During Indiana's run to an undefeated season and National Championship last season, the offense got plenty of attention. Deservedly so, as the IU offense put up historic numbers and was led by Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza. Naturally, that is going to get a lot of love from the national media.
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But the Indiana defense also put up historic numbers and dominated the competition throughout the season. Specifically, the Hoosiers ranked 2nd in the entire country in points per game allowed (11.7) and 4th in yards per game allowed (266.0). Indiana also led the country with a turnover differential of +21.
Julian Sayin details what makes the Indiana defense so dangerous
The 2026 Big Ten football Media Days are in full swing in Chicago, and the Indiana Hoosiers are receiving plenty of praise from their leaguemates. Ohio State QB Julian Sayin became the latest Big Ten opponent to send high praise Indiana's way. Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Sayin analyzed what makes the Hoosier defense so special.
"They are really well coached, they are bringing their zone drops, they get to the right spot," said Sayin. "They make it very tough on quarterbacks and offenses to pick them apart. There aren't many big plays you are going to see against them."
See Sayin's full quote below:
OSU QB Julian Sayin on Indiana football: "They are really well coached, they are bringing their zone drops, they get to the right spot. They make it very tough on quarterbacks and offenses to pick them apart. There aren't many big plays you are going to see against them." pic.twitter.com/7SBF447qcf
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) July 29, 2026
Led by defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, the Indiana defense has been nothing short of elite over the last two seasons. Like Sayin noted, the Hoosiers do a great job of staying disciplined, disguising coverages, and in turn, preventing big plays. That formula has produced tremendous results for Haines during his time in Bloomington.
In last December's Big Ten Championship Game, the Hoosiers gave Sayin and the Buckeyes a tough time. Sayin couldn't find a rhythm moving the ball down the field, and his longest completion of the game was just 20 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception and posted a season-low QBR of 61.1. Sayin and the Buckeyes entered that contest scoring more than 35 points per game on the season, but the Hoosiers held them to just 10 points.
Indiana and Ohio State set for massive matchup on October 17
Now that Big Ten Media Days are rolling, that means the start of the 2026 college football season is quickly approaching. The Hoosiers open their title-defending campaign on Saturday, September 5 against North Texas at Memorial Stadium.
Indiana's schedule presents several tough challenges, but there's no denying that the toughest game of IU's regular season slate is against Ohio State. In a matchup that has legitimate Game of the Year potential, all eyes will be fixated on Bloomington on October 17. With quite the rivalry brewing between these programs, this will be appointment television for all college football fans.
It will be interesting to see how Haines and the Hoosiers approach facing Sayin the second time around. Hopefully, they are able to limit big plays once again and make life difficult on the Buckeye QB.
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