No. 10 Indiana football finally did it. And it was about time.
Since 2017, Indiana has lost to Purdue five of the six times the two teams have met for the Old Oaken Bucket. But on Saturday, the Hoosiers put all of that behind them as they dismantled the Boilermakers 66-0, solidifying their playoff resume at 11-1 while simultaneously giving Purdue its worst loss in program history.
This rivalry victory is not the only way the Hoosiers have reinvented themselves in year one of the Curt Cignetti era. This season alone, Indiana has the most wins (11), largest point differential (+344) and most 40-point games (8) in school history. If that isn’t enough for a team in one of the top two conferences in college football to make the College Football Playoff, then the sport is broken beyond repair.
There were plenty of bright spots for the Hoosiers in their momentum-building victory. Sixth-year senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke collected his first game with more than 300 yards passing since Oct. 5 against Northwestern, as he finished 23-of-31 for 349 yards and a season- high six passing touchdowns. His connection with junior wideout Elijah Sarratt seemed to get right back to where it once was as he went for 165 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.
“We’ve been practicing hard and wanting to come out and get back to the offense that we’re used to,” Rourke said postgame. “Hopefully it’ll be momentum carrying into whatever’s next for us.”
The running game had been struggling in the last few outings, with just 245 yards total in their last three games. Against Purdue on Saturday, the Hoosiers combined for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
But at the end of the day, Indiana has hit yet another peak as it will now be at the mercy of the CFP committee. There have been a lot of cases against the Hoosiers, especially since their road loss against No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 23, but the wins do not lie.
Of Indiana’s 12 opponents, seven suffered their worst losses of the season to the Hoosiers, including teams like Nebraska and Michigan State. While you can point your finger and say Indiana hasn’t played a hard schedule, no one in the country has a higher point differential than the Hoosiers.
Sixth-year senior offensive lineman Mike Katic wore a massive smile across his face during postgame interviews after the victory. In his previous three seasons with the Hoosiers, Katic had won a combined nine games with 27 losses. Since deciding to come back for his sixth year, he has been a massive part of the record-breaking 11-win season.
“It’s the greatest feeling ever playing for this university and playing for the fans,” he said. “Everything has just meant so much to me.”
Seeing the joy and gratitude on Katic’s face after the game made this entire season feel real. From begging fans to come to games at all costs, to 53,000 white towels waving just two days removed from Thanksgiving, Katic and company are going to secure the first- ever playoff bid in program history. He is the perfect face of this Indiana football renaissance, and there is arguably no one in college football that deserves to play December football more than him.
From week one against Florida International University, to shutting out Purdue in the final week of the regular season, Indiana has gone through so much growth in its greatest season ever. In just three months, an unranked team projected to finish as in the bottom two of the Big Ten, to ESPN giving the Hoosiers a 99% chance of making the playoffs.
“Even if on paper we weren’t the most talented team going into the season, we had the most heart,” Rourke said. “Every game we’ve just wanted to prove that we belonged.”
They’ve done more than prove they belong — they’ve proven they deserve to step on the field with any team in the country. Even with the Ohio State loss, which was inflated by two miscues on special teams and a touchdown in garbage time, Indiana football would be a consensus top five team in college football if it had a different logo next to its name, or if it played a little farther south.
Selection Sunday will be upon us in just one week on Dec. 8. It is then that the committee will ultimately decide if the Hoosiers have done enough to be included in the 12-team playoff bracket. However, no matter what happens next Sunday, this football season has been magical for everyone that has had the privilege of putting their fingerprints on it – on or off the field - and no one can ever take that away.
“I’m just so happy for the fans and the alumni and people that are coming back for games and traveling for games,” Katic said. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted and I’m just so happy for the future of Indiana football.”
The future is bright, and it starts on Dec. 8 at noon. Indiana players and coaches will be watching conference championship week from the comfort of their own homes. With plenty left to unfold, the Hoosiers likely have more meaningful football games to play.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
