The Indiana football team did not need style points to make a statement. The Hoosiers pounded Maryland 55-10 to reach 9-0 for a second straight year, a first in program history, behind 588 total yards, five takeaways, and a 21-point third-quarter avalanche.

Fernando Mendoza settled after an early pick to account for two touchdowns, Kaelon Black sparked a season high 367 rushing yards, and Devan Boykin delivered a scoop and score.

Even with injuries to Aiden Fisher, Elijah Sarratt, and others, Curt Cignetti’s group looked like a complete unit that has now won three straight by at least 25.

Indiana football team fans have turned the first CFP rankings into fuel. Sitting near the top and staring at a possible Big Ten title collision course, the Hoosiers are treating every slight and every debate as motivation for a potential showdown with Ohio State.

One fan said: ”We will drop OSU down to 3-4 in December…”

Another supporter wrote: ”Y’all are gonna absolutely destroy OSU and I’m gonna love every second of it”

And another one also said: ”They’re still doubting what you guys are capable of. Use this as fuel.”

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Now it's completely clear. Lean on a top-tier defense that erased Maryland’s ground game, keep the run game rolling with Black and Roman Hemby, and ask Mendoza to be efficient and decisive. If the depth that showed up in College Park holds, Indiana’s ceiling rises.

Maryland managed just 86 first-half yards and two rushing yards before the break. Boykin’s forced fumble, recovery, and touchdown swing typified an opportunistic unit that flips momentum and field position.

That matters in November, when possessions shrink and special teams and short fields decide ranked games.

Sarratt’s hamstring and Fisher’s knee are real variables. Indiana’s rotation of receivers and linebackers answered the bell at Maryland, but the staff will need that same next man up response as the stakes climb. The Hoosiers have been explosive, yet their best path is still balance, possession wins, and red zone execution.

ClutchPoints’ Week 11 CFP projections reflect a crowded top. With chaos across the ACC and SEC, Indiana slots third on the strength of the Oregon road win and a sneaky good victory at Iowa. The Big Ten title game looms as the ultimate seeding decider, which keeps everything in front of the Hoosiers if they keep stacking wins.

Next up is Penn State at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 8. Win there, and the noise around a possible Ohio State matchup will only get louder in Bloomington.