Big Ten football report — everyone is wondering if Indiana can do it again in 2025

Will the Big Ten live up to its reputation this season? Will the conference be as good as the USA TODAY US LBM Coaches Poll suggests? Indiana might be the most fascinating team in the league in 2025 after coming from nowhere to make the 2024 playoff. College Sports Wire thinks it might be a challenge for IU to be as good as it was last year:

“Along with Arizona State, Curt Cignetti’s Year 1 run at Indiana was one of the most impressive coaching jobs in recent memory as he led the Hoosiers to an 11-1 campaign and an unlikely CFP bid. The bad news is that he did so with a heavily portaled roster, bringing in quite a few stars from James Madison, and many of those players have since moved on. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has moved on, as well, but Indiana did land one of the top portal quarterbacks in the country (Fernando Mendoza from Cal) to replace him. Star receiver Elijah Surratt is also still here, while the Hoosiers have retooled with a handful of defensive transfers.

“This team can be solid again this fall, but with everything it lost and the fact that it really benefited from its schedule last season, putting Indiana in the preseason top 25 feels a bit ambitious.”

If Indiana can remain a top-15 program, the Hoosiers will earn a ton of respect. A lot of pundits think the magic of 2024 won’t be replicated in 2025. We will find out soon enough.