The Indiana Hoosiers, a traditional Big Ten football punching bag, have been stuck in mediocrity for the past few years now and are looking for a breakthrough. Head coach, Tom Allen, and his team will be hungry for a bowl appearance after falling just short two seasons in a row.
Prestige Ranking (for a theoretical NCAA Football 20): 2
Last Year’s Record: 5-7 (2-7 Big Ten)
IU did remain competitive for much of the year despite playing through a gauntlet of four nationally ranked Big Ten East teams. They mostly took care of business against their lesser competition, but Purdue ended up stealing their .500 season and bowl bid in the season finale.
Projected Returning Starters
Offense
- QB Peyton Ramsey
- RB Stevie Scott
- WR Nick Westbrook
- TE Peyton Hendershot
- LT Coy Cronk
- OC Hunter Littlejohn
- RG Simon Stepaniak
Indiana lost some experienced offensive line talent, but has good depth at that position and most others. The QB and RB battles should be interesting to watch this fall. We will see if new offensive coordinator, Kalen DeBoer, can shoot some extra juice into this side of the ball like he did at his previous jobs.
Defense
- DE Gavin Everett
- LB Reakwon Jones
- LB Marcelino Ball
- CB A’Shon Riggins
- CB Andre Brown
- S Khalil Bryant
Cornerback and linebacker should be positions of strength for the 2019 Hoosiers. Tom Allen has always been a defensive-minded head coach, and his highly ranked freshman class (the highest in IU history) should help add some depth to the somewhat depleted defensive line.
Special Teams
- K Logan Justus
- P Haydon Whitehead
Key Losses:
- WR J-Shun Harris: caught 37 passes and electrified as a return man last year
- WR Luke Timian: in top ten of IU’s all-time receptions leaders
- OG Wes Martin: drafted by the Washington Redskins
- S Jonathan Crawford: four year starter
Key Newcomers:
- QB Jack Tuttle: Utah transfer, will join a battle for the starting job
- LB James Miller: played three games last year as a freshman before redshirting
- DL Beau Robbins: four star freshman with lots of potential
Breakout Player of the Year: RB Sampson James
Indiana has enjoyed great production from the running back position in recent years (Tevin Coleman, Jordan Howard, Stevie Scott), and James could be next. This freshman flipped his commitment from Ohio State, and will have a shot at the top of the Hoosiers’ already-talented backfield.
Wins the Conference if:
I don’t want to get into what would have to happen for IU to win the Big Ten through their stacked division. However, they have a great chance to surprise some people with their competitiveness.
Circle This Game: @ Purdue
The past two editions of the Oaken Bucket game have featured two 5-6 teams vying for a bowl berth, and Purdue has taken both of them. Ouch. Pencil this one in as a critical game once again in West Lafayette.
Alcohol Prediction: Four Loko
The loads of caffeine in Four Loko gets you excited, but you often end up in pain – much like Indiana football. Memorial Stadium will be serving alcohol this year, so that should be a nice morale boost for fans.
Outlook: 6-6
If IU takes care of business, they could have a very solid season. They will be motivated to break through the 5-win barrier and reach Tom Allen’s first bowl game under a full year as head coach.
