Indiana

AP Top 25 Poll Displays Indiana’s Most Favorable Schedule in Years

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2024

AP Top 25 Poll Displays Indiana’s Most Favorable Schedule in Years

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The college football preseason AP Top 25 poll came out on Monday, and to no one’s surprise Indiana was on the outside looking in.

But compared to recent seasons, the vantage point in Bloomington is less daunting.

After expanding to 18 teams this offseason, the Big Ten found six of its teams in the first AP Top 25 poll: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 23 USC, No. 25 Iowa. Three more received votes but were left off the poll: Washington, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Of those nine, just four are on Indiana’s 2024 schedule: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, Nebraska and Washington. Indiana will have home-field advantage in three of those games, with a road trip to Columbus being the outlier. The Hoosiers also do not play Ohio State and Michigan until November. That creates an opportunity to build early season confidence, unlike difficult Week 1 matchups in recent years against No. 3 Ohio State in 2023 and at No. 18 Iowa in 2021.

Indiana having just two opponents in the preseason AP Top 25 poll is a stark contrast from recent seasons. Look at the Tom Allen era for example, which began with its first full season in 2017.

From 2017-23, Indiana had at least four opponents in the preseason AP Top 25 poll in all seven seasons. In 2019, it had five opponents ranked in the first poll. That stretch also includes a shortened 2020 season, when four of Indiana’s eight total opponents made the preseason poll. And in each of those seasons, at least one opponent received a vote, and three received votes in 2022.

Here’s a breakdown of Indiana’s past schedules, corresponding with how many of its opponents made the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Indiana has the No. 43 strength of schedule, according to ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI). The Hoosiers strength of schedule ranked 25th or higher in five of seven seasons under Allen, peaking at No. 6 in 2023 and No. 7 in 2021. Indiana played its weakest schedules in 2019, ranking 58th, and in 2017, ranking 59th.

Among 18 Big Ten teams, Indiana ranks 16th in strength of schedule, meaning only Iowa and Rutgers project to have easier schedules. In those seven seasons under Allen, Indiana’s strength of schedule ranked fourth or higher among 14 Big Ten teams four times.

Indiana also has the luxury of playing eight home games in 2024. Under Allen, it played seven home games twice, six home games three times and three home games once, during the shortened 2020 season.

Here’s Indiana’s strength of schedule ranking by year, according to the ESPN FPI, and where that ranks in the Big Ten.

The change is a result of two main factors. Indiana does not play Cincinnati or Louisville – teams that reached the College Football Playoff and ACC Championship, respectively, in seasons when they played the Hoosiers. Indiana also traveled to Cincinnati in 2022, when the Bearcats went 9-4, and played Louisville at a neutral site in 2023, boosting its strength of schedule.

But in 2024, according to ESPN’s SP+ rankings, the Hoosiers’ nonconference slate should be a breeze. Indiana’s two FBS opponents, Florida International and Charlotte, rank No. 127 and 126 out of 134 FBS programs. Its FCS opponent, Western Illinois, is 0-22 over the last two seasons and has won four total games since the beginning of the 2019 season.

Indiana plays those three games in the first four weeks of the season, mixed in with a trip to UCLA in Week 3. And the Hoosiers don’t play an AP Top 25 team until Nov. 9 against Michigan, or a team that received votes until Oct. 19 against Nebraska.

The other factor is a result of Big Ten expansion. The conference eliminated its East and West divisions when it expanded to 18 teams, no longer guaranteeing powerhouses Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State will be on Indiana’s schedule every year. The Hoosiers still play Michigan and Ohio State in 2024 but not Penn State. They also drew the two weakest former Pac-12 teams, UCLA and Washington.

With a favorable schedule, the ESPN FPI projects Indiana to have its best record since the 2020 season but says bowl eligibility is still up in the air. It predicts the Hoosiers will go 5.3-6.7 and gives them a 44.9% chance to win six games and a 0.5% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoffs.

The ESPN SP+ rankings slot Indiana No. 81 overall, lowest of any Big Ten team. But the Hoosiers’ first six Big Ten opponents are all ranked outside the top 30, including two teams ranked higher than 70th. With a manageable runway in the early months, there’s reason to believe Indiana can at least outperform that ranking at the bottom of the Big Ten.

The AP Top 25 poll, other metrics and how they relate to Indiana could be signs of good things to come under new coach Curt Cignetti, a compilation of names and numbers proven wrong, or somewhere in the middle. But all preseason statistical projections say Indiana has its most favorable schedule in years, and that’s perhaps the biggest reason for optimism in 2024.

Here’s the full schedule.

