The Indiana Hoosiers have been probably the most polarizing group in faculty soccer throughout the 2024 season. Regardless of their spectacular 11-1 common season report, there was a major debate as to how good they really have been and in the event that they have been deserving of a playoff spot given how weak their general schedule was.
Not solely did they play a delicate non-conference schedule, their Massive Ten schedule solely featured one ranked group — Ohio State — that soundly beat them.
This similar storyline and narrative are going to be taking part in out this season.
This time, nevertheless, we’d get some extra particular solutions on how good Indiana really is earlier than it will get to a playoff dialogue.
Indiana is 3-0 however has not been examined in any respect
The No. 22 Hoosiers improved to 3-0 on Friday evening with a powerful 73-0 win over in-state rival Indiana State. Within the Hoosiers’ first three video games, they’ve outscored their opponents by a 156-23 margin, which appears mighty spectacular and a good way to open the yr.
In a vacuum, it’s.
However then you definitely dig in deeper and see the three groups the Hoosiers have performed are Previous Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State.
Which isn’t all that completely different from final yr’s non-conference schedule to open the season of Florida Worldwide, Western Illinois and Charlotte.
Now, Indiana is way from the one energy convention group that hundreds its non-conference schedule with delicate opponents. Getting wins is what issues, and no person desires to take pointless dangers with their schedule, particularly if their in-conference schedule is hard.
The issue with Indiana is that its in-conference schedule in 2024 averted quite a lot of the highest groups, and it isn’t a program that has a observe report of sustained success. Or success in massive video games in opposition to prime opponents.
It made every part across the program a thriller and an intense debate as as to if or not it was all a mirage.
In the long run, with losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame (playoffs) by a mixed margin of 65-32, it turned out to be a mirage.
Will that occur once more this season?
We’ll discover out lots about Indiana within the coming weeks
The excellent news for Indiana, and maybe the faculty soccer playoff choice committee, is that we’d not have to attend till November to argue about how good the Hoosiers are. We’re going to discover out within the coming weeks, and they will have an opportunity to show themselves.
Over the subsequent three video games, Indiana will play No. 9 Illinois, at Iowa and at No. 4 Oregon.
That’s two top-10 groups and a really respectable Iowa group that gained eight video games a yr in the past.
None of these groups have been on Indiana’s 2024 schedule, which already makes the convention schedule extra daunting than final yr’s.
That doesn’t embody the sport later this season that Indiana has in opposition to the present No. 2-ranked Penn State.
If Indiana goes into these video games and loses most of them, and even worse, isn’t aggressive, there may be going to be no arguing or polarization in discussing what the group is. We’ll know the beginning is one other mirage.
If Indiana goes in and wins two or three of these video games, and is a minimum of aggressive within the video games it may not win, they may have confirmed this yr’s group is healthier and never a mirage.
They nonetheless should show themselves. We nonetheless have no idea how good they’re. The subsequent three weeks will inform us every part.
