Way too early predictions for 2025 IU Football

[Bowlmania]

We're in a lull now before the CFP picks up again on Thursday, so I thought I'd go with some filler in the meantime. How do you see the 2025 season playing out? Here are my thoughts.

I believe we'll have an elite defense, probably Top 10 nationally and possibly Top 5. Our All-Americans (Kamara, Fisher, Ponds) will lead the way, but there's plenty of additional talent on that side of the ball. Our D will keep us in every game, and Bryant Haines will be a hot commodity at the end of next season.

I'm less confident about the offense. Everything there starts and ends with the OL, and it got roughed up by our big-boy opponents (Michigan in the second half, Ohio State and ND) this season. Cig and Bostad are beefing things up and it's good to have Benson back, but I'm really anxious to see how the OL looks in the three-game stretch against Illinois, Iowa and Oregon in late Sep and early Oct. (I hope to make it to Eugene with my son for our annual B1G road game).

Fernando Mendoza was a great get. After watching Riley Leonard and Will Howard and seeing what an important dimension they add to an offense, I was hoping for a dual-threat guy. While Mendoza can't accurately be described as dual threat, he does have some mobility and can extend plays. Hopefully everything comes together for IU's offense, which sputtered against the best competition this season.

Finally, my way-too-early prediction on regular season record. I'm going with 9-3. What say you?

Go Hoosiers!

 

[kmathum]

We're in a lull now before the CFP picks up again on Thursday, so I thought I'd go with some filler in the meantime. How do you see the 2025 season playing out? Here are my thoughts.

I believe we'll have an elite defense, probably Top 10 nationally and possibly Top 5. Our All-Americans (Kamara, Fisher, Ponds) will lead the way, but there's plenty of additional talent on that side of the ball. Our D will keep us in every game, and Bryant Haines will be a hot commodity at the end of next season.

I'm less confident about the offense. Everything there starts and ends with the OL, and it got roughed up by our big-boy opponents (Michigan in the second half, Ohio State and ND) this season. Cig and Bostad are beefing things up and it's good to have Benson back, but I'm really anxious to see how the OL looks in the three-game stretch against Illinois, Iowa and Oregon in late Sep and early Oct. (I hope to make it to Eugene with my son for our annual B1G road game).

Fernando Mendoza was a great get. After watching Riley Leonard and Will Howard and seeing what an important dimension they add to an offense, I was hoping for a dual-threat guy. While Mendoza can't accurately be described as dual threat, he does have some mobility and can extend plays. Hopefully everything comes together for IU's offense, which sputtered against the best competition this season.

Finally, my way-too-early prediction on regular season record. I'm going with 9-3. What say you?

Go Hoosiers!

12 and 0

 

[TR32]

I say 9-3 would be awesome. I'll take it.

This year was very special for so many reasons but one of the main ones was the level of experience on the team. There were 5 and 6yr guys all over the field and it was unprecedented. Next year, without a massive talent influx, I don't believe they can match what this year's team did, but I do think there is plenty of reason for optimism and I'd be super happy with 9-3.

 

[td75]

With three AA returners on defense and a nice nucleus of talent on offense, I'm going with 10-2.

Now that Mendoza is in the fold, I think 9-3 is the floor. I also think Indiana protects Memorial Stadium and wins all of their home games.

 

[EvansvilleHoosier88]

I say 9-3 would be awesome. I'll take it.

This year was very special for so many reasons but one of the main ones was the level of experience on the team. There were 5 and 6yr guys all over the field and it was unprecedented. Next year, without a massive talent influx, I don't believe they can match what this year's team did, but I do think there is plenty of reason for optimism and I'd be super happy with 9-3.

Do you not view what we have brought in as a talent influx?

 

[EvansvilleHoosier88]

My prediction is the D shines and our returning wide outs open things up in a big way for our stable of backs. Mendoza rises to the moment and we finish 10-2 to squeeze into the CFP. Lane gets to watch us another year.

 

[TominDallas]

I think 10-2 sounds about right. CCC does not lose games he is supposed to win and, at worst, we go 1-2 against PSU, ORE and Iowa.

 

[vesuvius13]

I am not going to set limits on the team, so it is 12-0 for me. 9-3 would be another good season but I think with talent infusion it could be a better season with a break or two.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

My guess is anywhere from an 8-10 win regular season.
Depends how good some of these other schools improve or fall. Does Oregon dip? Wisconsin improve?

