CrimsonCast

Indiana football gets a much-needed bye week at 8-1, but there’s no shortage of major IU Athletics storylines. Galen Clavio breaks down the first College Football Playoff rankings, Indiana’s postseason position, the football injury questions and a huge week for basketball, soccer and volleyball.

Indiana men’s soccer can secure at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship against Michigan State, while IU volleyball has a chance to clinch a spot in the inaugural Big Ten Tournament.

On the hardwood, Indiana men’s basketball opened with a 91-57 win over Eastern Illinois. Markus Burton scored 19 points, Bryce Lindsay continued his strong shooting, and the Hoosiers forced 22 turnovers in an encouraging defensive performance. Teri Moren’s women’s team also begins its season with Florida Gulf Coast and Southern Illinois.

Finally, Galen examines Indiana football’s bye week, Josh Hoover’s health, the upcoming USC game and where the Hoosiers could land in the CFP committee’s first ranking.

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Timestamps

00:31 — Bison Briefing: a huge week across IU Athletics
03:00 — Indiana soccer can clinch a Big Ten championship
05:55 — IU volleyball’s tournament opportunity
08:40 — Indiana basketball rolls Eastern Illinois 91-57
09:30 — Markus Burton, Bryce Lindsay and the defensive numbers
11:50 — Indiana women’s basketball opens its season
13:35 — Field hockey begins the Big Ten Tournament
16:55 — Indiana football’s bye week and injury questions
18:00 — Why IU desperately needs the physical and mental reset
20:00 — USC becomes a must-win after the bye
22:05 — Where Indiana could land in the first CFP rankings
26:05 — What the CFP committee’s first rankings can teach us

Indiana football is 8-1 after surviving Minnesota 23-16 in overtime, and this CrimsonCast recap digs into one of the strangest, most stressful wins of the season.

Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield break down a game Indiana nearly let slip away despite another outstanding defensive performance. The offense moved the ball more effectively than the final score suggests, but red-zone failures, special-teams mistakes and continued inconsistency kept Minnesota alive deep into the fourth quarter.

Then everything changed. Grant Wilson replaced Josh Hoover, hit Charlie Becker for a huge late completion, and connected with Becker again for the winning touchdown on the first play of overtime. Before that could happen, Paddy McAteer had to drill an extraordinary 60-yard field goal to force overtime.

The guys also tackle the looming quarterback question between Hoover and Wilson, Indiana’s ongoing run-game and special-teams problems, the advanced numbers, and what the Hoosiers must fix during a desperately needed bye week.

Plus: where Indiana now stands in the College Football Playoff and Big Ten Championship races.

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Indiana football returns to Memorial Stadium for College GameDay and a Big Ten matchup with Minnesota, looking to reach the bye week at 8-1. Galen Clavio breaks down the advanced numbers, the health of Josh Hoover, and why this could be a critical get-right opportunity for the Hoosiers’ offense.

Indiana has spent three straight weeks facing strong defenses in Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan. Against Minnesota, the biggest question is whether Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. can build on the rushing improvement at Michigan and bring explosive plays back to the offense. Better early-down success could also create easier opportunities for Hoover, Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh.

Defensively, the matchup strongly favors Indiana. Minnesota has struggled to consistently move the football, while quarterback Drake Lindsey has thrown an interception in five straight games. The Gophers have instead won through turnovers, field position and strong situational defense — making ball security and special teams especially important for IU.

Galen also discusses Hoover’s injury, the search for a third receiver between Tyler Morris and Shazz Preston, and what Minnesota’s defense can do to make this uncomfortable.

Final prediction: Indiana 24, Minnesota 6.

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🏈 Can Indiana cover a massive 20.5-point spread against Minnesota? And is Ohio State really the smart play on the road at USC?

Scott and James are back together on CrimsonCASH, breaking down another loaded weekend of Big Ten football, betting lines, potential upsets, and a few parlays that might be just crazy enough to cash.

