CrimsonCast

It’s Indiana-Ohio State week, but there’s plenty happening across IU Athletics before the Hoosiers kick off one of the biggest football games of the season.

Galen Clavio starts with Indiana men’s soccer, which remains unbeaten in Big Ten play and in strong position for the conference title race. He also checks in on field hockey, women’s soccer and Indiana volleyball, which slipped after losses to Nebraska and USC but still has a strong NCAA Tournament résumé with road opportunities ahead at Oregon and Washington.

On the basketball side, Galen revisits IU’s 96-68 exhibition win over Butler, the rebounding improvement, Markus Burton, Samet Yigitoglu, Darren Harris and the looming exhibition against North Carolina. He also discusses the ongoing NCAA eligibility mess and why court rulings involving players such as Stephen Daley, Kellen Wyatt, Avery Tatum and Sam Alexis remain so difficult to untangle.

Then it’s football: Indiana is unbeaten, Ohio State has already lost once, yet much of the national conversation still assumes the Buckeyes are clearly superior. Galen explains why that perceived disrespect may be exactly what Curt Cignetti wants entering Saturday.

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Indiana basketball has played its first exhibition of the 2026-27 season, and Andrew Garrison joins Galen Clavio to break down what stood out from IU’s win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The biggest takeaway was exactly what Darian DeVries wanted to see: rebounding. After struggling badly on the glass last season, Indiana’s rebuilt frontcourt showed much more size and physicality, with Samet Yigitoglu creating problems inside and the Hoosiers controlling the boards.

The freshman class also provided plenty to discuss. Trevor Manhertz may have been the biggest surprise, showing shooting touch, rebounding ability and the versatility to earn meaningful minutes. Andrew also evaluates Prince-Alexander Moody, Vaughn Karvala and the role each freshman could eventually play.

There’s also a closer look at Markus Burton, Indiana’s perimeter defense, some early concerns surrounding Darren Harris, and what IU still needs to learn before its next exhibition against North Carolina.

Plus, Galen and Andrew briefly discuss Curt Cignetti’s unusually revealing comments ahead of Indiana football’s showdown with Ohio State.

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Indiana football escaped Lincoln with a 20-17 win over Nebraska, but the game also exposed several issues the Hoosiers will need to address before a massive top-five matchup with Ohio State.

Galen Clavio revisits the Nebraska game with a closer look at what changed after reviewing the film and advanced numbers. The environment in Lincoln mattered: crowd noise disrupted Indiana’s communication, strong winds affected the passing game, and Nebraska committed heavily to taking away Turbo Richard, Lee Beebe Jr. and IU’s rushing attack.

Galen explains why the run-game struggles were more complicated than simply poor blocking, what Josh Hoover needs to do in Indiana’s RPO game, and how those lessons could carry directly into Ohio State.

There’s also a deep dive into snap counts and personnel, including increased roles for Jacob Savage, Blake Smith, A.J. Harris and Trevor Gibbs, plus the latest on Indiana’s secondary and defensive front.

Finally, Galen compares Hoover’s first six games with Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza — and the numbers may surprise some IU fans.

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Indiana football is 6-0 after a dramatic 20-17 comeback win at Nebraska, and Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield break down how the Hoosiers survived their toughest test of the season.

Nebraska controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes, shut down Indiana’s running game and built a 17-6 fourth-quarter lead. Then everything changed. Josh Hoover hit Nick Marsh for a 75-yard touchdown, Indiana’s defense continued its second-half adjustment, and Marsh struck again for the game-winning score.

Galen and Scott examine why Curt Cignetti, Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan deserve so much credit for the in-game adjustments, how Indiana changed its approach to Anthony Colandrea, and why the Hoosiers’ ability to avoid turnovers and limit mistakes continues to separate them in close games.

They also dig into IU’s offensive-line issues, field-position problems, A.J. Harris’ return, the defensive front and the unanswered questions that remain before Ohio State comes to Bloomington for a top-five matchup.

Plus: Recite the Drives, Galen’s first-hand experience inside Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, and a guest review of the road trip from his daughter.

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Indiana is undefeated, Nebraska is undefeated, and the Hoosiers are laying 7.5 in Lincoln. It’s officially getting serious.

On this week’s CrimsonCASH, Scott and James break down Indiana-Nebraska, explain why they like IU to handle business on the road, and build an all-Hoosiers Hot Streak featuring Charlie Becker, an alternate IU spread, and the Indiana team total. Then it’s around the Big Ten for picks, questionable parlays, and another attempt to keep Keegan fed with Slice of the Pie. 

Episode highlights:

• Indiana at Nebraska: Can IU cover 7.5 in Lincoln?
• James predicts a 30-17 Hoosiers win
• Charlie Becker anytime TD + the all-IU Hot Streak
• Iowa-Washington and a potential low-scoring battle
• UCLA getting 11.5 at Oregon
• USC-Penn State and why both guys like the Trojans
• Minnesota laying less than a field goal at Purdue
• Ohio State-Maryland ahead of IU-Ohio State week
• The Stupid Parlay of the Week returns
• Why “Gambling with Grok” is officially over
• Georgia-Bama gets the Slice of the Pie treatment
• IU-Nebraska anytime TD options

The Hoosiers have a massive opportunity before Ohio State comes to Bloomington. Does IU cover in Lincoln? Drop your score prediction and best bet in the comments.

