10 Questions About The 2024 Indiana Football Season

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The college football season has finally arrived.

After an offseason overhauling the roster, hyping up the fans and putting all the new pieces together on the field, new head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are approaching their 2024 season opener on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET against Florida International.

With so many new players and coaches, plus a schedule that looks different than recent seasons due to Big Ten expansion, there’s plenty to discuss. Below, our writers Jack Ankony and Todd Golden answered 10 questions about the upcoming season.

What are your expectations for quarterback Kurtis Rourke?

Jack: To make an Indiana comparison, I’m expecting Rourke to be a step or two above Peyton Ramsey and similar in style. Rourke’s career 50-to-16 touchdown-to-interception ratio suggests he’ll take care of the ball, and Cignetti’s comments on Rourke’s consistency and knowledge of the game align with that. I don’t expect Rourke to be an incredible deep-ball passer or take a ton of risks down the field, but he has plenty of talented receivers who should avoid double-teams and allow Rourke to spread the ball around. He’s capable of scrambling for a first down when needed, similar to Ramsey, but is certainly more of the pocket-passer trope. A 3,000-yard passing season with a 65% completion percentage would put him top five on Indiana’s single-season charts, and he’s done that before. Expectations are high, with the main concern being health and whether the offensive line can keep him on his feet.

Todd: They’re high because so much is riding on his success and because of his track record from Ohio U. It’s not exactly rocket science to say that if the quarterback struggles, the rest of the offensive pieces Curt Cignetti added won’t have anywhere near the same impact. Cignetti and the players have spoken of Rourke’s traits as a leader, so hopefully, that comes through, too. What I worry about is injury and how many hits he can sustain. A lot of eggs are in his basket, but then, that’s just part and parcel with that position generally.

What will be the biggest area of improvement from last year?

Todd: The running game should be a lot better. The Hoosiers never really established a consistent ground attack in 2023. Adding Justice Ellison, Kaelon Black, Ty Son Lawton and Elijah Green gives Indiana four backs who are all arguably more accomplished than any one back from the 2023 contingent.

Jack: Consistent quarterback play. After flip-flopping between the inexperienced Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson last season, I think fans will be relieved to have a veteran in Rourke under center. Of course, this is assuming he stays healthy. And if he does, there won’t be the week-to-week questions and concerns about who’s taking snaps and what they can do, like there’s been for much of the last three seasons.

What is Indiana’s biggest potential weakness?

Jack: The offensive line. Indiana could be starting redshirt sophomores Bray Lynch and Drew Evans at right and left guard, respectively – neither of whom have really any in-game college football experience. Maybe they end up being immediate impact linemen like Carter Smith was as a redshirt freshman last year, but I’m taking a wait-and-see approach with the offensive line after a few rough seasons for the group recently. 

Todd: I think the lines on both sides. Losing Nick Kidwell from the projected starting offensive line is a real blow because it wasn’t a collective unit that was very deep in the first place. I think the starting defensive line is adequate, but if there are injuries, Indiana is going to have problems as depth is not bountiful there. 

Which three newcomers are you expecting the most from?

Todd: Rourke, obviously, is the biggest one. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds had a very promising freshman season at James Madison in 2023 and everyone has raved about him at camp. Defensive end Mikail Kamara should do well on his own, but also, in conjunction with rushers like Lanell Carr Jr., Jacob Mangum-Farrar and linebackers like Jailin Walker and Aiden Fisher.

Jack: Todd made good picks with Rourke, Ponds and Kamara. So for the sake of variety, I’ll go with linebacker Jailin Walker, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and defensive tackle CJ West. Walker has been lauded for his rare speed and explosiveness, and he started on a Dukes defense that led the nation in tackles for loss and run defense. Sarratt was 11th in the FBS in receiving yards last season and gives Rourke another talented target alongside Donaven McCulley and others. West was a key addition after losing Philip Blidi, and he bulks up the line at 6-foot-2 and 317 pounds, Indiana’s biggest defensive lineman.

Where will Curt Cignetti’s influence be most felt this season?

Jack: Having a clear vision for how he wants Indiana to play. I thought it was notable in fall camp when he said, “Everything in this program has to fit and align with my philosophy.” Both coordinators and plenty of assistants came with him from James Madison to help with that. A clear plan didn’t always feel present the last few seasons as Indiana rotated quarterbacks and fired and hired new offensive and defensive coordinators. Cignetti has a blueprint that has worked in the past.

Todd: Cignetti has struck a much different tone in fall camp than he did in his brash interactions with the media and public during the offseason. He’s been all-football, all-the-time and was not really receptive when he was asked questions about some of his preseason statements or his personality.  Bottom line is that this is a confident man who has never failed to win at any previous stops. Where the rubber meets the road is how far confidence can take a team when the degree of difficulty to compete with the big boys is so high. 

