The Indiana Hoosiers had been essentially the most polarizing staff in school soccer through the 2024 season. Regardless of their spectacular 11-1 common season report, there was a major debate as to how good they really had been and in the event that they had been deserving of a playoff spot given how weak their total schedule was.
Not solely did they play a gentle non-conference schedule, their Large Ten schedule solely featured one ranked staff — Ohio State — that soundly beat them.
This identical storyline and narrative are going to be taking part in out this season.
This time, nonetheless, we’d get some extra particular solutions on how good Indiana really 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 night time 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However then you definately dig in deeper and see the three groups the Hoosiers have performed are Outdated Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State.
Which isn’t all that completely different from final yr’s non-conference schedule to open the season of Florida Worldwide, Western Illinois and Charlotte.
Now, Indiana is much from the one energy convention staff that masses its non-conference schedule with gentle 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 numerous the highest groups, and it is not a program that has a monitor report of sustained success. Or success in massive video games in opposition to high opponents.
It made all the pieces across the program a thriller and an intense debate as as to whether or not it was all a mirage.
Ultimately, 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’d 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’ll 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 staff that received eight video games a yr in the past.
None of these groups had 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, shouldn’t be aggressive, there may be going to be no arguing or polarization in discussing what the staff 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 no less than aggressive within the video games it may not win, they may have confirmed this yr’s staff is best and never a mirage.
They nonetheless must show themselves. We nonetheless have no idea how good they’re. The following three weeks will inform us all the pieces.
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