Indiana has spent the first two weeks moving through the schedule with little resistance, and the defense at least showed up Saturday against Howard. The road gets more interesting soon enough, though, with Ohio State looming in mid October. Before that, the Hoosiers’ next five opponents all had their own Week 2 storylines worth watching.
Western Kentucky is the first stop on that run, and the Hilltoppers took a beating at Georgia after also dropping their opener 49-14 to Nevada. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton was surgical, throwing five touchdowns and only three incompletions, while the Bulldogs’ run game piled up 6.7 yards per carry and three scores of its own.
Western Kentucky spent the day shuffling quarterbacks between Rodney Tisdale Jr. and Brock Glenn, and neither the passing game nor the run game found much room. If Glenn gets the start, his mobility is one detail to keep an eye on.
Northwestern didn’t play in Week 2, but the Wildcats already gave a strong preview in Week 1 against South Dakota State, the No. 3 team in the FCS Coaches Poll. Their defense was the headline, breaking up 13 passes and limiting Jackrabbits quarterback Chase Mason to 23 completions on 48 attempts while also snagging an interception.
South Dakota State managed only one touchdown. On the other side, former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles handled the offense, but the real engine was the ground game, which rolled for 224 yards and three touchdowns on just 31 carries.
Rutgers has already made the kind of headlines nobody wants. After losing at home to UMass in Week 1, the Scarlet Knights ran into Boston College and spent the afternoon in a turnover mess.
AJ Surace threw four interceptions, though Rutgers was still hanging around because Boston College gave it back three times as well, with two picks and a fumble. There were a couple of bright spots: Antwan Raymond ran 27 times for 134 yards, and KJ Duff kept producing with eight catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
Beyond that, there isn’t much to cling to in Piscataway through two weeks.
Nebraska has not exactly been tested by elite opposition, but it has looked sharp anyway. The Cornhuskers took a one-point lead into halftime against Ohio in Week 1, then turned the next three halves into a rout, outscoring opponents 91-15.
Anthony Colandrea stayed hot in Week 2, going 20-of-24 for 222 yards and four touchdowns, though he also threw one interception. Freshman Jamal Rule has been a real weapon, averaging 9.1 yards per carry and piling up 210 rushing yards with three touchdowns across two games.
The defense did its part too, forcing two turnovers and holding Bowling Green to 169 total yards and nine first downs.
Then comes Ohio State, and the Buckeyes showed both extremes in one night. For three and a half quarters against Texas, the No. 1 team looked every bit the part, building a 23-3 lead in a hostile road setting against the current No.
1 Longhorns. Then the whole thing flipped.
The defense loosened up, Julian Sayin disappeared from the offense, and the run game that had been breaking chunk plays got shut down. The lesson from that game is simple: Ohio State can look dominant enough to seize control against one of the nation’s best teams, but it can also cough up 21 unanswered points in a single quarter.
Indiana gets that same kind of test in Bloomington on October 17, with a raucous anti-Buckeyes crowd waiting and the outcome likely tied to which version of Ohio State shows up for all 60 minutes.
In Other News...
Indiana Defense Faces A Big Week 3 Boost Before Big Ten Play
Indianas defense looked the part in Week 2, smothering Howard for just 57 total yards while piling up five sacks and a pick-6. Even with both starting cornerbacks, Jamari Sharpe and AJ Harris, sidelined since Week 1, the back end held firm, and the Hoosiers have reason to feel better about their depth after backups Ryland Gandy and Jaylen Bell stepped in and handled the assignment.
The bigger development now is the possibility of getting healthier before the schedule tightens. Curt Cignetti has sounded optimistic about Sharpes chances of returning for Week 3 against Western Kentucky, and Indiana would like to get both corners some live reps before Big Ten play begins. How quickly that secondary gets back to full strength could matter just as much as the shutout-style performance it put on last week. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hoosier Kahlil Benson Just Landed A Massive Week 1 Test
Kahlil Bensons path from Indiana to the Chiefs just got a whole lot more interesting. The undrafted rookie offensive lineman, who signed a three-year deal in Kansas City, was moved into the mix at left tackle after an injury to starter Josh Simmons, and now he has been named to open the 2026 season at the position.
For Hoosier fans, it is a notable development because Benson is being asked to handle one of the most demanding jobs on the line after doing his college work at right tackle and right guard, not left tackle. He has started games at both spots, but this is a different level of responsibility, and it gives him an immediate chance to prove he can hold up in a premium role right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Has One Edge Ohio State Fans Suddenly Can't Ignore
The kicking game has become one of the quiet reasons this Indiana-Ohio State matchup deserves extra attention. When the Hoosiers and Buckeyes meet Oct. 17, Indiana will bring a weapon that could matter in a tight game: Nico Radicic has been steady and accurate, giving the Hoosiers a level of trust at the end of drives that can shape how an offense is called and how a defense is forced to react.
Ohio State, meanwhile, has had to live with some recent kicking frustrations in pressure moments, including a missed 45-yard try against Texas and other important misses in recent games. In a matchup that could be decided by field position and a single possession, that kind of contrast is hard for Buckeyes fans to overlook, and it gives Indiana a subtle but real edge heading into the showdown. [Read more 🡒]