USC brings Ohio State win to Bloomington

Indiana's defense, USC's even ledger

Against Power 4 opponents, Indiana is +51 in point margin, 18th nationally and third in the Big Ten. USC is even in the same games, 31st nationally and ninth in the Big Ten. Indiana is 5-1 in those games.

Indiana allows 16.0 points and 287 yards a game, fourth and third nationally. USC allows 27.0 points and 384 yards, ranking 41st and 38th.

The offenses sit closer together. USC scores 27.0 points a game, 29th nationally, and Indiana scores 24.5, 36th. Indiana gains 399 yards a game to USC's 379.

Indiana plays cleaner. The Hoosiers are penalized 39 yards a game, 12th nationally, against 55 for USC. Indiana is +1 in turnover margin, and USC is even.

Where it's decided

When USC has the ball, it is strength on strength: the USC passing game against the Indiana pass defense. Against Power 4 opponents, USC throws for 272 yards a game, second in the Big Ten, and succeeds on 48.7% of passes, eighth nationally. Indiana's pass defense allows success on 35.5% of passes, fifth nationally. Against top-25 offenses Northwestern and Ohio State, Indiana allowed success on 39.7% of snaps, against 31.9% in all its games.

USC's Jayden Maiava leads the Big Ten with 2,525 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, with 5 interceptions and a 66.9 completion percentage. USC returned 97% of its 2025 passing yards. Trent Mosley leads USC with 512 receiving yards, shares the team lead with 32 catches and has 6 touchdowns. USC's Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is second on the team with 443 receiving yards and has 4 touchdown catches.

Indiana's Tobi Osunsanmi leads the Hoosiers with 10 sacks, tied for second in FBS. Osunsanmi also leads the Big Ten with 15.5 tackles for loss.

The USC run game faces a steeper climb. USC runs for 108 yards a game, 14th in the Big Ten, and Indiana allows 75, fourth nationally, with success on 31.4% of runs, first nationally. King Miller leads USC with 681 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns, and Waymond Jordan is second with 335.

When Indiana has the ball, it leans on the run. The Hoosiers rush for 169 yards a game against Power 4 opponents, third in the Big Ten, and USC allows 139 yards and success on 45.5% of runs, 15th in the Big Ten.

Turbo Richard leads Indiana with 745 rushing yards, third in the Big Ten, and leads the conference at 6.6 yards a carry. Lee Beebe Jr. is second on the team with 715 yards on 134 carries.

Indiana throws for 230 yards a game, ninth in the Big Ten. Josh Hoover leads Indiana with 1,860 passing yards, and his 19 touchdown passes tie for second in the Big Ten against 2 interceptions. Charlie Becker leads Indiana with 875 receiving yards, third in the Big Ten, and 50 catches, and his 9 touchdown catches tie for third in the conference. Nick Marsh has 669 yards and leads the Big Ten at 17.6 yards a catch.

Luke Wafle leads USC with 3 sacks, and Deven Bryant leads the Trojans with 55 tackles.

USC on the road against the top 10

USC's last road win over a top-10 team came in 2016, against No. 4 Washington. USC is 0-4 in those games since, and No. 6 Indiana is the next one.

Indiana reloaded after 16-0

Indiana went 16-0 in 2025, scoring 41.6 points and allowing 11.7 a game. The Hoosiers returned 0% of their 2025 passing yards, 21% of their rushing yards and 22% of their receiving yards. Transfers filled the gaps: Hoover arrived from TCU with 3,472 passing yards, Richard brought 749 rushing yards, and Shazz Preston and Marsh brought 723 and 662 receiving yards. The Indiana offense succeeds on 41.1% of snaps against Power 4 opponents, down from 50.4% last season.

Indiana holds on to leads

Indiana has won its last 31 games when leading at halftime, dating to 2024. In its last game, against Minnesota, Indiana extended a 29-game win streak against unranked teams, dating to 2024. Indiana's wins over Michigan and Minnesota both went to overtime, and Indiana is 4-1 in one-score games. USC is 3-0 in one-score games.

New faces on both sidelines

Curt Cignetti has never faced USC in 5 seasons as an FBS head coach, and Lincoln Riley has never faced Indiana in 10. Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has had defenses rank in the top 5% of FBS in EPA a play in a typical season across 4 seasons as a coordinator, with a best of No. 4 at James Madison in 2022.

Osunsanmi transferred from Kansas State, and Marsh came from Michigan State. Indiana also added offensive lineman Joe Brunner from Wisconsin and cornerback A.J. Harris from Penn State. USC brought in cornerback Jontez Williams from Iowa State, edge rusher Zuriah Fisher from Penn State, defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren from Michigan State and tight end Tucker Ashcraft from Wisconsin.

Indiana had 8 players drafted, including 2 receivers, a quarterback, a tight end and a center, with 3 in the first two rounds. Fernando Mendoza went first overall to Las Vegas, Omar Cooper Jr. went 30th to New York and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds went 50th to New York.

USC had 3 players drafted, 2 receivers and a safety. Makai Lemon went 20th overall to Philadelphia, and Ja'Kobi Lane went in the third round to Baltimore. Those two took 1,901 of USC's 2025 receiving yards with them, and USC returns 23% of that total.

Hoover's status unsettled

Update, Sat, Nov 14, 12:30 PM CT: Since Friday's report, Indiana upgraded A.J. Harris (probable to available); downgraded Rolijah Hardy (questionable to out). On the latest report, Indiana lists Turbo Richard, Rolijah Hardy, Kellan Wyatt and 1 other as out or doubtful. USC lists Corey Simms, Terrell Anderson, Hayden Treter and 5 others as out or doubtful, and Walter Matthews as a game-time decision.

Cignetti said Nov. 9 that Hoover is "on the mend" from an arm injury and resting, and he would not name a starter for USC, according to ESPN.

Indiana receiver Davion Chandler and defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt were listed Out on the Big Ten availability report for the Minnesota game.

USC has never lost to Indiana

USC leads the series 4-0 since 1953 and has never lost to Indiana. The teams last met in 1982, a 28-7 USC win at home.

That 1982 USC team went 8-3 with three All-Americans: offensive linemen Bruce Matthews and Don Mosebar, a unanimous pick, and middle guard George Achica. Indiana went 5-6 that season.

Three things to watch

Indiana's quarterback: Cignetti would not name a starter on Nov. 9, and Hoover leads the Hoosiers in passing yards.

USC's path, finishing drives: against Power 4 opponents, USC scores on 50.0% of its drives, first in the Big Ten, and it has scored an offensive touchdown in 103 straight games. Indiana stops 70.8% of the drives it faces, eighth nationally.

The red zone: against Power 4 opponents, USC scores on 81.5% of trips, 13th in the Big Ten, and Indiana allows scores on 75.0%, 13th nationally. Indiana scores on 79.2% of its own trips, 16th in the Big Ten, and USC allows scores on 88.5%.