Indiana’s football team kept its perfect season alive in dramatic fashion, and now the Hoosiers are turning the page to another big week on the hardwood.
On the road at Nebraska, top-10 IU found itself in trouble late, trailing 17-6 in the fourth quarter. But the Hoosiers clawed back behind quarterback Josh Hoover, who has had a few inaccurate throws each game but also came through with clutch ones. None mattered more than his two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Nick Marsh, which put Indiana in front for the first time all afternoon.
From there, the defense settled in. After Nebraska dual-threat quarterback Anthony Colandrea had caused problems throughout the first half, IU finally forced him into more discomfort and kept him from dictating the game the way he had earlier.
Indiana walked away with a 20-17 win, moving to 6-0 and extending its winning streak to 22 straight games. The program’s last loss came in December of 2024 against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff nearly two years ago.
Next up is the biggest test of the season so far: Ohio State comes to Bloomington next week for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff.
Curt Cignetti addressed the win after the game, while Alex Bozich published Five Takeaways and Ian Plaskoff wrote about the Hoosiers’ gutsy comeback.
Basketball season is also starting to heat up. IU takes the floor today for its first exhibition game, a road trip to Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse at 6:30 p.m.
ET. The game will air locally on WISH-TV and stream free on WISHTV.com.
A few tickets remain available. For returnee Trent Sisley and transfer Jaeden Mustaf, it will be their first chance to see the team against outside competition.
That exhibition comes on the heels of Big Ten media day in Chicago, where Darian DeVries spoke along with several players. At the event, Indiana was picked ninth in an unofficial poll.
The Hoosiers also landed a major recruiting victory this week when five-star big man Darius Wabbington committed to Indiana. 247Sports ranks him in the top 15 of the 2027 class.
The men’s basketball schedule now has its times and television slots attached. Indiana’s slate includes 12 games on BTN and BIG+, 11 on Fox and FS1, six on Peacock/NBCSN and five on CBS. The women’s schedule is set too, and the Hoosiers will make eight national TV appearances, including five on BTN.
Inside the Hall also wrapped up its look at the Big Ten’s top players for 2026-27, running through the rankings from 20-11, 10-6 and 5-1. Another Hoosier made the list.
On the podcast side, Podcast on the Brink returned with Alex Bozich joined by Josh Pos to discuss IU football and basketball. The Back Home Network also had multiple shows on air during the week.
And around the rest of the Indiana sports scene, No. 2 men’s soccer stayed unbeaten with wins over Kentucky and Hanover. No. 13 field hockey beat Ohio State.
No. 15 volleyball won at Rutgers before falling to top-ranked Nebraska. Women’s soccer lost to Michigan and UCLA.
No. 2/5 swimming and diving defeated Northwestern and lost to top-ranked Texas. Men’s golf placed 10th at the Fighting Irish Classic, with several individuals also competing at the Golfweek Invitational.
Women’s golf finished tied for 12th at the Ally Invitational. Men’s tennis took part in the exhibition Louisville Invitational, and women’s tennis played in the exhibition Hoosier Classic tournament.
In Other News...
Ohio State Now Gets The Undefeated Indiana Showdown Everyone Feared
Indiana kept its unbeaten run intact with a 20-17 win over Nebraska, the kind of tight road test that can reveal as much as it masks. The Hoosiers, still riding a 21-game win streak as the defending national champions, leaned on Curt Cignettis game management and a defense that did enough to survive a late Nebraska push.
Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea helped spark the fourth-quarter tension with a 39-yard touchdown run, but Indiana answered when Josh Hoover connected twice with Nick Marsh for touchdowns. It was another reminder that the Hoosiers can win in different ways, and it sets up an Ohio State showdown with all the pressure and anticipation that comes with facing an undefeated Indiana team this late in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hoover Answered Indianas Biggest Late-Game Question
With the wind making life difficult for both offenses, Indiana found itself in a tight one against Nebraska before Josh Hoover settled things just enough late. The Hoosiers were outplayed in terms of volume, with Nebraska running far more snaps, but Indiana made the decisive throws when it mattered most and held on for a 20-17 win.
Hoover was not sharp for long stretches, and the conditions clearly affected his accuracy, but he kept working through it and found Nick Marsh twice for touchdown passes in the final stretch. For Indiana, that was the difference between a frustrating loss and a hard-earned finish, especially in a game where Nebraska had chances but could not turn all of its possessions into enough points. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Added To A Nebraska Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Nebraska spent most of the afternoon in control before Indiana found a way to slip out with a 20-17 win, another close finish in a game that could have gone either way for much of the day. For the Hoosiers, a road result like that only adds to the belief that this team can grind through a tight game and still come out on top against quality competition.
For Matt Rhule and Nebraska, though, the loss only sharpens a bigger concern that fans have been circling for a while. Rhule is now 2-25 all-time against ranked opponents and still winless in nine tries against Top-25 teams since arriving in Lincoln, a record that lands harder given his recent extension through 2032 and the $8.5 million salary attached to this season. [Read more 🡒]