It’s quite a feat to transform the Indiana Hoosiers from a struggling 3-9 team to an undefeated 10-0 powerhouse, something worthy of praise. However, this success seems to be causing some issues for Curt Cignetti and his team. The credit for the team’s overall success is being attributed more to their weak opponents than their own gameplay. Nevertheless, it appears that one of their opponents is proving to be stronger than initially perceived.

On the November 19 episode of The Ruffino & Joe Show, they posted a short clip discussing the notion that Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers are not playing against a tough opponent this season and their record is a mere result of their easy schedule. However, breaking the myth, host Joe DeLeone gave a totally new perspective to it, saying, “I feel like we’re just quick to assume that just because Michigan’s bad, that’s not a difficult matchup for Indiana.” Well, Michigan might not be the strongest team Indiana faced, but they still gave them a close competition of 20-15.

Moreover, the Michigan Wolverines are currently standing on a 5-5 score with just one game remaining to make them bowl-eligible. It’s not like everything about this program is bad, and even Michigan has displayed a strong game against the USC Trojans and has also faced three top-5 teams—Oregon, Texas, and Indiana—that justify their struggle in the game. Even the host highlighted the same fact, saying, “Teams all throughout the year have been slipping up against lesser opponents and still finding ways to win, but because it’s Indiana, we don’t want to give them credit for those instances.”

However, the question still remains the same: Michigan might not be that bad, but it’s still an unranked team this season, and you can’t ignore the fact that Indiana has yet to face one. Now that they are just two games away from achieving their ultimate goal, will Curt Cignetti’s team be able to maintain their undefeated record in the season?

Can Cignetti’s Hoosiers keep their perfect season going?

Well, there has been a lot of fuss around the Indiana Hoosiers not facing a tough opponent this season, and their success totally depends on the fact that they got lucky in terms of the matchups arranged for them. However, this week will be a deciding factor in whether this thought process has any merit or if it’s just a mere assumption. The team only has two games remaining in the regular season, and this weekend they are going to go up against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are standing in the No. 2 position in the playoffs above Indiana.

This is a very crucial game for Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers, as the Oregon Ducks are the only teams remaining undefeated among the Big Ten, and their win against the Buckeyes will determine if they can play in the championship game or not. And at this stage, losing is not an option for them. But knowing the fact that the Buckeyes are the second-ranked team in total defense with just 250 yards allowed per game, it’s going to be a challenging task for the team to fight against them. We’ll see if Indiana can take them down, proving they can compete against stronger opponents or confirming the belief that they can’t.