Judgement day is almost here.
A successful non-conference slate for Indiana is complete. The Hoosiers outscored their opponents by nearly 45 points per game, outgained their opponents by over 350 yards per game, and finished with an unsurprising 3-0 record.
None of that matters.
It is illogical, even foolish, to deduce how good a team truly is by analyzing their steamrolling of the proverbial “cupcake” non-conference games. Indiana will not have to wait much longer to get a better idea of itself and show the college football world what is building in Bloomington.
As the No. 19 Hoosiers host No. 9 Illinois on Saturday night to open conference play, a massive opportunity awaits. It is potentially the biggest home game in school history. It will have playoff and conference title implications for the rest of the season. With NBC broadcasting the game on its airwaves, the national spotlight will be shining bright.
Just how big is this game? Let’s break down some of the context.
An unfamiliar sight on E. 17th Street
Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium has quite literally never hosted a game like this. Saturday night will mark the first time Indiana has hosted a top-10 team as a ranked team. It will be the ninth time Indiana has hosted a ranked vs. ranked matchup.
Excluding the shortened COVID season, the latest came 38 years ago in 1993 when Bill Mallory led the No. 23 Hoosiers past No. 22 Michigan State, winning 10-0 in front of 40,110 in Bloomington.
With a 7:30 p.m. kick, Saturday night will also be the first ranked vs. ranked night game in program history. A red-out with white towels is on tap for the 54,000 plus in attendance under the lights.
One streak ending, one continuing
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has received praise for his program turnaround and pressure for his performance in big games. Two major streaks stand coming into this week — one will stand afterwards.
Cignetti has never lost a home game in 11 tries as Indiana head coach. He has also never beaten an AP ranked team. In 11 home games, all against unranked opponents, Indiana is 11-0 with an average win margin of 48.2-10.3. In two ranked games, both on the road, Indiana is winless with a 38-15 loss to No. 2 Ohio State and a 27-17 loss to No. 7 Notre Dame.
In the first home matchup with a ranked opponent in Cignetti’s tenure, something has to give.
Recruiting implications
Is there a better way to show off a program to top recruits than playing in this type of game? Indiana will be doing just that. According to Steve Wiltfong of On3/Rivals, one five-star DL prospect and several four-star recruits will be in attendance.
In what could be the best home atmosphere in program history, and the biggest home game in program history, recruits will be able to see what this growing program is now and can become.
Dealing with expectations
Indiana was picked 17th out of 18 teams in last year’s preseason Big Ten poll. It took the Hoosiers six games to become ranked in the AP poll. It took consistent blowouts week after week for the Hoosiers to even be considered as one of the better teams in the country.
That does not apply this year.
“We’re the emerging superpower in college football,” Cignetti said on Big Noon Kickoff in 2024.
Coming off a CFP berth, Indiana was ranked in the preseason AP top-25. It does not possess the Cinderella status anymore from the fans or media. Last year's team disrupted the college football world. This year’s team is a key component of it.
If Cignetti is right, no longer is Indiana an underdog program that disrupts the college football world. If Indiana truly wants to be considered an emerging superpower, it must win the big games.
Saturday night is as good of an opportunity as any.
Saturday night will be a one-of-a-kind experience in Bloomington for everyone involved. Two undeniably similar teams, two paths to the College Football Playoff impacted, two halves to decide it. With the eyes of the college football world on Bloomington, there is really only one thing for Indiana to do: prove itself.
