It may be time to start taking the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers seriously.
After a dominant 63-10 win against then No. 9 ranked Illinois, the conversation on Game Runs Deep shifted from surprise to recognition.
This was not a fluke. Indiana did not just win. It controlled the game from start to finish, exposing weaknesses and overwhelming a team that had been viewed as a legitimate contender.
That says more about Indiana than anything else. Under head coach Curt Cignetti, the program has steadily become more competitive. What once felt like an outlier is starting to look like a trend.
The Hoosiers’ second-ranked scoring offense is a big reason why. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been highly productive early in the season, putting up strong numbers and giving Indiana consistency at quarterback. His performance has quietly placed him among the more effective passers in the country. Through four games Mendoza has thrown for 975 yards, 14 TD and no interceptions, with two rushing touchdowns as well.
In a season defined by parity, teams that can execute at a high level week to week have a real chance to compete. Indiana is starting to show it can be one of those teams.
The perception just has not caught up yet. Programs like Indiana are often overlooked until results become impossible to ignore. This performance may be one of those moments.
It also reinforces a larger point. In today’s college football landscape, the gap between programs is smaller than it has been in years. On any given Saturday, teams that are overlooked can deliver statement performances. Indiana just did exactly that, and if this continues, it will not be flying under the radar much longer.