The makeup of program rosters is changing by the minute., May not know what teams have until May?

 

[Kelly_32]

11-1 and our first trip to the B1G championship game.

 

[Orbit7958]

I'm feeling positive.....4-8
🤣

 

[OpenWheels]

Way too early, but 10-2 and make the CFP. If that or better happens it will be unbelievable all over again.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

Way too early, but 10-2 and make the CFP. If that or better happens it will be unbelievable all over again.

Unfortunately, IU will not be invited back to a CFP in the near future unless it wins the conference. There has been too much of a smear campaign by the ESPN clown show and other media who hate Cignetti that they would lobby hard against us.

 

[Walt542]

I am still concerned about the speed we lost on defense with Walker, and we need to get at least another fast safety. CJ West is also a big loss that I am not sure we have replaced. On offense I think the speed of the ND DBs exposed the lack of speed in our WRs and we lose our fastest two guys there, I hope we can improve that with some of the new guys. I like Fernando a lot and think he will shine against everyone but possibly Oregon who always has speed to spare.

That said I would be happy at 9-3 but predict 10-2.

 

[Middawg]

Good bet we play three ranked opponents in Illinois, Oregon, and Penn St., with the possibility that either Iowa or Wisconsin could pop up into top 25 contention.


So I predict the chorus of people bitching about the Hoosiers SOS is way down.

Hoping for 9-3 so that those last 5 weeks during the CFP reveal shows we are being talked about in their top 25.

 

[grammy2]

My big question is how many 10+ win seasons is Cignetti going to string together?

 

[EvansvilleHoosier88]

My big question is how many 10+ win seasons is Cignetti going to string together?

All I care about right now is 2, and I’ll hope to worry about 3 next January

 

[red hornet]

I am not going to set limits on the team, so it is 12-0 for me. 9-3 would be another good season but I think with talent infusion it could be a better season with a break or two.

I'm with you when you're right

 

[Carib04]

10-2 but 12-0 is not out of the question if IU figures out how to be a Big Dog against the top competition.

 

[TMFT]

Unfortunately, IU will not be invited back to a CFP in the near future unless it wins the conference. There has been too much of a smear campaign by the ESPN clown show and other media who hate Cignetti that they would lobby hard against us.

Holy victim mentality Batman!

They don’t care that much. Especially after Michigan and OSU and ND are making IU look better each week.

If IU goes 11-1 and misses out on the B1G championship game because of tiebreakers, they’re going to the CFP. Full stop. Theres is incredibly slim likelihood that all of the teams we would have to beat for an 11-1 record to suffer such a drop off that SOS would suffer.

 

[red hornet]

The 2025 year begins an off-season that's never been so much fun for Indiana FB. GO-HOO-HOO-HOOSIERS!

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Unfortunately, IU will not be invited back to a CFP in the near future unless it wins the conference. There has been too much of a smear campaign by the ESPN clown show and other media who hate Cignetti that they would lobby hard against us.

If Indiana goes 11-1 again next year, there isn't a chance in hell we don't make the playoffs.

That would mean wins (minus one I'm assuming) from @ Oregon, @ Penn State, @ Iowa and home for Wisconsin and Illinois.

Strength of schedule shouldn't be a concern next year.

 

[Tammany Hall]

10-2 probably gets us in. Say hypothetically we lose on the road to Oregon and PSU, but 10 wins means (i) a top-25 win at home vs. a very good Illinois team, (ii) a road win at Iowa which is never easy, and (iii) maybe Wisky or MSU is ranked when we play them at home, both are pretty active in the portal.

As Baller23 said, SOS is up quite a bit next year.

Following up this season with a 10 win year would be an amazing accomplishment.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

If Indiana goes 11-1 again next year, there isn't a chance in hell we don't make the playoffs.

That would mean wins (minus one I'm assuming) from @ Oregon, @ Penn State, @ Iowa and home for Wisconsin and Illinois.

Strength of schedule shouldn't be a concern next year.

They’ll find a way to say those teams were down. Don’t bet on it. This CFP is about brand appeal. IU football needs 10 more years of success before they are accepted. Not the way it should be but this thing is a good old boys country club that doesn’t like new members. It’s been the same line they belt out every year. They did it with Cincinnati and TCU when it was 4 teams. The fans want to see new blood. The media circus hates it.

