Indiana University

After week four of the college football season, there are some things we really need to dive deep into, one of those being the fact that the best football team in the Big Ten is crimson, not scarlet. That’s right, the best team in the Big Ten isn’t the Ohio State Buckeyes but the Indiana Hoosiers now. Don’t click off yet, let’s take a deep look at these two teams.

In the off-season, the Buckeyes picked up a new offensive and defensive coordinator. Matt Patricia as Defensive Coordinator and Brian Hartline as Offensive Coordinator; the first year with new coaches can always be a little bumpy, but after a win against number one Texas (14-7), the Buckeyes jumped to number one in the country according to the AP poll. However, if we really break down this Buckeye team, we begin to question the ranking. Let’s start at quarterback, Ohio State picked up sophomore Julian Sayin from Alabama. The kid is a good player, don’t get me wrong, but the lack of experience may haunt the Buckeyes down the line. Ohio State looks like a strong football team, but they’re not the best. 

Let’s take a look at the Indiana Hoosiers. Over the off-season, Curt Cignetti got to work in the transfer portal, most notably with Quarterback Fernado Mendoza from the University of California. As of week four, Mendoza has racked up 975 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, along with zero interceptions and an 84.5 QBR (11th in the country). That’s not even the crazy part. Mendoza has done all of this without playing a down in the fourth quarter. Along with that, Indiana brought in Roman Hemby at running back, a redshirt senior from Maryland. Hemby ran for 557 yards and 5 touchdowns last season for the Terps. Indiana also returned veteran receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt. Indiana has an older team with more experience, leading me to trust them more later in the season. 

Saturday, September 20th, Indiana, ranked 19th at the time, took on ranked number 9 Illinois at home. Memorial Stadium was rocking as the game was pretty typical at first, a couple of first downs, punt the ball, three and out, punt the ball until early in the first quarter, Illinois was deep in their own territory, punting the ball away, when junior defensive back D’Angelo Ponds ran in and blocked the punt picked the ball up and scored to put indiana up 6-0. A few possessions later, Indiana had a lapse in the defense, allowing Illinois to score a quick 6, making the score 7-7, but Indiana was not done, scoring again, and again rolling over Illinois 63-10. During the post-game show, CBS sports writer Richard Johnson commented, saying, “Indiana made Illinois look like an FCS team.” 

When it comes to the Big Ten right now, Indiana is just the better team. The Hoosiers bring a level of experience and poise that the Buckeyes simply haven’t shown yet this season. As Indiana’s head coach, Curt Cignetti put it after their big win over Illinois, “We’re not just building a team; we’re building a family that knows how to win together.” Quarterback Fernando’s decision-making with zero interceptions and an 84.5 QBR speaks volumes about the maturity and leadership Indiana possesses. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin is still learning the ropes under new coordinators, which makes their top ranking feel premature. Veteran running back Roman Hemby summed it up best: “Experience beats talent when talent doesn’t have experience.” For now, that rings true in the Big Ten. Indiana’s blend of leadership, consistency, and grit makes it the best team in the conference at least through these first four weeks.