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Indiana

Is ‘The Bachelorette’ happening? This Carmel contestant weighs in

Published

2 hours ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Is ‘The Bachelorette’ happening? This Carmel contestant weighs in

Should ABC air the canceled-for-now season of “The Bachelorette”? A Carmel man who was set to compete on it seems to think so.

Matt Carroll, a 43-year-old Purdue basketball alum and Carmel resident, took to social media over the weekend to address the cancelation of season 22 of “The Bachelorette,” on which he appeared. Public opinion on whether the show should see the light of day is split, but the former Boilermaker forward and industrial real estate broker hopes the footage makes it to air.

Disney and ABC pulled season 22 of “The Bachelorette” because its lead, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul, faces an ongoing domestic violence investigations. The network announced the decision March 19 after TMZ leaked a video from a 2023 domestic violence incident involving Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen.

Neither Carroll nor the show have officially commented on the cancelation, but that doesn’t mean he and other contestants haven’t hinted at their feelings on social media.

Carroll’s Instagram reel — in which he struts through the streets of Carmel, rose in hand, RAYE’s “Where the Hell is My Husband” soundtracking it all — breaks the ice. “So…about that,” he joked, tagging both “The Bachelorette” and Bachelor Nation, the franchise’s official hub for news and content.

The reel has garnered comments from fellow Carmel residents wishing Carroll well, even offering to set him up with local singles. Notably, though, some of Carroll’s followers have called for the season to air — and he agrees.

“Trying to manifest that they still air this,” one comment from model Brittany Mason reads. “America wants it the world wants it!”

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Carroll replied.

Another response from him put it more plainly:

“I’m still hoping they decide to air it.”

Whether “The Bachelorette” will air is unclear. Disney Entertainment Television’s official statement only indicated that it was halting the season “for now,” so it’s possible the network could dust off the footage and air it after all.

Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.

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Game times announced for Saturday’s Final Four in Indianapolis

Published

14 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Game times announced for Saturday’s Final Four in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Final Four is set.

Four teams have advanced to the Final Four and will compete for the national championship this upcoming weekend in Indianapolis.

The two national semifinal matchups will take place on Saturday. Tip times for the two games have been announced:

6:09 p.m. EDT – No. 3 seed Illinois vs. No. 2 seed UConn
8:49 p.m. EDT – No. 1 seed Michigan vs. No. 1 seed Arizona

The winners of Saturday’s games will then play in the National Championship Game on Monday, April 6.

Each game will take place inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

Published

1 day ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Saturday morning as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ events to voice their concerns about the current administration.

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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

“I’m out here today because what’s happening in our government is completely trash,” Donna Sipes told WRTV. “It’s wrong. We need to do something about it.”

“I’m tired of every single day when the TV comes on to see what stupid thing he’s done next,” Lindi Marti said.

WRTV

Attendees noted the growing popularity of the demonstrations.

“This is my fourth one to come to. I didn’t come to all of them when it was really cold, but I’m glad to see that they are getting a lot more people out here every time,” Marti added. “It seems like there’s more and more coming.”

Demonstrators highlighted specific foreign policy concerns, including the administration’s handling of the war in Iran.

“We’re bombing the heck out of them. We’re killing civilians,” Marti’s husband said. “We’re getting ready to send our Marines.”

Others focused on the administration’s handling of immigration.

“That’s what I’m concerned about,” Reverend Kenny Little told WRTV. “Little kids, they’re taking them away from their family. And I’m just one of those people, I think everyone got rights.”

Indiana medical students also attended the rally to speak out against changes to the healthcare system.

“We’re really worried about the attacks on the health care system in general, but with Medicaid… current estimates range from anywhere from 325,000 to 450,000 Hoosiers will lose coverage by 2032,” Wade Catt said with concern.

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With midterm elections approaching later this year, attendees emphasized the importance of now taking action at the ballot box.

“If we don’t vote, then things are gonna not, they’re gonna stay the same,” a protester said.

Meanwhile, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith says he’s happy to see Hoosiers exercise their First Amendment right to protest.

However, he takes issue with the idea that President Trump is acting like a king. Beckwith says the fact that people have the freedom to protest is proof that the president is not acting like a tyrant.

He acknowledges that bridging the gap between the sides is probably an uphill battle, but believes communication is key.

“I think when you sit down with people face to face, you’re confronted with humanity. There’s another human sitting across that table from you and talking to you. And so, all I have to say, I think that’s probably the thing I would encourage all Hoosiers to do is say, ‘Hey, if you don’t agree with somebody or if you don’t like somebody, why don’t you try grabbing coffee with them? And give it 30 minutes, and just see what happens.’ I bet most of the time people will walk away with a much softer heart and spirit towards that person before they came in,” Beckwith said.

Beckwith is currently on a 92-county tour of the state. He says all sides are welcome to attend his events.

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