Early Takeaways from the 2025 Indiana Football schedule

The 2025 schedule has been released for Indiana football including the dates for all nine conference games and three out-of-conference games.

Just like in 2024, the Hoosiers will not play a power four non-conference game as they open the season with games against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State before jumping into the Big Ten schedule.

Notable games for Indiana football include the Big Ten opener against Illinois, trips to Eugene to face Oregon and Happy Valley to face Penn State, and obviously the final game at Purdue.

Here are some takeaways from the 2025 schedule.

Once again Indiana football is looking to maximize the potential for wins

Ahead of the 2024 season Indiana football canceled a series with Louisville and replaced the game with a non-conference buy game to better position themselves for bowl eligibility.

Once again the Hoosiers are not playing a power four school in any of their non-conference games as they look to once again maximize their chances at playoff eligibility.

The strategy paid dividends in 2024 as the Hoosiers won all three non-conference games convincingly which helped them build towards an 11-1 season.

Barring a massive slip-up, Indiana football should start the year 3-0 before beginning Big Ten play.

The road games will be a challenge

Of the nine games on the Big Ten schedule, five will be on the road including three difficult trips for the Hoosiers.

The two hardest games on the schedule will both be on the road as Indiana football will travel to face Oregon and Penn State, the two schools who played in the Big Ten Championship game.

Those two games are easily the toughest on the schedule, but the Hoosiers also will make trips to Iowa, Maryland, and Purdue.

While those three games won’t be as daunting as the other three, Iowa has consistently finished near the top of the Big Ten and both Purdue and Maryland will likely be better than they were this past year.

Indiana will likely need to win at least three of these road games if they are going to make another appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2025.

There should be no questions about strength of schedule in 2025

The biggest criticism of Indiana football in 2024 has nothing to do with what they’ve done on the field. Most of the critics have focused on the strength of schedule metric as the Hoosiers played just one ranked team in 2024.

That won’t be the case in 2024 as the Hoosiers will play two of the best teams in the country, Oregon and Penn State, on the road.

Those two games won’t be the only tough matchups on the schedule as both Illinois and Iowa will likely be in or around the top 25 at the time of their matchups.

While there are uncertainties about UCLA, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Maryland, the other four conference games will strengthen the schedule.

With a much harder schedule in 2025, there is potential for Indiana football to find their way into the top 12 even with two losses.

Tino Sunseri’s return to Bloomington

Co-offensive coordinator/QB coach Tino Sunseri will be leaving the program and joining UCLA as the Offensive Coordinator at the end of the 2024 season. After a disappointing season, UCLA fired Eric Bieniemy and announced Sunseri would be replacing him. 

Sunseri will not have to wait long for a reunion as UCLA will travel to Bloomington on October 25th to face Indiana football.

It will be an intriguing matchup as the coaching staff has a long history with Sunseri who’s been with Cignetti since 2021. 

The familiarity between the coaches could make the game harder to prepare for as each side tries to gain an advantage over the other.

Full Indiana Football Schedule:

Aug. 30 – Old Dominion
Sept. 6 – Kennesaw State
Sept. 13 – Indiana State
Sept. 20 – vs. Illinois
Sept. 27– at Iowa
Oct. 4 — BYE
Oct. 11 – at Oregon
Oct. 18 – vs. Michigan State
Oct. 25 – vs. UCLA
Nov. 1 – at Maryland
Nov. 8– at Penn State
Nov. 15– vs. Wisconsin
Nov. 22 – BYE
Nov. 29 – at Purdue

SEE ALSO: Curt Cignetti says it’s a ‘major statement’ to provide Indiana football with resources, funding following historic year

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