 

[IUfan1957]

They’ll find a way to say those teams were down. Don’t bet on it. This CFP is about brand appeal. IU football needs 10 more years of success before they are accepted. Not the way it should be but this thing is a good old boys country club that doesn’t like new members. It’s been the same line they belt out every year. They did it with Cincinnati and TCU when it was 4 teams. The fans want to see new blood. The media circus hates it.

The committee did not listen to the media's so-called pundits this year and were proven correct. I do not see them reversing course any time soon. IU footballs future looks bright, and this season is solid proof. With the income of talent and depth for next year, a ten+ win campaign will make it a moot point.
Go Hoosiers!

 

[Baller23Boogie]

They’ll find a way to say those teams were down. Don’t bet on it. This CFP is about brand appeal. IU football needs 10 more years of success before they are accepted. Not the way it should be but this thing is a good old boys country club that doesn’t like new members. It’s been the same line they belt out every year. They did it with Cincinnati and TCU when it was 4 teams. The fans want to see new blood. The media circus hates it.

And yet, the committee put us in over Bama, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

There's not a chance, if we go 11-1 again, we're not in, especially if the conference wins another championship this year.

 

[Cortez88]

And yet, the committee put us in over Bama, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

There's not a chance, if we go 11-1 again, we're not in, especially if the conference wins another championship this year.

I think you nailed this with view of the Big 10 being the key. I have a buddy who is a huge SEC homer. He’s been complaining about OSU and their NIL money and ability to get guys to stay for a 4th and 5th year. I can’t root for either OSU or PSU, but their success this playoffs will benefit IU.

 

[TomEric4756]

Unfortunately, IU will not be invited back to a CFP in the near future unless it wins the conference. There has been too much of a smear campaign by the ESPN clown show and other media who hate Cignetti that they would lobby hard against us.

They’ll find a way to say those teams were down. Don’t bet on it. This CFP is about brand appeal. IU football needs 10 more years of success before they are accepted. Not the way it should be but this thing is a good old boys country club that doesn’t like new members. It’s been the same line they belt out every year. They did it with Cincinnati and TCU when it was 4 teams. The fans want to see new blood. The media circus hates it.

11-1 will be good enough for 2025 too. (Say 1-1 v. Ducks and PSU) Iowa and Illinois are schedule upgrades over Nebraska and Northwestern. 9-3 probably won’t be good enough. 10-2 could require close games v. Ducks and PSU.

 

[From the Balcony]

This past year, Indiana was the emerging superpower. Next year, IU's superpower status will be solidified. 15-2 final record.

Indiana will go 12-0 in the regular season; lose to OSU in the B1G Championship; win 3 in the CFP; and lose again to OSU in the National Championship game, which will cause IUGradman to call for Cignetti's firing because he can't win the big games.

 

[Warison]

9-3

At Iowa
At Oregon
At PSU

New Year’s Eve/Day bowl.

The back to back losses to Iowa and Oregon will take us out of any CFP talk. Which is fine. The @PSU game will be the biggest game of the year, with potential to put us back in the conversation. But all of this is predicated on Fernando being as good or better than Rourke.

 

[ribbont]

I am still concerned about the speed we lost on defense with Walker, and we need to get at least another fast safety. CJ West is also a big loss that I am not sure we have replaced. On offense I think the speed of the ND DBs exposed the lack of speed in our WRs and we lose our fastest two guys there, I hope we can improve that with some of the new guys. I like Fernando a lot and think he will shine against everyone but possibly Oregon who always has speed to spare.

That said I would be happy at 9-3 but predict 10-2.

I am 100% with you on the LB speed, or lack thereof, unless Hardy/Clark steps it up.

I think Morris helps with speed at WR and Hemby at RB.

I think the DL will be fine with the Wheeler and Ratcliff additions. But we need a younger guy to take that next step and get into the rotation.

OL is still a concern to me. Recent additions are nice, but are they better than Katic and Wedig? Are they champion level to compete with the best? TBD.

 

[IUNorth]

9-3 sounds feels like a reasonable prediction, to me.

A bad game and loss in a game other than one of the “big 3” road games. But we play well in a couple of the big 3 games, and win one.

If the OLine is improved, 10+ wins is reachable.

 

[EvansvilleHoosier88]

I am 100% with you on the LB speed, or lack thereof, unless Hardy/Clark steps it up.

I think Morris helps with speed at WR and Hemby at RB.

I think the DL will be fine with the Wheeler and Ratcliff additions. But we need a younger guy to take that next step and get into the rotation.

OL is still a concern to me. Recent additions are nice, but are they better than Katic and Wedig? Are they champion level to compete with the best? TBD.

