Indiana’s second game of the season brings a familiar setup: another home date in Bloomington, another FCS opponent, and a spread that tells you exactly how lopsided the market thinks this one will be.
The No. 6 Hoosiers, 1-0, host Howard on Saturday afternoon at noon ET at Memorial Stadium on BTN. It’s the first meeting ever between the two programs, and the numbers around it are already pointing hard in Indiana’s direction.
As of Monday morning, Indiana is listed as a roughly 55.5-point favorite. ESPN’s FPI model gives the Hoosiers a 99% chance to win, with IU sitting at No. 6 in the rankings and Howard unranked. Indiana’s recent track record against FCS teams only adds to the expectation: the Hoosiers beat Western Illinois 77-3 and Indiana State 73-0 in their last two such games.
Howard comes in at 1-1 after opening the 2026 season with a 31-24 win over Alabama A&M before falling to Richmond 28-21 on Saturday. The Bison are coached by Ted White, who played quarterback at the school from 1995-98. White has also worked as an assistant in the Big Ten, including a stint as quarterbacks coach at UCLA in 2024 and as an offensive analyst for Maryland last year.
On the field, Howard’s offense has struggled to find efficiency. Quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins has completed 44.4% of his passes this season and has already been sacked eight times. He also leads the team in rushing with 88 yards.
The Bison are No. 59 in FCS total offense at 338 yards per game, and No. 43 in total defense, allowing 352.5 yards per contest.
The weather forecast is a little more manageable than last Saturday, though not by much. Early projections call for morning rain and a high of 85 degrees, with the usual caveat that things can still change later in the week.
For fans planning ahead, Bloomington will have the full game-day routine in place. BTN’s B1G Tailgate will broadcast from campus at 10 a.m.
ET, with Camryn Irwin hosting alongside former Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell. Rick Pizzo, Vereen and Sydney Supple will join from Chicago.
Here’s the expected timeline for Saturday: 7 a.m. - Tailgating and parking lots open
9:35 a.m. - The Walk and Gameday Rally
10:30 a.m. - Stadium gates open
11:30 a.m. - Marching Hundred pregame show
12 p.m. - Kickoff vs.
Howard
Tickets and parking passes are sold out.
In Other News...
Indiana Defense Faces A Bigger Test After Hardys Message
Indianas defense has spent the week searching for a better standard after a recent film session left the unit with a blunt message about its underperformance. Rolijah Hardy was open about the need to tighten things up, but he also pointed to the competitive edge that has helped shape him, crediting the family background that taught him to keep pushing and the teammates around him who have tried to steady the group through the rough stretch.
Hardys own rise adds another layer to the conversation. He went from being an unranked high school player to a Big Ten preseason standout, a climb that speaks to how far he has come and why his voice carries weight in the locker room. The challenge now is whether Indiana can turn that mindset into cleaner play when the defense is tested again, because the next stretch will say plenty about how much progress that film session really sparked. [Read more 🡒]
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The decline has touched one of IU's most visible academic pipelines, too, with the Wells Scholars Program briefly pausing international admissions for the 2026-27 cycle before resuming them. For a campus that has long leaned on its global reach, the trend raises fresh questions about how many international students IU can attract and retain as both state and federal rules tighten around them. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hoosier D'Angelo Ponds Is Closing In On His NFL Debut
D'Angelo Ponds is finally getting close to his first NFL action after a rough start to his pro career. The former Hoosier and second-round pick by the New York Jets missed most of training camp and the preseason after suffering a calf injury shortly after the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving him on the sideline while the rest of the roster settled in.
Ponds has now returned to practice ahead of Week 1, giving him a chance to be available for New York's season opener against the Titans. He is still projected as a backup cornerback on the Jets' depth chart, but even that role would mark an important first step after an offseason that kept him from building momentum the way rookie defenders usually try to do. [Read more 🡒]