Josh Hoover’s 16-yard scramble was the longest run of that game.
Cignetti pointed to that stretch as a key issue heading into Saturday.
"It all starts up front," Cignetti said. "We all want more consistent production and explosive plays. We haven't gotten any explosive plays the last two weeks in the run game."
Indiana’s loss to Ohio State came down to the sort of razor-thin moment that can define a night. The Hoosiers had a chance to turn the game around late, but Nick Marsh’s first step was out of bounds while he was trying to secure a would-be touchdown pass from Hoover with 1:02 left. Cignetti still took a blunt view of what happened overall.
"We fell short, plain and simple," Cignetti said. "Gave great effort and had our opportunities, for sure.
In some ways, we beat ourselves -- which is uncharacteristic of this football team. But I certainly think we proved we're capable.
We just have to clean up a couple areas and use this setback to learn and grow, come back stronger and better."
Michigan, meanwhile, comes in with a bit of momentum after flipping its quarterback situation against Penn State. The Wolverines trailed 3-0 at halftime before benching sophomore Bryce Underwood and turning to freshman Tommy Carr, who helped spark a 21-18 comeback win.
Carr didn’t put up huge passing numbers, finishing 5 of 7 for 47 yards, but he stayed clean, avoided turnovers and punched in a key rushing touchdown with 2:58 remaining.
"Tommy is a very good runner," Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "He's deceptively fast. ... All his testing numbers really tell you how quick and fast and explosive he is, but he doesn't look like it because he's so smooth."
Whittingham would not say Monday whether Underwood or Carr will start against Indiana, though multiple media outlets reported Tuesday that Carr is expected to get the nod. Underwood has thrown five interceptions and two touchdowns over his last 10 quarters, a span that included losses to Iowa and Minnesota.
"Well, we saw good stuff out of Tommy in the second half and we know exactly what we're doing and the plan going forward," Whittingham said. "We're not going to tip our hand to the opponent, but we have a good plan in place. And that's about all I can say about that right now."
In Other News...
Ryan Day Is Still Complaining About How Indiana Defended Jeremiah Smith
Curt Cignetti had plenty to point to after Indianas narrow loss to Ohio State, especially the way the Hoosiers handled Jeremiah Smith. On his weekly radio show, Cignetti credited the defensive plan for keeping the standout receiver in check, noting the mix of double teams and pressure on the quarterback that helped limit Smith to a season-low 68 yards.
Ryan Day, for his part, acknowledged the challenge Indiana presented but still came away sounding irritated by the way the game was officiated. On his own weekly radio show after Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana, Day said he felt Smith was impacted by uncalled penalties, adding another layer to a game that already drew plenty of attention for how the Hoosiers defended one of college footballs most dangerous targets. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Offense Faces A Huge Opening In Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is shaping up as one of those early-season tests where both offenses arrive with more questions than answers, and Indiana has a real chance to make the matchup uncomfortable. The Hoosiers have leaned on quarterback Josh Hoover and receiver Charlie Becker to keep their attack moving, while Michigan is turning to true freshman Tommy Carr after making a change at quarterback, a reminder that neither side is settled heading into this one.
For Indiana, the opening may be there if it can exploit the Wolverines uncertainty while also finding a little more balance of its own. Both teams have had issues getting their rushing and passing games where they want them, so the margin could come down to which defense holds up better, with Isaiah Jones anchoring Indiana and Troy Bowles leading Michigan. The setup leaves plenty of room for one side to seize control early, and plenty of reason to think this one could turn on a small handful of plays. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Has Two Growing Concerns Before Michigan
Indianas unbeaten run is gone, but the bigger issue coming out of the Ohio State loss was how uneven the Hoosiers looked in the areas that usually travel well in November. There were bright spots to point to, especially Amare Ferrells interceptions on defense and Charlie Beckers production in the passing game, yet the overall picture still left the kind of questions that tend to linger when a top team takes a hit.
The running game never quite found enough traction, and that matters even more with Michigan next on the schedule. So does the kicking situation, after Nico Radicic missed field goals in the loss. Indiana has enough good tape to keep confidence intact, but the Hoosiers also have a couple of clear fixes to sort out before the next test arrives. [Read more 🡒]