The Hoosiers are firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation, but covering the spread has been a different story. With questions surrounding Josh Hoover’s health and Indiana’s offense, is laying three touchdowns against Minnesota asking too much?

Meanwhile, James is riding with Ohio State against USC, Northwestern is looking to take advantage of Oregon’s nightmare season, and we’ve got some interesting underdogs on the board.

🔥 THIS WEEK ON CRIMSONCASH:

🏈 Indiana vs. Minnesota — Can IU cover 20.5? Quarterback concerns, Minnesota’s vulnerable run defense, and an intriguing under.

🌰 Ohio State vs. USC — James loves the Buckeyes, even with questions at quarterback. Is USC in trouble?

👀 Northwestern vs. Oregon — Could the Wildcats pull off the outright upset in Eugene?

🌽 Washington vs. Nebraska — A Halloween night showdown in Lincoln.

🏈 More Big Ten Picks:

• Nevada vs. UCLA
• Illinois vs. Maryland
• Purdue vs. Penn State
• Wisconsin vs. Iowa
• Michigan vs. Rutgers

💰 HOOSIER HOT STREAK & CRAZY PARLAYS

James is back with an anytime touchdown pick featuring Lee Beebe Jr., plus a three-leg parlay combining Illinois, Northwestern, and an IU touchdown scorer.

We’ve also got another weekend parlay featuring North Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Georgia.

🎲 THE PEOPLE’S BET

Last week’s Houston pick didn’t get home. Can we bounce back?

This week’s matchup: Georgia vs. Florida, with the Bulldogs favored by 12.5.

Make your pick and join the conversation!

🏆 INDIANA’S CFP FUTURE

The guys also look ahead to the first CFP rankings, discuss Indiana’s national championship futures, and introduce a new betting angle for future episodes: Who’s making the playoff, and who’s getting left out?

👇 LET’S HEAR IT:

Would you lay 20.5 points with Indiana against Minnesota? And which Big Ten underdog is your favorite this weekend?

Drop your picks in the comments!

👍 Like, subscribe, and follow CrimsonCASH for weekly college football betting talk, Big Ten breakdowns, IU football coverage, and plenty of questionable parlays.

🎙️ CrimsonCASH
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Indiana basketball tips off the 2026-27 season on Monday, and Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield take a comprehensive look at Darian DeVries’ rebuilt Hoosiers — the roster, expectations, schedule and what would constitute a successful season.

The first question is bigger than any individual player: can Indiana finally outperform expectations? Galen looks back at a decade of preseason projections and explains why IU fans have become understandably cautious after years of promising offseasons that didn’t produce enough results.

Then it’s time for this roster. Markus Burton gives Indiana an experienced point guard, Bryce Lindsay adds perimeter shooting, and transfers Jaeden Mustaf, Darren Harris, Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu bring Power Conference experience, size and athleticism. Add Sam Alexis, Trent Sisley and an intriguing freshman class, and the raw materials are clearly there.

Galen and Scott also examine the critical nonconference games against Arkansas and Kentucky, Indiana’s difficult late-season Big Ten schedule, the importance of defense and rebounding, and whether IU can finally build some year-to-year roster continuity.

They finish with their record predictions — including one considerably more optimistic forecast.

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Indiana football returns home for College GameDay and a matchup with Minnesota, and Galen Clavio, Andrew Garrison and Brooks White break down what the Hoosiers need to do to reach the bye week at 8-1.

The conversation starts with Indiana’s 13-6 overtime win at Michigan and why the ugly aesthetics shouldn’t overshadow what the Hoosiers accomplished. IU won at the line of scrimmage, forced turnovers and leaned on a defense that has been exceptional during the Nebraska-Ohio State-Michigan stretch.

The bigger question remains the offense. Josh Hoover has been playing through some physical issues, explosive plays have largely disappeared, and Indiana still hasn’t consistently found rhythm against elite defenses. Minnesota presents another challenge — but its two losses also showed that the Gophers can be punished on the ground.

