Hey TOC Nation, hope you had a chance to read Mike’s Preview on this weekend’s opponent earlier today. Now, we get some insight from an Indiana writer. Let’s see what L.C. Norton from The Crimson Quarry
has to share about the #3 team in the nation.
1. Indiana is in uncharted waters for its football program. What were your expectations with the hiring of Curt Cignetti ahead of 2024? What were your expectations coming into this season?
LCN: Truth be told I expected Indiana to become a really good program because that’s just kind of what Curt Cignetti does everywhere he goes. Perhaps my wildest dream was “College Football Playoff contender,” and yet here we are, many months later, with the Hoosiers No. 3 in the country. I sort of expected Indiana to be something of an Iowa of the East that just kinda seems to win 7-9 games every year, but what’s happened is obviously a bit different than that.
As for this season, I sort of expected the smallest of steps back because I didn’t see the same depth at receiver and was worried at some spots on defense. This group may very well be better than last year’s team, which was a well-oiled football machine that tore the Big Ten to shreds with all of its pass catchers. This one just beats teams because it’s got great players and better coaching.
2. QB Fernando Mendoza currently is listed with the 3rd best odds to take home the Heisman. What did you know about him from your research into his time at Cal? Were you expecting him to be a step up from last year’s transfer Kurtis Rourke?
LCN: I knew he was a talented quarterback playing behind a pretty poor offensive line in Berkeley that could probably unlock another level to his game if given the keys to Cignetti’s offense. That he has.
I think he’s an upgrade over Rourke physically, he’s got a stronger arm and the kind of mobility Rourke simply didn’t have, but Rourke was a great processor and just knew where to go with the ball seemingly all the time. Mendoza, uncommon as they are, has the sort of moments you’d want back that Rourke didn’t have outside of like two throws against Maryland that stick out in my memory for how weird they were.
3. Part of the storyline about this rapid turnaround for the Hoosiers has been the success in the transfer portal. Tell us a couple other new names to this year’s team that are making a big difference.
LCN: Indiana was going to go with a newer rotation in the backfield, but Lee Beebe Jr suffered a season-ending injury against Indiana State. Roman Hemby, formerly of Maryland, is the Hoosiers’ lead back and has managed to make something out of nothing more than once. All the Hoosiers’ backs are roughly the same “human ATV” body type, and Hemby fits that mold.
Other notable transfers include Pat Coogan at center, Kahlil Benson at RT and Louis Moore in the secondary.
4. Tell us about your defense. What is your base formation? What level is the best? Who is the one name MSU needs to be familiar with?
LCN: Bryant Haines runs a base 4-3 and its best level is probably a tie between the defensive front and the linebackers. Indiana has had two opposing Big Ten quarterbacks, Luke Altmyer and Dante Moore, running around the backfield trying to escape the pass rush. The Hoosiers’ pass rushers are good, but Haines is very aggressive and excels at dialing up simulated pressures and different looks to confuse the opposing offense.
If I had to pick one name, it’s Aiden Fisher. He’s very much the head of the snake and is as reliable of a linebacker as there is in the Big Ten.
5. Ok, now these two programs are clearly going in opposite directions this season. What would it take for MSU to pull off a major upset?
LCN: Michigan State would need to keep Aidan Chiles upright in the face of pressure and he’d have to be able to deliver the ball deep. If Indiana’s had one consistent issue, it’s explosive plays let up by confusion in its secondary. That unit has improved as the weeks have gone on and the front has done a great job nullifying any errors, but some still show up on tape. The Spartans would also have to find a way to force the ball to someone other than Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper.
6. Predict the final score. How many touchdowns will Indiana win by? (I have no faith in MSU to keep this within 35)
LCN: I’ll go Indiana 44, Michigan State 24
The Only Colors would like to thank L.C. Norton for his help on this article. Normally I finish these pieces by saying I hope the guest writer’s prediction is wrong, but in this case, I am hoping it is correct, as in MSU only loses by 20.
