Coming off a perfect 16-0 season and historic National Championship, the Indiana Hoosiers are off to a 6-0 start and ready to compete for another title. The regular season is officially halfway over, and there's been a lot to like about Indiana's season up to this point. But if the Hoosiers are going to make history and win back-to-back National Championships, there are four key questions that must be answered.
1. Can the running game continue to roll against tougher competition?
Through six games, the Indiana running game has averaged 221.3 yards per game on the ground. That is good for 2nd in the Big Ten and 19th nationally. Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. are both having great seasons, as Richard leads the Big Ten with 597 rushing yards and Beebe ranks 3rd with 551 of his own.
But it's important that those totals have come against North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Nebraska. Furthermore, Nebraska is the toughest rushing defense the Hooisers have faced up to this point, and both Richard and Beebe struggled mightily. Richard managed just 10 yards on 8 carries while Beebe had 31 yards on 9 carries. That isn't going to cut it during Indiana's second-half schedule when facing teams such as Ohio State, Michigan, and USC. Not to mention the teams that Indiana would potentially meet in the postseason. There's no denying that the Hoosiers are at their best when the running game is thriving, and getting steady production on the ground will be paramount to Indiana's National Championship hopes.
It's also worth mentioning that Khobie Martin could be slated to return soon. Martin suffered a broken forearm in Week 1 and hasn't played since. Martin ran for 505 yards and 6.5 yards per carry last season as a redshirt freshman, and could provide a big boost to the IU running game upon his return.
2. Can a WR3 step up to better complement Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh?
Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh are arguably the best WR combo in all of college football. The pair have nearly identical stats through six games, as Becker has 30 catches for 529 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Marsh has 29 catches for 528 yards and 6 touchdowns. They have both been elite, but if the Hoosiers want to go all the way again, finding a go-to WR3 would certainly help.
Behind Becker and Marsh, no clear WR3 has emerged on the depth chart just yet. Of Indiana's 1,448 receiving yards on the season, Becker and Marsh have 1,057 of them. Shazz Preston and Davion Chandler both have 9 catches, with Preston totaling 123 yards and a touchdown and Chandler collecting 99 yards and four scores. Getting more consistent production from those pass-catchers could be big for Indiana down the stretch. Tyler Morris is also a candidate to step up, as he has just 6 catches for 56 yards on the season.
3. Can the secondary step up in a big way?
Through six games, the biggest weakness on Indiana's roster is most likely the secondary. It's not a major weakness, but there is plenty of room for improvement. Indiana is middle-of-the-pack in the Big Ten when it comes to passing yards allowed per game (188.5), but the IU secondary has been gashed at times so far this season. Most notably, Northwestern's Aidan Chiles threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoosiers back in Week 4. Chiles was doing just about anything he wanted, and faced little resistance when pushing the ball down the field.
Chiles is a talented player who is taking a big step in his development this season in Evanston. But the Hoosiers will face much tougher opposing quarterbacks in the postseason should they get there. Getting the best out of the secondary will be a big point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Bryant Haines the rest of the way.
4. Can Josh Hoover continue his turnover-free ways?
Indiana's offenses under Curt Cignetti put a huge priority on protecting the football. In 2024, Kurtis Rourke threw just 5 interceptions on 320 passing attempts. Last season, Fernando Mendoza threw just 6 picks on 379 attempts. So far this season, Josh Hoover has zero interceptions over the course of 129 pass attempts. That is a remarkable stat, which is made even more impressive when considering the fact that Hoover led the Big 12 with 13 interceptions last season at TCU.
It's clear that Hoover is in a much more complimentary system at Indiana, and he isn't asked to force the issue as much. The results so far have been tremendous, and keeping this turnover-free game rolling will be paramount to Indiana's title hopes.
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