The Machine

Indiana

Big Ten · 8-1CFP 9

Indiana is 8-1, No. 9 in the CFP rankings, and No. 9 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 19.6 points better than an average FBS team. Last game: won 23-16 vs Minnesota in Week 9. The machine gives Indiana a 63% chance to make the playoff.

Week 11: vs USC, Saturday, Nov 14: the matchup, unit by unit

Machine rankNo. 9of all FBS teams
Rating now19.619.6 points better than an average FBS team
Since July−3.5from 23.1 in the preseason rating
Playoff chance63%of the machine's simulated seasons

Why Indiana is No. 9

  • Indiana's rating is 19.6: the machine's estimate that Indiana is 19.6 points better than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 9 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at 23.1, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it down 3.5.
  • The biggest weekly moves: −1.9 after Week 4 (W 29-23 vs Northwestern) and −1.8 after Week 9 (W 23-16 vs Minnesota).
  • Its record is 8-1. The loss was to No. 7 Ohio State, by 4 points. The 8 wins came by 23.0 points on average; the best was over No. 23 Nebraska. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 56 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 8 Ole Miss (20.2); just below is No. 10 Tennessee (18.6).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

Curt Cignetti is in his 3rd season at Indiana (since 2024). This season: 8-1. At Indiana overall: 35-3, counting this season.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts138-231
Passing yards2100
Touchdowns-interceptions22-2
Yards per attempt*9.0No. 14 of 138
Explosive pass rate14.2%No. 16 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)4.6%No. 49 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards315-1676
Yards per carry5.3No. 17 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)17.0%No. 16 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)14.7%No. 28 of 138

Scoring

Points per game32.4No. 40 of 138
Yards per play6.99No. 9 of 138
Third-down rate40.2%No. 68 of 138
Red-zone TD rate66.7%No. 39 of 138
Giveaways6No. 12 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game12.4No. 4 of 138
Yards per play allowed4.15No. 1 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed6.0No. 12 of 138
Yards per carry allowed2.3No. 1 of 138
Sack rate9.3%No. 7 of 138
Takeaways9No. 97 of 138
Third-down rate allowed31.6%No. 19 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. Josh Hoover124-206, 1860 yds, 19 TD, 2 INT
  2. Grant Wilson13-22, 230 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

  1. Turbo Richard113 carries, 745 yds, 6 TD
  2. Lee Beebe134 carries, 715 yds, 4 TD
  3. Grant Wilson8 carries, 71 yds, 1 TD

Receiving

  1. Charlie Becker50 catches, 875 yds, 9 TD
  2. Nick Marsh38 catches, 669 yds, 8 TD
  3. Shazz Preston12 catches, 177 yds, 1 TD

Tackles

  1. Isaiah Jones65
  2. Rolijah Hardy58
  3. Preston Zachman51

Sacks

  1. Tobi Osunsanmi10
  2. Mario Landino5
  3. Stephen Daley5

Interceptions

  1. Amare Ferrell3
  2. Isaiah Jones1
  3. Jamari Sharpe1

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. Josh HooverMost passes in the last game9 games206 attempts89%
  2. Grant Wilson4 games22 attempts10%

Carrying

  1. Lee Beebe9 games134 carries49%
  2. Turbo Richard9 games113 carries42%
  3. Sean Cuono3 games13 carries5%
  4. Jayreon Campbell3 games8 carries3%

Catching

  1. Charlie Becker9 games50 catches36%
  2. Nick Marsh9 games38 catches28%
  3. Shazz Preston7 games12 catches9%
  4. Davion Chandler7 games11 catches8%

Tackling

  1. Isaiah Jones9 games65 tackles11%
  2. Rolijah Hardy8 games58 tackles10%
  3. Preston Zachman8 games51 tackles9%
  4. Amare Ferrell9 games46 tackles8%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 W 52–16 vs North Texas. The passing game was the strength: 14.4 yards an attempt, 6.3 more than North Texas usually allows. Its most yards an attempt of the season.
  2. Week 2 W 55–0 vs Howard. Howard is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
  3. Week 3 W 38–0 vs Western Kentucky. The passing game was the strength: 11.2 yards an attempt, 3.7 more than Western Kentucky usually allows.
  4. Week 4 W 29–23 vs Northwestern. The run defense was the strength: Northwestern got 1.2 yards a carry, 3.8 under what it usually gains. The fewest yards a carry it has allowed all season.
  5. Week 5 W 47–15 at Rutgers. The run game was the strength: 8.4 yards a carry, 3.4 more than Rutgers usually allows. Its most yards a carry of the season.
  6. Week 6 W 20–17 at Nebraska. The passing game was the strength: 12.0 yards an attempt, 6.3 more than Nebraska usually allows. The defense had 5 sacks.
  7. Week 7 L 15–19 vs Ohio State. The run defense was the strength: Ohio State got 2.1 yards a carry, 2.1 under what it usually gains. Its fewest yards a carry of the season.
  8. Week 8 W 13–6 at Michigan. The run defense was the strength: Michigan got 1.4 yards a carry, 2.5 under what it usually gains. Its fewest yards an attempt of the season.
  9. Week 9 W 23–16 vs Minnesota. The pass defense was the strength: Minnesota got 3.2 yards an attempt, 2.8 under what it usually gains. The fewest yards an attempt it has allowed all season.

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