Can Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. get Indiana’s rushing attack rolling again? Or will Minnesota sell out against the run and force Hoover to win over the top?

Plus: Tobi Osunsanmi’s breakout season, Indiana’s defensive dominance, why the upcoming bye arrives at exactly the right time and what this game could reveal about IU’s offense before USC, Washington and Purdue.

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College GameDay is back in Bloomington for Indiana-Minnesota, and Galen Clavio and Kamady Rudd take a lighter look at another huge weekend for IU football — plus the latest bit of Hoosier social-media chaos.

The conversation starts with road-trip stories from Ann Arbor before turning to GameDay’s unusual setting at Showalter Fountain. Galen and Kamady discuss why the heart of campus could provide a spectacular backdrop, the students planning to camp out, Bloomington’s nearly perfect fall scenery and what the ESPN crew might do with the space around the Auditorium.

Then it’s time to explain “Drench Mob,” the purple social-media phenomenon that started with Indiana’s defensive players and quickly spread across the IU fan base. That leads to a look back at Shalooby’s and why Hoosier fans have become so effective at turning inside jokes into full-blown online culture.

Plus, Indiana basketball starts next week, the season suddenly feels very close, and Kramer earns the latest honor as CrimsonCast Dog of the Week.

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Indiana football is 7-1, but the offense has clearly changed over the last three games. Galen Clavio takes a deep statistical look at what’s gone wrong — and why the answer is much more complicated than simply blaming Josh Hoover.

The biggest issue starts with the running game. Indiana’s yards per carry and, especially, its yards before contact have fallen sharply against Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan. Galen breaks down the offensive line, compares the 2025 and 2026 units, and explains why improved run blocking could unlock everything else in the offense.

Then it’s on to Hoover. His efficiency has declined as opponents have blitzed more frequently and Indiana has used less play action. Galen compares Hoover’s performance with Fernando Mendoza, including how each quarterback responds to pressure and what Indiana is missing without the same level of run-game support.

The final piece is the receiving corps. Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh have been excellent, but Indiana still hasn’t found a dependable third receiver, while tight end and running back targets have dropped dramatically from last season.

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College GameDay is coming back to Bloomington for Indiana-Minnesota, highlighting another enormous weekend across IU Athletics. Galen Clavio breaks down the GameDay setup at Showalter Fountain, the importance of the Minnesota matchup and where Indiana football stands after surviving a brutal stretch against Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan.

Beyond football, Indiana men’s soccer enters the final stages of the Big Ten race with a chance to claim another conference title, while IU volleyball heads to Michigan for another challenging weekend. Indiana field hockey is also closing in on what could become a historic NCAA Tournament appearance.

Basketball season is here too. Galen reacts to Indiana men’s basketball’s 79-74 exhibition win over Western Kentucky, including strong performances from Bryce Lindsay and Sam Alexis, and looks ahead to the regular-season opener. He also previews Teri Moren’s Indiana women’s basketball team as the Hoosiers prepare for their final exhibition.

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Indiana football survived a brutal afternoon in Ann Arbor, beating Michigan 13-6 in overtime for its first win at Michigan Stadium in decades. Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield break down a game that became a showcase for the Hoosiers’ defense — and a test of Indiana’s ability to win when almost nothing works offensively.

Bryant Haines’ defense was extraordinary. Michigan managed just six points despite repeatedly getting favorable field position, while Tobias Nsonwu, Rolijah Hardy and A.J. Harris helped Indiana pressure freshman quarterback Tommy Carr and dominate in high-leverage situations.

Offensively, Josh Hoover struggled badly through the air and threw his first interception of the season, but Indiana adjusted, leaned on Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr., and ultimately trusted Hoover when it mattered most. His overtime completion and touchdown run provided the only touchdown of the game.

Galen and Scott also examine Indiana’s improved rushing performance, special-teams issues, Charlie Becker, the possibility Hoover was playing through an injury, and what the win means for IU’s Big Ten and College Football Playoff path.

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