At long last, the college football season is here! The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to keep the momentum rolling following their historic 16-0 season and National Championship last year. Curt Cignetti and company are set to open the new campaign this Saturday with a home matchup against North Texas.
The Hoosiers find themselves as massive favorites, and they should be able to take care of business in convincing fashion. North Texas has a whole new coaching staff and nearly a whole new roster after Eric Morris took the Oklahoma State job and took plenty of talent with him. New head coach Neal Brown has a tough assignment going up against the defending national champs in his first game at the helm of the UNT program.
While Indiana should win this game handily, there are still several key storylines worth following. Here are five things that the Hoosiers must get right in order to have a successful Week 1.
Let new new pieces settle in
The Hoosiers don't have to set the world on fire in the season opener. With so many new faces in the mix, getting the newcomers comfortable with the new system will be paramount. That starts with getting Josh Hoover as comfortable as possible early on. Hoover spent four years at TCU, and comes to Indiana with 31 starts and nearly 10,000 passing yards to his name. Taking over for Fernando Mendoza carries a tremendous amount of weight and pressure, and not asking him to do too much should be a top priority.
Dominate the line of scrimmage
Indiana has a substantial advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball in this matchup. Four of Indiana's five starting offensive linemen are fifth-year seniors, while the Hoosiers return four of their top-five sack leaders from last season. That kind of returning production and proven experience is becoming increasingly rare in today's era of college football. Dominating the line of scrimmage and imposing their will up front will be vital for the Hoosiers.
Effectively utilize all three running backs early and often
Last year, Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black both ran for 1,000+ yards. They are both gone, leaving the Hoosier RB room with plenty of production to replace. The good news is that Indiana could have a three-headed RB monster on its hands in 2026. With Boston College transfer Turbo Richard, Khobie Martin, and Lee Beebe Jr. all capable of thriving, getting all three playmakers involved throughout the contest could prove to be very beneficial––not just for Week 1, but for the rest of the season as well.
Spread the ball around to all wide receivers
Charlie Becker and Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh figure to be quite the 1-2 punch for Indiana's wide receivers this season. They have complimentary skill sets, as Becker excels at bringing down contested catches down the field, while Marsh's elite speed and athleticism enable him to rack up yards after the catch. They could both post massive numbers this season. But who will be Indiana's WR3? Will it be Michigan transfer Tyler Morrs? Tulane transfer Shazz Preston? Or could returners Davion Chandler and/or Lebron Bond breakthrough? With those questions in mind, spreading the ball around will be key.
Find out just how much depth there is on both sides of the ball
In an ideal world, Indiana races out to a comfortable lead and puts this game out of reach in the second half. As 40-point favorites, there's certainly a chance that happens. If it does, Cignetti and his coaching staff could deploy their second and third-teamers for extended playing time. Those valuable reps would give Indiana another opportunity to evaluate its depth and identify which players can be trusted when their number is called.
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