Months after being named the 2024 Indiana Thoroughbred Owner’s and Breeder’s Association’s Horse of the Year for 2024, multiple stakes winner Demolisher was euthanized after a bout with laminitis.
“We went from the highest highs as Indiana Horse of the Year to the lowest low ever when we had to say goodbye,” said Resia Ayres, who bred and raced Demolisher with husband Ken.
Unraced at 2, Demolisher proved worth the wait as he won the first five starts of his career in 2024, topped by stakes wins in the Governor’s Handicap and the To Much Coffee Handicap. All five of those wins came at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He closed out the season with an unplaced start in the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland.
In March the son of Dominus was honored as ITOBA’s top Indiana-bred 3-year-old male and its Horse of the Year.
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“It’s about as high as we ever expected to have any of our horses,” Ken Ayres said at the time. “It’s hard to put words to it. Obviously, we’re super excited about it.”
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s roster is on more equal footing with Miami, even though the star rankings have meant little to the final results in this year’s CFP.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) beat Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 despite having no former 5-star players in the starting lineup and just one former top 100 recruit.
The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) will have a pair of former 5-star recruits in their starting lineup but are only starting a total of three former top-100 prospects. It’s a sharp drop off in top talent from the likes of Alabama (14), Ohio State (10) and Oregon (eight).
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Category
Indiana
Miami
Oregon
Ohio State
Alabama
5-stars
0
2
2
3
9
4-stars
2
7
11
16
9
Top 100 recruits
1
3
8
10
14
2-stars or below
9
4
2
1
2
Indiana’s starting lineup still leads the way in overlooked recruits — it will start nine players that ranked 2-stars or below, including starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza — but Miami almost has more (four) than IU’s past three opponents combined (five).
The Hurricanes also has a more of a transfer laden starting lineup (11) than any of Indiana’s postseason opponents.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the recruiting rankings for this year’s participants in the CFP championship game:
Re-live IU’s 2025 season
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Indiana football’s quarterbacks vs. Miami
Position
Indiana (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Miami (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Quarterback
Fernando Mendoza (2022)
2-stars (No. 2,149)
Carson Beck (2020)
4-stars (No. 254)
Indiana football’s skill positions vs. Miami
Position
Indiana (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Miami (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Wide receiver
Elijah Sarratt (2022)
0-stars (N/A)
Malachi Toney (2025)
4-stars (No. 359)
Wide receiver
Omar Cooper Jr. (2022)
4-stars (No. 299)
Keelan Marion
2-stars (No. 3,390)
Wide receiver
E.J. Williams Jr. (2020)
4-stars (No. 69)
CJ Daniels (2020)
3-stars (No. 2,450)
Running back
Roman Hemby (2021)
3-stars (No. 1,767)
Mark Fletcher Jr. (2023)
4-stars (No. 149)
Tight end
Riley Nowakowski (2020)
0-stars (N/A)
Alex Bauman (2022)
3-stars (No. 1,770)
Indiana football’s offensive line vs Miami
Position
Indiana (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Miami (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Left tackle
Carter Smith (2022)
3-stars (No. 730)
Markel Bell (2022)
N/A
Left guard
Drew Evans (2022)
0-stars (N/A)
Matthew McCoy (2022)
3-stars (No. 735)
Center
Pat Coogan (2021)
3-stars (No. 613)
James Brockermeyer (2021)
4-stars (No. 194)
Right guard
Bray Lynch (2022)
3-stars (No. 1,033)
Anez Cooper (2022)
3-stars (No. 1,149)
Right tackle
Kahlil Benson (2020)
3-stars (No. 714)
Francis Mauigoa (2023)
5-stars (No. 9)
Indiana football’s defensive line vs. Miami
Position
Indiana (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Miami (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Defensive tackle
Mario Landino (2024)
3-stars (No. 2,398)
Ahmad Moten Sr. (2022)
3-stars (No. 558)
Defensive tackle
Tyrique Tucker (2022)
0-stars (N/A)
Justin Scott (2024)
5-stars (No. 10)
Defensive end
Mikail Kamara (2020)
0-stars (N/A)
Rueben Bain (2023)
4-stars (No. 62)
Defensive end
Stephen Daley (2022)
3-stars (No. 1,987)
Akheem Mesidor (2020)
3-stars (No. 636)
Indiana football’s linebackers vs. Miami
Position
Indiana (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Miami (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Linebacker
Aiden Fisher (2022)
0-stars (N/A)
Wesley Bissainthe (2022)
4-stars (188)
Linebacker
Rolijah Hardy (2023)
0-stars (N/A)
Mohamed Toure (2019)
3-stars (No. 1,024)
Indiana football’s secondary vs. Miami
Position
Indiana (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Miami (Year)
Rating (National rank)
Cornerback
D’Angelo Ponds (2023)
3-stars (No. 1,966)
OJ Frederique Jr. (2024)
3-stars (No. 784)
Cornerback
Jamari Sharpe (2022)
3-stars (No. 826)
Ethan O’Conner (2023)
3-stars (No. 673)
Safety
Louis Moore (2020)
0-stars (N/A)
Zechariah Poyser (2023)
N/A
Safety
Amare Ferrell (2022)
3-stars (No. 578)
Jakobe Thomas (2021)
3-stars (No. 2,048)
Rover
Devan Boykin (2020)
3-stars (No. 833)
Keionte Scott (2020)
N/A
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
The Indiana Hoosiers are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship and they have barreled through some of the best teams in college football to get there.
