2019 Indiana Hoosiers College Football Preview

The Indiana Hoosiers haven’t won a bowl game in 27 seasons, and they haven’t even been bowl eligible in the last few seasons.

The Hoosiers have had little trouble navigating through the non-conference part of their schedule, but winning Big Ten games has been a challenge.

It doesn’t help that the Hoosiers play in the toughest division in the league.

The Hoosiers have a terrific head coach in Tom Allen, and he has signed one of the top recruiting classes in IU history.

Indiana also has almost 75 percent of their team back from a season ago, and expectations are high in the Hoosier State. Indiana has plenty of reasons to be optimistic, but they still have to win some games. 

Indiana Offense

The Indiana offense should be much improved this season after bringing in a stud transfer. Jack Tuttle comes to Indiana after just one season at Utah, but was once a highly-touted recruit. Michael Penix Jr. and Peyton Ramsey should also compete for the starting QB job, but Tuttle gives the Hoosiers the best chance to win.

Stevie Scott ran for over 1,000 yards a season ago, and is poised for another big season in the backfield for the Hoosiers. Freshman Sampson James is extremely talented and will likely get some carries as well. The problem for the Hoosiers is that their offensive line is bad, and there isn’t much talent coming in. 

Indiana Defense

Indiana really struggled on defense in Big Ten games, allowing more than 30 points in seven of nine conference games. The Hoosiers will return all but two defensive starters from last season, and the defense should be a strength of this team. Coordinator Kane Wommack has worked hard with this defensive group, and this should be a good season for his group.

The Indiana secondary returns all of the starters from a season ago, but that might not be a good thing. The Hoosiers gave up close to 250 yards per game through the air last season, and they need to be much better on that side of the ball in 2019.

Indiana Special Teams

The Hoosiers are pretty well set on special teams this season, and that should help them in close games. Logan Justus went 15-18 last season as the Indiana place kicker, and is one of the best in the conference. Indiana will also feature two of the best kick returners in the country this season.

2019 Indiana Hoosiers Football Outlook

Playing in the Big Ten’s East Division doesn’t make things any easier for the Hoosiers, and there are plenty of losses built into their schedule. Indiana has started to earn the respect of their peers in recent years, but they still have a long ways to go. The Hoosiers have some interesting pieces coming into the season, but they are lacking talent and depth at several key positions. 

Oddsmakers have set the 2019 win total at 6.5 for the Indiana Hoosiers, which shows the amount of respect they have built up around the country. Indiana should have another fine season, but the UNDER 6.5 wins is the correct pick for the 2019 Indiana football team.

Don’t forget to check out our NCAA College Football Betting Guide to stay up to date on all of the happenings in College Football throughout the 2019 Season.