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2024 has been a dream season for Indiana football. The Hoosiers currently sit at 10-0 in Curt Cignetti's first season in Bloomington with a massive top five showdown against Ohio State on the horizon.
Indiana's focus is certainly 100% on winning the Big Ten Championship and making a run in the College Football Playoff. However, other teams around the country have certainly taken notice of Indiana's rapid rise and they're trying to get in on the action.
One of those teams is Ball State, who fired head coach Mike Neu after falling to 3-7 with an overtime loss to Buffalo last Tuesday. As a result of the move, there have been many names connected to the Ball State opening. One of those names is current Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, according to John Brice of Football Scoop.
“Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines absolutely is a name to watch with this job; he's a former all-conference linebacker at Ball State who started all four years of his career before he graduated and transitioned into coaching,” Brice wrote.
Haines has become a hot coaching name this season after leading one of the best defenses in college football. Heading into the clash against Ohio State on Saturday, Indiana ranks third in the nation in total defense and seventh in scoring defense. As a result, Haines will naturally be a top candidate for a lot of head coaching jobs when the offseason hits.
Indiana football ready to prove itself against Ohio State
Despite being undefeated, perhaps no team in the country has more to prove than Indiana. Despite steamrolling opponent after opponent on its way to a 10-0 record, Indiana constantly gets slapped with the “hasn't played anybody” label.
On Saturday, Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers will get a chance to shut everyone up for good when they head to Columbus to take on Ohio State. Both teams were ranked in the top five of last week's College Football Playoff rankings (and likely will be again when the rankings are released on Tuesday), so the stakes are already high.
Add that on to the fact that this is essentially a Big Ten semifinal game, and you have a true blockbuster at The Shoe. The winner of this game will have the inside track to the Big Ten title game (likely against Oregon) and a chance at a first-round bye in the CFP, so there is plenty to play for.
This game features two of the top three teams in the country in terms of total defense, so it could be a low scoring affair. However, both also boast offenses that can really stuff the stat sheet when they get rolling.
There's no question that Saturday's game pits two teams who have established themselves as two of the top dogs in college football in 2024. Whenever you get an important November game between two elite teams, it's always something to cherish. Indiana is hoping to shut its critics up with a huge upset win.
