The No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers are back from their bye week with a major test in front of them, hosting No.
18 USC on Saturday in a game that carries obvious postseason weight. Indiana is 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play, while the Trojans come in at 7-2 and 4-2.
It’s also a rare matchup in Bloomington. This is the first time Indiana has hosted USC since 1981, and the Hoosiers have never beaten the Trojans, going 0-4 all-time in the series. The teams last met in 1982 in Los Angeles, and USC’s series edge includes a 14-3 win over Indiana in the 1968 Rose Bowl.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
CBS will carry the game with Brad Nessler on play-by-play, Charles Davis as analyst and Jenny Dell on the sideline. On the radio side, Indiana Hoosier Sports Network will have Don Fischer, Buck Suhr and John Herrick.
DraftKings lists Indiana as an 8.5-point favorite. The Hoosiers are -340 on the moneyline, while USC sits at +270. The over/under is 50.5.
For all the playoff talk, though, the bigger story around Indiana has been the injury report. The Hoosiers will be without starting running back Turbo Richard and starting right guard Joe Brunner, both of whom were listed as out on the last two availability reports before the game.
Quarterback remains the biggest question. Josh Hoover started Indiana’s first nine games, but he was knocked out of the Hoosiers’ last game against Minnesota and replaced by Grant Wilson.
Hoover has not shown up on the availability report this week, but Curt Cignetti said on his radio show that Hoover did not practice during the bye week. Cignetti also said Wilson was limited with the flu and that Tyler Cherry and Jacob Bell got reps.
Indiana’s offense has been stuck in a rough stretch since the start of October, and Hoover’s play has been a big part of that. Wilson gave the Hoosiers a lift against Minnesota, directing four scoring drives and finishing one of them with a touchdown in overtime.
The defense has its own absences to manage. Edge rusher Kellan Wyatt, injured in the win over Michigan, missed the Minnesota game and remains out. There was better news elsewhere, though, with corner AJ Harris upgraded to probable on Thursday and linebacker Rolijah Hardy listed as questionable.
Even with all of that, Indiana is still favored by more than a touchdown. If the Hoosiers want to handle business against USC, they’ll need a fast start and more production from the offense - specifically, a point total north of 24, something they haven’t reached since the 47-15 win over Rutgers on Oct. 3.
In Other News...
USCs Injury Problems Could Change Everything Against Indiana
USC heads into its Week 11 trip to No. 9 Indiana still trying to sort through injury issues that could reshape the way the Trojans approach one of their biggest games of the season. The situation has opened the door for younger players to matter more than they might have expected this early, with freshman running back Shahn Alston and wide receiver Ethan Feaster among the names drawing attention as USC looks for answers and depth.
For Indiana, the matchup figures to be decided in the trenches as much as anywhere else. The Hoosiers have built a strong defensive line, and that puts extra pressure on USCs running game and its own defensive front seven to hold up on the road. If the Trojans are going to keep pace, they may need those developing pieces to contribute quickly while the injury picture continues to hang over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Gets One Encouraging Sign Before Must Win USC Matchup
Josh Hoover appears set to give Indiana a needed boost heading into a must-win matchup with USC. After being left off the teams initial injury report, the quarterback is expected to be available, and coach Curt Cignetti said he would be in uniform as long as he stays clear of the report. For a Hoosiers team trying to steady itself late in the season, simply having Hoover on hand changes the conversation at the most important position on the field.
The rest of the injury picture is less reassuring. Leading rusher Turbo Richard and defensive end Kellan Wyatt have already been ruled out, while cornerback A.J. Harris and linebacker Rolijah Hardy are listed as questionable. Cignetti has not named a starter, so Indiana still has some decisions to sort through before facing USC, but Hoovers status at least gives the Hoosiers a chance to enter the game with a little more stability than they might have had otherwise. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Just Reignited Indianas CFP Respect Debate
The latest College Football Playoff rankings gave Indiana a jolt even without the Hoosiers taking the field in Week 10, and Urban Meyer wasted little time turning that into a broader discussion about where they really belong. The FOX analyst and former coach pointed to Indianas slide from No. 4 to No. 9, using it as a springboard to question whether the committee had overvalued the Hoosiers in the first place, especially given the quality of their wins and the strength of schedule they have faced.
Meyers comments land at a time when the playoff picture is tightening around the Big Ten and Big 12, with Notre Dame and UCLA also climbing in the latest rankings. For Indiana, the issue is no longer just where it sits in the poll, but whether its early respect was earned or simply a product of a committee that is still sorting out how to weigh unbeaten records against the week-to-week reality of who teams have actually beaten. [Read more 🡒]