Well, Indiana is having the kind of season that everyone thought Penn State would be having. The Hoosiers were a playoff team a year ago and this year, they’re ranked No. 2 in the country and headed for
a conference championship game showdown against Ohio State. Before they play Saturday at Beaver Stadium, we spoke with L.C. Norton of our sister site Crimson Quarry. You can head over there to read more coverage about Indiana.
1. Indiana has proven to be even more formidable this year than they were last when they were THE surprise of the college football season. At what point did IU fans believe that last year wasn’t a fluke and understand that they have a legitimate conference/national title contender this season?
– The very honest, serious answer for most of the fanbase is back in the preseason or after Illinois at the latest. I had a few concerns about the overall depth but Indiana just looks the part at the top of the roster. The offense has the perfect quarterback fit leading the way, an offensive line that’s performed well, two all-Big Ten caliber receivers and a rotating backfield of human ATVs at running back. The defense has proven to be the stuff of nightmares for opposing quarterbacks as Bryant Haines has kept finding ways to generate pressure and stop the run on early downs.
2. A lot has been made about the hiring of Cignetti and the job that he’s done. But, bigger picture, what has sparked the IU administration to get serious about football for…well…the first time ever?
– A few things, honestly, and apologies for the cliches you’re about to read. For starters, the landscape around the sport has drastically changed in the last however many years. Football is king, with the college game and NFL dominating ratings around the country. That’s obviously played into broadcast rights deals that have played a role in these big, dumb, bloated power conferences we’re dealing with. Indiana’s athletics (emphasis) administration is very forward thinking and watched this landscape change. They pretty quickly realized their shaky place within it and gave Tom Allen one last shot to get it right in 2023. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to make Indiana relevant, much less a consistent winning program, the administration made its move. Allen was dismissed and Scott Dolson, Indiana’s athletic director, began a very informed and considerate process to identify a winner who could get Indiana over .500 at the very least. That process led to Curt Cignetti. Dolson, who works with his donor base better than most, if not every, AD in the country got the money behind Indiana aligned to help give Cignetti what he needed to turn the Hoosiers into a winner. The results are readily apparent. Indiana invests like a top program now because they have proof of concept that Cignetti’s Hoosiers can produce top results.
On top of this, people frankly got tired of waiting for the men’s basketball program to finally, at long last, get it right. People around Indiana really, really care about athletics and have the money to spend on it. All that investment, emotional and monetary, had to go somewhere. In stepped the kind of no-nonsense winner this university demands and, well, you see what happened.
3. Fernando Mendoza is a Heisman Trophy contender, so feel free to say good things about him. But, what has impressed you the most about the offense this year and how do you think they’ll attack Penn State on Saturday?
– What’s impressed me most is how they’ve adapted from last season. Mendoza is a different quarterback from last season’s starter, Kurtis Rourke, and he’s working with a group of receivers whose makeup is very different from last season’s. Indiana could spread the ball around a lot last season, which is how it found a lot of success. Defenses had no idea where the ball was going because five or more different guys were capable of catching it and getting down the field. this year, Indiana leans a lot on Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper, who I’d place firmly around the top of the country as a receiving duo. The Hoosiers’ other receivers don’t get as much targets, but Sarratt and Cooper have laid waste to just about every secondary they’ve seen. On a base level it’s the same offense, but it’s a bit less complex. It’s working just as well.
With Sarratt’s status in question I think Indiana will lean on Cooper and the run game against Penn State. Roman Hemby has been good, but Kaelon Black has been great as RB2. I haven’t seen a lot of backs as strong as he is.
4. Switching over to defense, Indiana has feasted the last couple weeks especially on turnovers. How do you expect Indiana’s defense to attack a still inexperienced quarterback making just his third start?
– Indiana lost Kellan Wyatt, one of its top defensive ends, for the season after he sustained an injury against Michigan State. The defense had to get a bit more creative against UCLA and Maryland, but it kept making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. I’d expect Haines (who I wouldn’t be surprised to see floated for the Penn State job, honestly, for what it’s worth) to dial up some confusing looks to keep him from feeling too confident in the pocket.
5. I know Indiana has some injuries. What is the status of some of those key guys and how do you think it will impact Saturday? Also, what are keys and your prediction for this weekend?
– There’s just two guys who are questionable as of right now. Drew Evans, one of Indiana’s starters at guard, will be out. That’s a point of concern to keep an eye on with Indiana opting for Zen Michalski in his stead. Sarratt has been dealing with a bit of an injury for the past two weeks and was removed from the Maryland game as a precaution, we’ll see if he’s able to go. Aiden Fisher, Indiana’s defensive leader at linebacker, sustained an injury against UCLA that also got him pulled as a precautionary measure. He warmed up against Maryland but saw zero snaps. He’ll be questionable, but I’d lean toward him playing.
Keys to the game will be Cooper and Indiana’s continued ability to generate pressure on defense. If Sarratt isn’t able to go or isn’t 100%, Cooper will have to step up as the Hoosiers’ playmaker and keep the offense moving down the field. Indiana’s defense is going to have to produce against a talented Penn State offense, which will start with the quarterback. If Grunkemeyer gets comfortable, this game gets a lot more interesting.