Weidig was hardly a known quantity with only 8 starts. Lynch and Evans were complete unknowns. In many ways Benson is an apples to apples swap for Katic, and Lynch and Evans are returning as known talents. The question mark at right tackle is a fair question, but it was no better than the questions that were in place this time last year with Weidig.

 

[red hornet]

Weidig was hardly a known quantity with only 8 starts. Lynch and Evans were complete unknowns. In many ways Benson is an apples to apples swap for Katic, and Lynch and Evans are returning as known talents. The question mark at right tackle is a fair question, but it was no better than the questions that were in place this time last year with Weidig.

Right, & with another year under Coach Bostad, & Coach Owings, the O-Line will be better.

 

[OpenWheels]

How bad was Evans injury? Is he expected to be ready to play? It was a tendon, not a ligament?

He was a find, so I feel like Bostad will have a good line.
,

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

9-3 sounds feels like a reasonable prediction, to me.

A bad game and loss in a game other than one of the “big 3” road games. But we play well in a couple of the big 3 games, and win one.

If the OLine is improved, 10+ wins is reachable.

I waited my entire life to see a 9 win IU team.
The previous year it occurred was 1967. Some on this board saw it. Should have had a 9-win season in 2019 but our staff couldn’t anticipate an onside kick.

The fact we got not just 9-wins but 11 in a head coach’s first year is a damn miracle. Anything 9 and above next year is another great season. This has been one of the absolute worst programs in the nation and Cignetti was right: going to change the mindset around Indiana football. He certainly did that. Fans now expect the CFP every year and 10+ wins.

 

[ribbont]

Weidig was hardly a known quantity with only 8 starts. Lynch and Evans were complete unknowns. In many ways Benson is an apples to apples swap for Katic, and Lynch and Evans are returning as known talents. The question mark at right tackle is a fair question, but it was no better than the questions that were in place this time last year with Weidig.

Exactly. And we struggled against UM, OSU, and ND. Can Bostad get this current group to compete with the big boys with no discernable improvement in talent level?

 

[EvansvilleHoosier88]

Exactly. And we struggled against UM, OSU, and ND. Can Bostad get this current group to compete with the big boys with no discernable improvement in talent level?

If the pieces that are even talent at this moment don’t improve then Bostad didn’t do his job. I expect 4 of the 5 to be improved, and the question remains at RT. However, the pedigree of Zen is better than Weidig. With the being said, a lot of the issues were driven by Rourke’s lack of mobility which now makes way more sense. Not trying to be argumentative, but I think we will be better than this year.

 

[hozo4ultimate]

We're in a lull now before the CFP picks up again on Thursday, so I thought I'd go with some filler in the meantime. How do you see the 2025 season playing out? Here are my thoughts.

I believe we'll have an elite defense, probably Top 10 nationally and possibly Top 5. Our All-Americans (Kamara, Fisher, Ponds) will lead the way, but there's plenty of additional talent on that side of the ball. Our D will keep us in every game, and Bryant Haines will be a hot commodity at the end of next season.

I'm less confident about the offense. Everything there starts and ends with the OL, and it got roughed up by our big-boy opponents (Michigan in the second half, Ohio State and ND) this season. Cig and Bostad are beefing things up and it's good to have Benson back, but I'm really anxious to see how the OL looks in the three-game stretch against Illinois, Iowa and Oregon in late Sep and early Oct. (I hope to make it to Eugene with my son for our annual B1G road game).

Fernando Mendoza was a great get. After watching Riley Leonard and Will Howard and seeing what an important dimension they add to an offense, I was hoping for a dual-threat guy. While Mendoza can't accurately be described as dual threat, he does have some mobility and can extend plays. Hopefully everything comes together for IU's offense, which sputtered against the best competition this season.

Finally, my way-too-early prediction on regular season record. I'm going with 9-3. What say you?

Go Hoosiers!

Screw that. Talent and schedule are upgrades. Hoosiers find a way to beat a top 10 team and win the rest. 11-1, miss out on the B10 title game and go back to the CFP.

 

[HurryingHoosiers]

Weidig was hardly a known quantity with only 8 starts. Lynch and Evans were complete unknowns. In many ways Benson is an apples to apples swap for Katic, and Lynch and Evans are returning as known talents. The question mark at right tackle is a fair question, but it was no better than the questions that were in place this time last year with Weidig.

And our predictions back then were understandably lower based on the many unknowns.