The bye week has passed and 16th ranked Indiana (6-0, 3-0 in Big Ten) begins its toughest stretch of play Saturday at home against Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten).
With the Hoosiers being ranked at 16th in the nation according to the most recent AP Poll, it is the first time since 2020 that Memorial Stadium will see the home team in the top-20. Prior to the Covid season, the last time the Hoosiers were inside the top-20 for a home game was in October of 1988.
The game will be nationally televised on FOX as part of Big Noon Kickoff. The pregame festivities will excite, but for the first time in seemingly forever, the Hoosiers are playing a meaningful game in front of a sold out stadium in October.
Before kickoff comes Saturday, here's what you need to know regarding the Hoosiers' week eight showdown with the Cornhuskers.
LAST MATCHUP
The last time these two met was in 2022 in Lincoln. It was the Cornhuskers' first game after the firing of Scott Frost and interim coach and former Husker quarterback Mickey Joseph won his first game against Tom Allen's Hoosiers 35-21.
Connor Bazelak completed 22 of his 44 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. The only current Hoosier to obtain an offensive stat was Andison Coby, who caught 5 passes for 54 yards.
The last time the two teams met in Bloomington was back in 2016, where the 10th ranked Huskers survived an upset bid with a 27-22 victory over Kevin Wilson's Indiana squad.
Richard Lagow went 19/32 with a touchdown pass to Divine Redding, who also had a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter of that game.
Mitchell Paige led the receiver room, adding 9 receptions for 101 yards.
Despite the lack of recent success in the series, Indiana leads the overall series with a 10-9-3 record against Nebraska, spanning 88 years.
INJURY UPDATES
After suffering an injury in the last game at Northwestern, Curt Cignetti announced Monday that linebacker Jailin Walker will be "full speed" for Saturday's game.
Outside of Walker, there are no new known injuries plaguing the Hoosiers in build up to game day.
The mandated availability report is set to release two hours before kickoff on Saturday – around 10:00 a.m.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Will Curt Cignetti's near flawless record in games after the bye remain?
Since arriving James Madison back in 2019, Curt Cignetti has gone 6-1 in games, with an extra week to prepare.
Some coaches take the bye week to reset and take a couple of days away from football, but not Cignetti. His "balls to the wall" mentality has led him to this point in his career and it doesn't appear he is going to change anything now.
That said, Nebraska, too, is fresh off their bye week, giving Matt Rhule and his staff the same amount of time to prepare for the other.
This game will be won on the field, but it will be impacted on which coach better utilized its week off. Cignetti and Rhule have impressive resumés, but which better prepared their team with the extra week?
Did the defense use the bye week to their advantage?
Despite the victory at Northwestern, there was still something that sat in the crawl of Curt Cignetti: the defense's performance.
Although they only allowed 24 points, the Northwestern offense was getting everything it wanted against the Hoosier defense a couple of Saturdays ago. On the other hand, the Northwestern offense exploded last week at Maryland to the tune of 37 points in a blowout win over the Terps.
Nebraska's Dylan Riola will undoubtedly be the best quarterback the Hoosiers have seen up to this point and presents a new challenge. The defense will have the Memorial Stadium crowd on their side, but can they sure up their play, leading to a victory in a big game?
Matchup to Watch: Indiana OL vs Nebraska DL
Big Ten football has always been about winning the battle in the trenches to emerge victorious.
This week is no different for Indiana, as the Nebraska defensive line might be the most physical group they will see all season.
The Cornhuskers are tied seventh nationally with 20 sacks and 42 tackles for loss through their first six games. They will make things very difficult for the offensive line, as they have not yet faced a defense at this caliber.
If Indiana's offensive line can keep Kurtis Rourke's jersey clean, it will pave the way for another offensive explosion from the Hoosiers. If the opposite happens, it could be a long day for the offense.
QUICK HITTERS
Who?: No. 16/18 Indiana (6-0, 3-0 in Big Ten) vs RV/25 Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten)
When?: Saturday, October 19th, Noon ET
Where?: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
Projected Forecast: Mostly Sunny, 56 degrees, Wind 6 MPH SE
TV: FOX, Gust Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: IU -6.5, o/u 49.5
ESPN SP+: Indiana 25-20, 63% chance of Hoosier victory
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