6-Banner Sunday: Hoosiers Eye History in National Title Game, Basketball Teams Search for Answers
It’s a massive week in Bloomington. Indiana football is one win away from making college football history, while both basketball programs are trying to find their footing in the thick of Big Ten play. Add in a statement win from water polo and some movement across other sports, and it’s been a whirlwind stretch for IU athletics.
Let’s break it all down.
Banner #1 - Indiana Football Prepares for National Championship Clash with Miami
The biggest storyline in college football this week? That belongs to the Hoosiers.
Indiana, undefeated at 15-0, is set to face the Miami Hurricanes Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
ET on ESPN, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. A win would not only deliver IU its first-ever national title in football-it would also make them the first team in modern college football history to finish a season 16-0.
It’s been a meteoric rise under head coach Curt Cignetti. What he’s done in one year has flipped the script on what’s possible in Bloomington. From cellar-dwellers to the top of the sport, this turnaround is nothing short of historic.
Fans unable to make the trip to South Florida will be packing Assembly Hall for a sold-out watch party. The energy around the program is electric, and it’s already paying dividends on the recruiting trail. Indiana has picked up several key commitments from the transfer portal, giving even more momentum to a program that’s already rewriting its own story.
Banner #2 - Hoosiers Blown Out at Michigan State
Indiana men’s basketball is in a very different place right now.
The Hoosiers opened the week with a tough road trip to East Lansing and were handled by Michigan State, 81-60. For much of the game, IU kept it close-tied midway through the second half-but things unraveled quickly down the stretch. Defensive lapses, stagnant offense, and a lack of execution in critical moments turned a competitive game into a lopsided loss.
It’s becoming a pattern. Indiana has struggled to close out games, and this one was no exception. Head coach Darian DeVries addressed the team’s late-game issues postgame, and the analysis from insiders pointed to a mix of poor shot selection and defensive breakdowns that allowed the Spartans to pull away.
Banner #3 - Home Woes Continue in Loss to Iowa
If the Michigan State loss was disappointing, Saturday’s performance against Iowa might’ve been rock bottom-for now.
Back home at Assembly Hall, Indiana never really found its rhythm against a retooled Hawkeyes squad. Iowa jumped out early, and while the Hoosiers made a few runs, they couldn’t sustain any momentum. The 74-57 final score reflected a game that IU was never truly in.
That’s now two straight losses and a 3-4 record in Big Ten play. At 12-6 overall, Indiana remains on the NCAA tournament bubble, but the margin for error is thinning. The NET ranking sits around 40, which keeps them in the conversation, but without any marquee wins, their résumé lacks the punch needed for a confident March Madness bid.
The next two games are pivotal: a home showdown with a ranked Michigan squad on Tuesday, followed by a road trip to Rutgers on Friday. If Indiana wants to stay in the hunt, they’ll need to start stacking wins-and fast.
Banner #4 - IU Women’s Basketball Still Searching for First Big Ten Win
It’s been a tough stretch for the IU women’s basketball program.
The Hoosiers are 11-8 overall but have yet to pick up a win in Big Ten play, sitting at 0-7 in the conference. While the long-term outlook is promising-with a new recruiting coordinator and the top recruiting class in program history arriving in 2026-the present remains a grind.
There were flashes of hope early in the week, including a near-upset of powerhouse Iowa at home. But any momentum from that performance was erased in a blowout loss to a streaky Washington team that had just dropped a game to Purdue.
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier. Indiana travels to face a top-tier Ohio State team on Thursday night, and a breakthrough win looks unlikely unless something changes quickly.
Banner #5 - Podcast on the Brink & Back Home Network Keep the Conversation Going
This week’s Podcast on the Brink featured two solid episodes. Alex Bozich was joined first by Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register, and later in the week, Rick Bozich came on to share his insights.
Meanwhile, the Back Home Network continued its full slate of programming, offering fans more in-depth coverage and discussion on all things IU sports.
Banner #6 - Hoosier Roundup: Water Polo Upset Highlights Busy Week
While the major sports grabbed headlines, several other IU programs made moves of their own:
- Water Polo pulled off a major upset in their season opener, taking down top-10 Fresno State. A huge statement to open the year.
- Volleyball added a new player from the transfer portal, bolstering its roster for next season.
- Men’s Soccer hired a new assistant coach as they continue to build on their perennial success.
- Softball saw several players named to preseason watch lists, a sign of high expectations heading into the spring.
- Wrestling dropped a dual meet to Ohio State.
- Track and Field competed in the Indiana Invitational, getting their indoor season underway.
That’s a wrap for this week’s 6-Banner Sunday. Whether you’re counting down to kickoff in Miami or keeping tabs on the hardwood, there’s no shortage of storylines in Hoosier Nation right now.
Strap in-this week could be one for the history books.