The National Championship Game is set, with the Indiana Hoosiers facing the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Monday, Jan. 19. The matchup was officially locked in when Indiana took down the Oregon Ducks in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, 56-22. After the Hoosiers’ 38-3 win over Alabama, I would not want to be the team standing in their path.
But for Indiana fans, they could not have asked for a better season. You can celebrate all of those big moments, from the Big Ten championship and Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman win, to the Rose Bowl victory with unique sports prints. Then, cap it off with gear at Fanatics heading into the National Championship.
MORE INDIANA PRINTS: Celebrate Indiana’s Peach Bowl win with commemorative IU prints
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Here is a look at what to shop for the latest Hoosier’s championship gear at Fanatics:
Shop Indiana Hoosiers championship gear
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Matchup Total Showdown T-Shirt
INDIANA VS. MIAMI FOR THE NATTY: How to buy Indiana vs. Miami CFP National Championship game tickets
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Final Stop T-Shirt
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers ’47 College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Matchup Hitch Adjustable Hat
Shop Indiana Hoosiers Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl gear
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Locker Room T-Shirt
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Hometown Pride Hoodie
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Locker Room Rise Adjustable Hat
Michigan State narrowly escaped with a home win against the now 8–7 Northwestern Wildcats. The Spartans struggled mightily in the first half, entering the break down seven points after scoring just 28 points. Michigan State committed eight turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and went 6-of-11 from the free-throw line.
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After a sluggish start, the Spartans regrouped and took control in the second half. Michigan State shot 14-of-27 from the field after halftime, playing with better pace and ball movement.
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Michigan State’s Cam Ward celebrates after a score and a Northwestern foul during the second half on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Jeremy Fears, who picked up two early fouls and began the game 0-of-4 from the field, responded with a strong second half. He finished the game shooting 4-of-7 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
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Overall, Michigan State was far more composed in the second half against the Wildcats. However, with a matchup against Indiana looming, the Spartans will not be able to afford another slow start like the one they experienced against Northwestern.
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Jan 5, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo sends in a play against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images
Scouting Indiana
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Indiana has undergone a similar offseason transformation to another Big Ten opponent Michigan State has already faced: the Iowa Hawkeyes. After parting ways with head coach Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers hired former West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries.
DeVries began his head coaching career at Drake, where he posted an impressive 150–55 record. Over his final four seasons with the Bulldogs, he led the program to 108 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
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Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler, center, makes a shot against Northwestern during the second half on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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DeVries also went 79–33 in Missouri Valley Conference play, captured three MVC titles, and guided Drake to six of the program’s 11 20-win seasons before leaving for West Virginia.
In his lone season with the Mountaineers, DeVries engineered a significant turnaround, improving West Virginia from a 10-win team to a 19-win team.
Now at Indiana, DeVries has continued that trend of rapid improvement. In Mike Woodson’s final season, the Hoosiers finished 19–13 and missed the NCAA Tournament. This season, Indiana has already reached 12 wins and appears firmly back in the postseason conversation.
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Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., left, shoots as Northwestern’s Arrinten Page defends during the second half on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Hoosiers are led by senior guard Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston. Wilkerson is averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range.
Indiana has been strong on both ends of the floor. According to KenPom, the Hoosiers rank 30th nationally in offensive efficiency and 28th in defensive efficiency.
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Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., left, slaps hands with Coen Carr, right, after Carr’s dunk against Northwestern during the second half on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
As Michigan State prepares to face Indiana, the Spartans will need to clean up their first-half execution to keep pace with one of the Big Ten’s more balanced teams. Indiana’s efficiency on both ends of the court, combined with DeVries’ proven ability to elevate programs quickly, makes this a difficult matchup. For Michigan State, a complete 40-minute performance will be essential if it hopes to build momentum in conference play.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Cam Ward when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don’t forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
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