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Indiana football is in Lincoln for a major road test against Nebraska, and Galen Clavio is joined by Kamady Rudd for a lighter CrimsonCast look at what it feels like to be the defending national champions — and how much the culture around IU football has changed.

Galen shares impressions from Indiana’s trip to Rutgers and the very different atmosphere surrounding Nebraska football. The conversation turns to the pressure that comes with being the team everyone wants to beat, why Northwestern’s close game with IU may look different in hindsight, and how the transfer portal and NIL era have made early-season judgments harder than ever.

They also talk about Nebraska volleyball, the significance of Tyrese Haliburton showing up at an IU volleyball match, and Indiana Athletics becoming increasingly connected to broader pop culture and campus life.

Plus: SEC-style tailgate fashion, sorority social media, a callback to Purdue’s infamous comments about Indiana — and another CrimsonCast Dog of the Week.

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Indiana football takes its 5-0 record to Nebraska, and this CrimsonCast preview digs into the statistical matchup, the Cornhuskers’ biggest threats and the areas that could decide IU’s toughest road test of the season.

Galen Clavio starts by comparing Indiana’s first five games of 2026 with last season’s championship team. Despite some early criticism, the numbers tell a much more encouraging story: IU is generating explosive plays at a higher rate, limiting them defensively at almost the same pace as last year, and its sack production is nearly identical. The biggest statistical difference has been turnovers — and even there, Indiana has compensated by repeatedly stopping opponents on fourth down.

Then it’s on to Nebraska. Anthony Colandrea’s mobility and Kwazi Gilmer’s big-play ability provide legitimate challenges, but Indiana may have advantages with Josh Hoover, Turbo Richard, Lee Beebe Jr., Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh against the Cornhuskers’ defense.

Plus: the importance of Indiana’s pressure packages, a potentially hostile Lincoln environment, and how strong winds could dramatically affect both passing and kicking games.

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Indiana football heads to Lincoln for a matchup of 5-0 teams, and Galen Clavio is joined by Andrew Garrison and Brooks White from the Hoosier Network to break down what could be IU’s biggest test of the season so far.

The group starts with what stood out in Indiana’s 47-15 win at Rutgers: Turbo Richard’s explosive rushing, Josh Hoover finally connecting consistently downfield, and a defensive front that appears to be hitting its stride.

Then the focus shifts to Nebraska and quarterback Anthony Colandrea. His mobility creates a fascinating challenge for an Indiana defense that has occasionally struggled to finish plays against running quarterbacks. The question is whether Nebraska has enough around Colandrea to consistently stress IU — especially if the Hoosiers can contain him in the pocket and limit his connection with Kwazi Gilmer.

On the other side, Indiana’s offense may present an even bigger problem for Nebraska. Hoover looked increasingly comfortable against Rutgers, while Richard, Charlie Becker, Nick Marsh and the rest of IU’s skill talent continue to give defenses multiple problems at once.

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Indiana Athletics is entering one of its busiest stretches of the year, and this Bison Briefing covers the biggest stories across football, basketball, soccer, volleyball and more.

The headline weekend starts with Indiana football traveling to Nebraska for its toughest road environment of the season so far. Galen Clavio looks at the Cornhuskers, Indiana’s pass defense, the challenge of containing a mobile quarterback and why IU may still be holding back parts of its defensive package before Nebraska and Ohio State.

There’s also major recruiting news for both basketball programs. Darius Wabbington gives Darian DeVries and Indiana men’s basketball a five-star centerpiece for the 2027 class, while Teri Moren’s women’s program has assembled an impressive group of its own.

Elsewhere, No. 2 Indiana men’s soccer keeps rolling after wins over Maryland and Kentucky, and IU volleyball gets a sold-out home opportunity against No. 1 Nebraska before hosting USC.

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Indiana football won a national championship with a roster that, by traditional recruiting logic, should not have been anywhere close to the title. Galen Clavio and Mike Wiemuth dig into the numbers behind Curt Cignetti’s extraordinary ability to identify and develop overlooked talent — and why Indiana’s success may represent a genuine break from the way college football has historically worked.

The centerpiece is the Blue-Chip Ratio. Recent national champions typically built rosters with more than half their players coming from four- and five-star recruits. Indiana’s championship team was at just 8%. Mike then compares Cignetti’s results with NFL draft probabilities and finds an even more remarkable pattern: at James Madison, his lower-rated recruits produced NFL Draft picks at nearly 10 times the expected rate.

Galen and Mike compare that performance with coaches such as Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, James Franklin and Matt Rhule, then explore the possible explanations: elite scouting, player evaluation, mentality, development, the transfer portal and Cignetti’s unusual career path.

Is Indiana discovering a new Moneyball model for college football — or is Cignetti simply impossible to replicate?

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