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Ranking Indiana’s potential College Football Playoff opponents, from most exciting to most boring

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Ranking Indiana’s potential College Football Playoff opponents, from most exciting to most boring


BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti didn’t spend much time celebrating his team’s historically lopsided win over Purdue. 

He was already looking ahead to a potential College Football Playoff appearance for the No. 10 Hoosiers (11-1; 8-1 Big Ten) during his brief opening statement after a 66-0 win over Purdue.

“They are not done yet,” Cignetti said, emphatically. “You know, they are not — they want more. They are going to get more.”

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More is likely to be one of college football’s traditional powers in the opening round of the first ever 12-team playoff. There’s some incredibly exciting potential first-round matchups, here they are ranked from thrilling to least:  

Ranking Indiana football’s most exciting potential first round CFP opponents

Georgia (10-2): Taking down a perennial title contender like Georgia in the heart of SEC country would erase any doubts about IU being the real deal. The Bulldogs have won two national titles in the last three years and have the fourth most wins in CFP history. 

The trip to Athens would be a first for the Hoosiers — the programs have never played each other — and haven’t played an SEC opponent on a non-neutral field since facing Kentucky in 2004. 

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Indiana playing between the hedges at Sanford Stadium in the postseason was not a scenario anyone envisioned at the start of the year. 

Notre Dame (11-1): Notre Dame and Indiana are in the same state, but the football programs have spent much of their existence on separate continents. The Fighting Irish almost have more national titles than IU has bowl appearances. 

The Hoosiers could break out of that shadow in a big way by eliminating them in the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

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Indiana fans would probably take a bit of extra pleasure in getting a CFP win before Notre Dame does. The Fighting Irish have made a pair of appearances in the event (2018 and 2020), but lost those games by a combined score of 61-17. 

The fact that the teams have rarely played in the modern era of college football makes the potential matchup all the more exciting. The teams haven’t played since Notre Dame beat IU, 49-27, in 1991. 

It was the only game between the programs going back to 1958. 

Penn State (11-1): Indiana’s past and present could collide in State College. 

The Hoosiers former head coach Tom Allen landed on his feet as PSU’s defensive coordinator. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season with the fourth ranked defense in the FBS (266.8 yards allowed per game) and sixth in scoring defense (14.0). 

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Indiana facing its former coach would create plenty of intrigue between two longtime Big Ten rivals especially since Cignetti’s brash style is so diametrically opposed to Allen’s LEO era. 

There’s an added irony to the teams playing in the first round since IU was excited about finally being free of facing Penn State on an annual basis in the Big Ten East division. The Hoosiers wouldn’t have any objections to continuing the series in the postseason. 

Texas (11-1): This would be a fun matchup considering the head coaches from both teams are former Nick Saban pupils. 

It would also be a meeting of great offensive minds. 

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Cignetti’s respect for Texas coach Steven Sarkisian actually played a role in Indiana’s success this season. That admiration is what led Cignetti to hiring IU’s current quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri when he was at JMU. 

“I spent that whole COVID fall studying Alabama when Sarkisian was there with Matt Jones and those receivers,” Cignetti said, back in December. “I really liked what they were doing. I was looking for new ideas in the pass game. Tino was Sark’s right hand man.”

On top of it being a great chess match, this isn’t a matchup that comes around very often. Indiana is winless in three games against Texas and the teams haven’t played since 1966. 

Ohio State (10-2): Indiana players would welcome a rematch against Ohio State. The Hoosiers didn’t feel like they played their best game in Columbus and are frustrated by the narrative that they can’t compete with the Buckeyes. 

Bouncing back with a win over OSU in the first round would be a heck of a way for IU to end a 30-game losing streak in the series, but from a fan’s perspective this lacks the same excitement over a game they didn’t see just weeks earlier in the exact same venue. 

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Tennessee (10-2): Indiana would get a chance to avenge a 2020 loss to Tennessee in the Gator Bowl if they headed down to Knoxville, but that would provide little motivation for the guys in IU’s locker room since there isn’t anybody still on the roster that played in that game.

This would give the Hoosiers a chance to Big Ten some bragging rights over the SEC, but there’s just not as much juice to this game compared to the rest of the list. 

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.





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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark

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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark


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PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.

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Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.

Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.

Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.

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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
  • Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
  • Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.

What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
  • Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.

What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means

Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.



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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting

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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.

A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.

The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.

Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.

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Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.

No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.

Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.

The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.

Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.

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This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.



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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME

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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME


Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.



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