Indiana is halfway home, unbeaten, and still sitting on a 22-game winning streak. Six games into the regular season, the No.
5 Hoosiers have a clean sheet in the loss column, but Week 7 brings a very different kind of test: No. 4 Ohio State.
Before that showdown, the first half of the season offers a pretty clear split. A few Hoosiers have gone well beyond what was expected of them, while others are going to need to raise their level when the schedule tightens.
Josh Hoover has been one of the biggest reasons Indiana has kept rolling. Replacing Fernando Mendoza was never going to be simple, but Hoover has handled the job with a level of efficiency that has turned heads.
Through six games, he has completed 68.2% of his passes for 1,364 yards and 17 touchdowns without throwing an interception. That last part stands out even more when you remember the reputation he brought with him from TCU, where he led the Big 12 with 13 interceptions last season and threw 33 over the previous three years.
At Indiana, though, the risk-taking has dropped off sharply. He’s gone 129 pass attempts without a pick, and he has settled into a system that lets him lean on a strong running game and a sturdy defense.
His fourth-quarter work against Nebraska last weekend only added to the confidence around him.
Lee Beebe Jr. has also forced his way into a bigger role. The season opened with Boston College transfer Turbo Richard expected to be a major piece of the backfield, with Khobie Martin and Beebe getting opportunities behind him.
Then Martin went down early in Week 1 with a broken forearm, and Beebe was asked to carry more of the load. He has responded with 551 rushing yards and four touchdowns on a team-high 98 carries.
When Richard later left the Northwestern game with a lower-body injury, Beebe delivered one of his best performances yet, piling up 203 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Martin is working toward a return, but Beebe has clearly earned more work.
Tobi Osunsanmi has been just as disruptive on the defensive side. The Kansas State transfer has made his presence felt all season, becoming a major problem for opposing offenses off the edge.
He is tied for the Big Ten lead with 5.0 sacks and leads the conference with 9.5 tackles for loss. Both numbers are career highs, and they’ve helped make him a central figure on an experienced Indiana defensive front.
That’s the good news. The other side of the ledger is just as important as the Hoosiers head into the tougher stretch.
Indiana still needs more production from the receiver group beyond Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. Shazz Preston has the third-most receiving yards on the team, but the total sits at just 123 yards on nine catches.
With the level of competition about to rise, Becker and Marsh are going to need help. The Hoosiers would benefit from steadier play there, and from Tyler Morris and Davion Chandler as well.
Jamari Sharpe is another player whose role needs to matter even more now. Indiana’s secondary has had its rough patches, especially in the Week 4 game when Aidan Chiles and Northwestern had success through the air and pushed the Hoosiers onto upset alert.
Sharpe, a fifth-year senior, has 16 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, and an interception through five games. He also delivered the game-clinching interception in the National Championship Game last season.
With Ohio State, USC, and Washington coming up, plus whatever postseason opponent awaits, Indiana will need his experience and leadership to steady the back end.
The kicking game is another area that has been shaky in a way Indiana isn’t used to. Nico Radicic and Paddy McAteer have both missed extra points, and both have missed field goals.
Radicic is back to full health after sitting out two games in the non-conference schedule, and Indiana is going to need him to be reliable again. Last season, he was a huge part of the national title run, hitting 18 of 19 field goals and all 87 extra points.
He came through in clutch moments then, and if Indiana wants to stay in the title mix, his leg is going to matter again.
In Other News...
Khobie Martin Could Solve An Indiana Backfield Problem Soon
Indianas backfield has been pieced together for much of the early season, and Khobie Martins absence has been a big part of that. The running back suffered multiple breaks in his right forearm in the first quarter of the season opener, and Indiana had initially expected him back around midseason. Since then, the Hoosiers have had to shuffle bodies to get through the position, including moving freshman linebacker Henry Ohlinger into the running back room because of the injuries.
Curt Cignettis latest update offered a more encouraging picture, with Martin now nearing a return to action. For a position group that has been stretched thin, getting closer to full strength matters, especially as Indiana tries to stabilize its rotation and regain some depth. Martins comeback would not solve everything at once, but it would give the Hoosiers a much-needed option in a spot that has been under pressure since opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Biggest Ohio State Concern Just Became Hard To Ignore
Curt Cignetti had plenty to sort through after Indianas road win at Nebraska, and much of the conversation quickly turned to what comes next. The Hoosiers escaped Lincoln with a victory, but Cignetti pointed out the kinds of issues that tend to matter even more against a team like Ohio State, from missed defensive assignments to a running game that never really got comfortable because of the game conditions and Nebraskas defense.
The focus now shifts to a matchup that demands cleaner football, and Cignetti did not shy away from noting the scale of the challenge. He singled out Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith as an exceptional player, a reminder that Indianas margin for error is going to be thin when the nation's elite show up on the schedule. The Hoosiers have reason to feel good about the win they just earned, but they also know the next test will expose every lapse that was manageable a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have Found An Early Frontcourt Strength Fans Will Notice
Indianas preseason exhibition at Hinkle Fieldhouse offered an early look at a roster still taking shape, and the most encouraging signs may have come from the interior. In a 96-68 win over Butler, Markus Burton, Samet Yigitoglu and Darren Harris each finished with 13 points, but the frontcourt also gave the Hoosiers a stable foundation with Aiden Sherrell pulling down a team-high nine rebounds.
Sherrells activity around the glass and the way he and Yigitoglu worked together inside stood out as Indiana tried to establish some early balance. Trevor Manhertz also played a useful role in the rotation, giving the Hoosiers another option as they sort through the best combinations up front. [Read more 🡒]