Indiana Hoosier football fans continue to love what they are seeing from the Cream and Crimson. After going 16-0 and winning a historic National Championship last season, the Hoosiers are off to a 6-0 start to begin the new campaign. Indiana's winning streak currently sits at 22 games, and are well-positioned to make another deep run in the College Football Playoff.
But the back half of the regular season schedule brings an uptick in competition for the Hoosiers. Before the second half begins, let's take a look at some game-by-game predictions for Indiana's final six regular season games.
vs No. 4 Ohio State - Loss
This weekend's matchup between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes has Game of the Year potential. Oddsmakers are giving a slight edge to Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have looked borderline unstoppable since their 4th-quarter collapse against Texas back in Week 2. The Julian Sayin-Jeremiah Smith combination is looking as lethal as ever, and the Buckeye defense has been shutting teams down over the past few weeks. Ohio State wins a close one.
Score prediction: Ohio State wins 31-28
at Michigan - Win
Kyle Whittingham's first season in Ann Arbor is not going well. The Wolverine offense has struggled mightily to find any sort of momentum, and former 5-star QB Bryce Underwood has yet to take the next step in his development. The Michigan defense is elite, but the offense simply doesn't have the firepower to keep up with a team like Indiana. Hoosiers win by two touchdowns in Curt Cignetti's first trip to The Big House.
Score prediction: Indiana wins 28-13
vs Minnesota - Win
The Minnesota Golden Gophers won back-to-back hard-fought games against Washington and Michigan, but then fell flat and lost to Purdue by a score of 41-13. Minnesota has been a solid program under PJ Fleck, and could certainly present plenty of problems for the Hoosiers when they meet on Halloween night in Bloomington. But the Boilermakers exposed the Golden Gopher defense, and Josh Hoover and company should be able to take advantage. Plus, Minnesota has not been a great road team over the past few seasons. With home field advantage, Indiana gets a big win.
Score prediction: Indiana wins 38-24
vs No. 19 USC - Win
Lincoln Riley is in a pivotal season at the helm of the USC program, and so far the Trojans are looking strong. USC is off to a 6-1 start, and are looking to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in Riley's tenure. However, USC is just 4-8 when traveling multiple time zones under Riley's leadership. That's what the Trojans will have to do on Nov. 14 when they make the trip across the country to face the reigning national champs. This could be a high-scoring affair, and Indiana prevails.
Score prediction: Indiana wins 41-35
at Washington - Win
Going into Husky Stadium and getting a win is never easy. It is one of the most unique settings in all of college football, and gives Washington a great home field advantage. But with that being said, the Huskies have been among the most disappointing teams in college football so far this season. The Huskies are just 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play, and haven't been able to get much of anything going offensively. The defense has been able to keep them in games, and should put forth a spirited effort at home. Indiana wins a low-scoring contest in this one.
Score prediction: Indiana wins 21-17
vs Purdue - Win
66-0 and 56-3. Those are the two wins Curt Cignetti has posted against Purdue so far during his Indiana tenure. Barry Odom has the Boilermakers building some momentum with back-to-back wins over Illinois and Minnesota, but they still have a long way to go before contending with the Hoosiers. This year's Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket may not be as lopsided as the last two years, but Indiana should still be able to find a convincing victory in the regular season finale on Nov. 28.
Score prediction: Indiana wins 45-24
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