No. 9 Indiana heads into Saturday’s Big Ten showdown with No.
18 USC carrying plenty of pressure after sliding five spots in the College Football Playoff rankings during its bye week. The Hoosiers still have a chance to steady things with a quality win at home, but the quarterback situation adds another layer of uncertainty.
Indiana has not named a starter, leaving USC to prepare for either Josh Hoover or Grant Wilson.
Hoover, the season-long starter, injured his throwing arm in Indiana’s Week 9 win over Minnesota and was later benched after struggling. Wilson stepped in and gave the Hoosiers a lift, finishing 9 of 17 for 156 yards and a touchdown. Curt Cignetti did not tip his hand this week, which means the Trojans are left guessing heading into one of the biggest games of their season.
USC comes in with a lot on the line of its own. The Trojans are outside the CFP picture for now, but a road win over Indiana would change that quickly after last week’s win over Ohio State in Week 9.
It would also push USC deeper into the Big Ten title race and help erase the sting of that 24-7 loss at Wisconsin on Oct. 24.
The matchup also puts USC’s defense in a tough spot against an Indiana offense built on physical play. Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh form one of the best receiver duos in the country, while Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. have both topped 700 rushing yards and are averaging more than five yards per carry. That kind of balance is exactly the sort of challenge Lincoln Riley’s team has not always handled well, and it will take a physical effort to keep the Hoosiers from controlling the game.
Indiana’s playoff position is sturdy, but not bulletproof. According to the CBS Sports CFP Forecaster, the Hoosiers would jump to 96.2% if they win, while a loss would leave them at 66.8% and invite more scrutiny.
Their resume still lacks a win over a team currently in the CFP Top 25. The Oct. 10 win over Nebraska is looking weaker by the week, and their next-best victories are against Michigan and Northwestern, neither of which carries much weight in the current playoff conversation.
For USC, the math is even sharper. A win would lift the Trojans’ playoff chances to 51.5%, while a loss would drop them to 3.7%.
The path is straightforward: beat Indiana, Maryland and USC, and the Trojans are in. Drop one, and the season likely slips away from a program still chasing its first CFP appearance.
Five of Indiana’s six Big Ten games have been decided by seven points or fewer, with the lone exception being a 47-15 win over Rutgers. That pattern suggests a team that can win tight games, but not one that has consistently separated from quality opponents.
Still, the Hoosiers should have enough if they avoid major mistakes and lean on their strength up front. The problem is USC has enough firepower to keep this close, and Jayden Maiava gives the Trojans a veteran quarterback who can hold his own in a game like this.
Pick: USC +7.5
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 🡒]