The Indiana Hoosiers have been probably the most polarizing crew in faculty soccer in the course of the 2024 season. Regardless of their spectacular 11-1 common season report, there was a big 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 smooth non-conference schedule, their Large Ten schedule solely featured one ranked crew — Ohio State — that soundly beat them.
This identical storyline and narrative are going to be enjoying out this season.
This time, nevertheless, we would get some extra particular solutions on how good Indiana truly 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 you then 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 totally 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 crew that masses its non-conference schedule with smooth opponents. Getting wins is what issues, and no one 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 prevented quite a lot of the highest groups, and it is not a program that has a monitor report of sustained success. Or success in large video games in opposition to prime opponents.
It made every thing 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 loads about Indiana within the coming weeks
The excellent news for Indiana, and maybe the faculty soccer playoff choice committee, is that we would 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 crew 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 embrace 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, just isn’t aggressive, there may be going to be no arguing or polarization in discussing what the crew 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 at the least aggressive within the video games it may not win, they’ll have confirmed this yr’s crew is healthier and never a mirage.
They nonetheless need to show themselves. We nonetheless have no idea how good they’re. The subsequent three weeks will inform us every thing.
