BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana junior receiver Elijah Surratt, who was a zero-star recruit as a high school student in Virginia, gave Michigan State sophomore cornerback and former four-star recruit Jaire Hill a metaphorical roast. , a 36-yard touchdown pass from Curtis Rourke that sailed underneath leaving him in the open field.
Michail Kamara, a junior defensive end from Indiana and a zero-star recruit as a high schooler from Virginia, slots in between Michigan senior right guard Giovanni Elhadi and sophomore right tackle Evan Link, and quarterback Davis. It hit Warren directly in the face. Both of those Wolverines linemen had prep careers with four stars next to their names, and both were needed to deal with Kamara. 8 stars and no stars. No one won.
Indiana University, the losingest of all major college football programs, defeated the winningest University of Michigan, 20-15, on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in front of 53,082 born again people who ignored November basketball. This is the first 10 wins in Indiana history. This is a total of 11 wins out of 73 tries against Michigan. This is what makes it difficult to envision a scenario in which first-year coach Curt Cinetti and his Hoosiers aren't among the teams selected for the first 12-team College Football Playoff.
And I swear, as much as Bob Knight was throwing chairs around, these guys were acting like they had some business to answer to on Saturday.
“I’m glad we won,” Cininetti said. “I'm not satisfied with how we played.”
He said it several times when praising the defense and the team's “grit,” but he did so after being asked about the bit of emotion he showed in an on-field interview with CBS after the game. The students stood happily in the stands and did not rush onto the field. Because apparently beating the defending national champions is what they're doing here now.
A few seconds to take it all in on the field, some of the smiles Sinetti shared with his family and friends as he walked past the huge IU weight room to the press, nearly 20 family and friends in the room. The fact that it was packed…these are hints of a huge moment.
Cinetti and his No. 8 Hoosiers (7-0, Big Ten) gave up a 17-3 halftime lead against the disappointing Wolverines (5-5, 3-4) after falling behind in the second half. But I didn't mean to say that. They needed a tying two-point conversion and a stop on the UM drive in the fourth quarter, but the IU defense stopped them. Just like Indiana dominated everyone, Indiana was supposed to dominate this quick lane bowl looking Michigan team, but that didn't happen.
I once covered seven or eight Indiana football games. Today's tailgating scene is the top of all of them. A bad photo that doesn't tell the story. pic.twitter.com/HqmoweWGmm
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) November 9, 2024
That's fine, Hoosiers. The Big Ten Championship is underway. Next season's game will be against No. 2 Ohio State after a well-timed week off. In other words, the fact is The Athletic's Austin Mock led the Hoosiers to the playoffs at 92 percent, and his regular-season finale opponent is miserable rival Purdue, so he doesn't need to vent publicly. Especially after this version of Michigan outscored Indiana in the second half.
But those of us outside the program don't have to play ball. We can rub our eyes, shake our heads, and almost uncomfortably laugh at the fact that in November, as a college football nation, we're asking if these Hoosiers are them. Has enough power to win the national championship.
I wonder why Michigan was so harsh on Indiana. We'd like to give the Wolverines credit for that, but if coach Sherone Moore hadn't given up 31 seconds before taking a timeout, or if she'd spent much of the second half just trying to avoid the game. What would happen if I didn't? blow out? Back in the press box after Saturday's press conference, people were watching the Alabama-LSU game and talking about how it would impact IU's playoff lottery. Like it's a normal thing to discuss.
Are we on the upside down? How far is Hawkins, Indiana, the supernatural setting of Stranger Things, from Bloomington?
we might be surprised. We can get hooked too. Because Indiana football in 2024 is a reminder that this sport is more than just math and science. If that were the case, the Hoosiers would have dominated play in the first half and never looked for answers after a shaky second half. They would have played most Michigan teams, as well as most Indiana teams, over the decades.
Although Michigan lost a lot from last year's Jim Harbaugh-led Nats, it still ranks No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally, according to the 247Sports Team Talent Composite, which evaluates rosters based on recruiting rankings. I understand that. Indiana ranks 16th in the Big Ten and 57th in the nation. There is a talent gap between these teams.
Breaking down by starting lineup, Michigan's offense averaged 3.45 stars and its defense averaged 3.73 stars despite a zero-star quarterback and former walk-on Warren. Indiana's offense averaged 2.81 stars and its defense averaged 2.0 stars. Yes, Michigan is nearly one star per player better on defense on the field against Indiana University's offense — even without its best player, injured cornerback, and five-star Will Johnson. Even — and we're left wondering how the Wolverines got all those stops.
Eight of Indiana's starting 22 on Saturday played at Cignetti in James Madison, including Surratt and Kamara. Players are promoted from Group of 5 programs to Power 4 leagues and often achieve their accomplishments. But James Madison's large roster and former Mid-American Conference quarterback Is the Big Ten threatening a hostile takeover?
Of course, recruiting rankings mean something and are highly correlated to a program's success, but they say nothing about how a player develops, works, or fits into a scheme. These ratings say nothing about how people get along. Or how they are taught and developed. They can't predict what choices will be made in their dorm rooms on Thursday nights when happy hour arrives, but instead the young men head to the squat press or a book.
It's not just science and mathematics, it's also art. And the Indiana program, known for its shoddy replicas of “Dogs Playing Poker,” is getting calls from people at the Guggenheim Museum.
Indeed, Saturday could have been a glimpse into potential future struggles against the best teams in the sport for a team that hasn't had a great game yet. Given Michigan's four sacks and frequent pressures in the second half, the loss of left guard Drew Evans (another zero-star recruit who turned into a quality player) to an Achilles injury during practice last week. cannot be ignored. Calculations show Indiana's depth is sparse.
Still, the flow of Saturday's game should be good for Indiana. First, no one will be shouting disrespect on behalf of the Hoosiers when Tuesday's rankings are released. They'll probably question why Indiana is so high. I have no doubt that Cignetti would love it and use it.
And he watched players face and respond to unwanted pressure. The defense did it over and over again. The special teams played well, with Keshawn Williams making a 22-yard punt return to the Michigan 39 and Nikolas Radic getting a breather for a field goal. Rourke made a key throw to get IU close enough and then got a first down against a read-option keeper to ultimately clinch the win.
“We knew it was going to be a close game in the end, but we're going to have to see what we're capable of,” Rourke said.
“When you have a good team and you have confidence, you stay calm in the moment. No moment is too big,” Williams said.
You can enjoy it 24 hours a day. Please watch the movie. We will make improvements. The Hoosiers on Saturday sounded like any other winning team in a championship race. But Williams admitted he looked around at that crowd in the final seconds and thought, “This is crazy.”
it was. And so it is.
“I can't say enough about them,” Cininetti said. “I don't throw bouquets very often, you guys know that. But they accomplished quite a bit.”
No, he doesn't throw the bouquet. He molds clay that is not supposed to be of the highest quality into something of the very highest quality. Leonardo da Chinetti said he was planning to take a much-needed vacation on Sunday. And back to the masterpiece.
(Photo of Zach Horton and Elijah Surratt: James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
