Indiana football made one of the loudest statements of Week 4, dismantling Illinois 63-10 in a Big Ten clash that sent shockwaves across the conference.
The result vaulted the Hoosiers eight spots to No. 11 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, while Illinois plummeted 14 places from No. 9 to No. 23. It was the worst loss in Bret Bielema’s tenure at Illinois, underscoring just how lopsided the matchup became.
Indiana players and coaches believed the win was worthy of a top-10 ranking, though voters stopped just short of granting that status.
“We’ll get people’s attention with this one,” head coach Curt Cignetti said after the game. “The team really laid it on the line tonight. There’s nothing better than being the Grinch in the second half with a big lead. I love that feeling.”
His words captured the ruthless edge Indiana displayed as they piled up 579 yards of offense and refused to let off the gas.
Looking ahead, Cignetti made it clear that the Hoosiers are not dwelling on Illinois, according to Brett McMurphy from On3. “So we’re going to have to play well,” he said of their next opponent.
“This will be a challenge, a more difficult challenge than the last one, for sure.” Indiana will travel to face Iowa in Week 5, a road test that could either strengthen their College Football Playoff case or remind them how demanding Big Ten play can be.
For Illinois, the loss was devastating both on the scoreboard and in perception. Bielema admitted his team “didn’t respond to any adversity,” citing a blocked punt that snowballed into a collapse on both sides of the ball.
What had been a promising start to the year now looks uncertain, with USC looming as the next opponent.
Indiana, meanwhile, improved to 4-0 and has firmly inserted itself into the CFP conversation. Cignetti said afterward, “We broke their will,” and the stats back it up: Illinois managed just 161 total yards and an anemic two rushing yards.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza continued his strong run with another multi-touchdown performance, making it three straight games with at least four TD passes and no interceptions.
As the Hoosiers march forward, the win over Illinois stands as proof of how dominant they can be when all phases click.
Whether they can maintain that level against Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State will define their season, but the demolition of Illinois left no doubt that Indiana belongs in the national spotlight.