Which position group gives you the most confidence?

Todd: The running backs and wide receivers are far and away the deepest groups on paper. There’s experience and proven ability in both groups. If I had to pick one? I’d say the receivers since it’s easier to distribute their talents in the framework of an offense. It will be interesting to see how Cignetti and Mike Shanahan use the running backs to maximize their effectiveness.

Jack: I’ll go with the wide receivers. Indiana added transfers Elijah Sarratt, Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams and Miles Cross, each of whom have over 1,000 career receiving yards. And that’s before mentioning the Hoosiers’ 2023 leading receiver McCulley and Omar Cooper Jr., who made some impressive plays last season.

Will James Madison and other Group of Five transfers be able to compete at the Big Ten level?

Jack: Indiana added 13 transfers from a James Madison team that went 11-1 in the regular season, including nine wins over bowl-eligible teams. Rourke came from an Ohio program that went 20-7 over the last few years and beat an Iowa State team last season that went 6-3 in the Big 12. So it’s not like the transfers who will play the most came from bad programs that beat up on bottom feeders – those James Madison and Ohio teams could have beaten a handful of Big Ten teams last season. I expect the Group of Five transfers to handle Indiana’s soft nonconference schedule with ease and to struggle like past Indiana teams have against Michigan and Ohio State. Indiana’s remaining opponents – UCLA, Maryland, Northwestern, Nebraska, Washington, Michigan State and Purdue – are all ranked eighth or lower in the preseason Big Ten media poll, which tabbed Indiana No. 17. The vast majority of these transfers are similar in size to their Big Ten counterparts, though it’s hard to determine until game day if they have the requisite speed. I think they’ll translate well enough to win three or four of those seven toss-up types of games in the Big Ten.

Todd: That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? It’s also a question steeped in who Indiana is playing. I think the JMU transfers will thrive against Indiana nonconference opponents and against lesser Big Ten teams. It’s not really about whether they can hang with Michigan or Ohio State, but whether they hold their own when Indiana faces mid-level Big Ten programs like Washington, Nebraska, Maryland. Or road games at Northwestern and Michigan State. Those are the kind of games that will decide Indiana’s fate. I think some positions translate better than others when moving up in class. I think ability translates from one level to the next, but things like speed or size don’t.

What’s a game Indiana can win that would be considered an upset?

Todd: When I did the Big Ten preseason poll, I picked every league game. I have Indiana winning at UCLA, as the Bruins are rebuilding and the Hoosiers will have two games under their belt as opposed to UCLA’s one contest. Indiana is hitting the sweet spot in the schedule where that discrepancy matters (it doesn’t matter as much as the season goes on). I also think Indiana can beat Washington at home. The Huskies played for the national championship last January, but have turned their roster over dramatically.

Jack: I’ll go with Nebraska. The point spread may end up being pretty narrow come the October game day in Bloomington, but Nebraska’s win total of 7.5 is notably higher than Indiana’s 5.5 entering the season. And like Indiana, Nebraska has a favorable schedule to begin the season. It may be a matchup of a couple four or five-win teams to begin the second half of the season. Nebraska is rolling with a true freshman quarterback in Dylan Raiola, which typically comes with some bumps in the road no matter what the recruiting rankings say.

What would make this a successful season?

Jack: Cignetti would probably tell you it’s more, but bowl eligibility in any manner will equal a successful first season in my book. Things like not getting completely embarrassed by Ohio State and Michigan or sustaining fan excitement throughout the season are other benchmarks to strive for that past Indiana teams haven’t met. Indiana won just three total Big Ten games over the last three seasons. If it can do that this year alone, it’ll equal bowl eligibility and be a success.

Todd: Obviously, bowl eligibility is the red line for success or failure. I’m sure Cignetti doesn’t want Indiana’s goals to be limited to that, but you have to walk before you can run. What I’d like to see beyond that is a winning Big Ten season. I’m not predicting it, but I think it’s achievable given Indiana’s schedule.

What will Indiana’s regular season record be?

Todd: I’m going to stick with 7-5. I think Indiana sweeps its nonconference slate (it better) and then beats UCLA, Washington, Maryland and Purdue in Big Ten play. I didn’t predict wins at Northwestern and Michigan State, but those are certainly winnable games. So is the Nebraska home game, but I think even if you chalk up some of those as wins, there might be games I have chalked up as wins that may not be, so 7-5 is what I think is realistic.

Jack: I’m also going with 7-5. The nonconference schedule should be a breeze, then I’ll predict Indiana goes 4-1 in Big Ten home games with wins over Maryland, Nebraska, Washington and Purdue. Even if the Hoosiers drop one of those games, it’s possible they stay on pace for seven wins with a road win over UCLA, Northwestern or Michigan State.