Indiana Football: Can Hoosiers sustain newfound success in 2021?

How will Indiana football fare in 2021?

Last year Indiana was one of the biggest surprises of the college football season. This season they have one of the tougher schedules in the Big Ten.

Here is our game by game breakdown of Indiana’s 2021 schedule

• Game 1: at Iowa (L) — Hoosiers and Hawkeyes are pretty even teams on paper. Tiebreaker goes to the Hawkeyes for being at home.
• Game 2: Idaho (W) — Should be an easy victory for the Hoosiers over an FCS opponent.
• Game 3: Cincinnati (L) — Bearcats are looking strong again this season.
• Game 4: at Western Kentucky (W) — Even though a road game, the Hoosiers should be able to handle their business.
• Game 5: at Penn State (L) — Nittany Lions are out for revenge after last year’s controversial loss in Bloomington. Hoosiers have never won in Happy Valley.
• Game 6: Michigan State (W) — Indiana returns home and should bounce back.
• Game 7: Ohio State (L) — This could be a close contest like last season’s matchup but the Buckeyes prevail.
• Game 8: at Maryland (W) — Hoosiers will notch their fourth consecutive win against the Terps.
• Game 9: at Michigan (L) — Last time Indiana won in Ann Arbor was 1967 and this is another revenge game on the road.
• Game 10: Rutgers (W) — Scarlet Knights are improving in the Big Ten but take a loss here.
• Game 11: Minnesota (W) — Another evenly matched, close contest. Hoosiers get the home field advantage this time.
• Game 12: at Purdue (W) — The Old Oaken Bucket has been decided by seven points or less in the last four contests. Another nail biter is in store with Indiana emerging victorious.

Prediction: 7-5, 5-4 Big Ten

Tom Allen may not be recruiting the best talent in the conference, but the roster is buying into his vision of the program. The last two successful seasons are evidence of the belief the players have.

With that said, the Hoosiers likely take a step back this season. Look at their schedule. The usual suspects from the Big Ten East of course. There is no way they beat Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State all in the same season again, especially with both the Nittany Lions and Wolverines on the road. We are not even mentioning Ohio State here.

The opener in Iowa City will be brutal and could set the tone for the season. A tough non-conference game against Cincinnati. The whole season depends on the health of Michael Penix of course. If he ends up hurt again, the season could derail.

The most realistic scenario is the Hoosiers take a small step back even if Penix remains healthy. If they can finally break their bowl losing streak, the season should be considered a success.