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As I see it, this game is HUMONGOUS for the Hoosiers.  Here are their eight remaining games sorted by my estimate of degree of difficulty from toughest to easiest:

• At #6 Oregon (I have this first because it is a West Coast road trip)
• At #3 Penn State
• At Iowa
• At Maryland
• vs Michigan State
• vs Wisconsin
• at Purdue
• vs UCLA

As a practical matter I believe that Indiana has no chance at the playoffs at 9-3.  Bama missed the playoffs at 9-3 last year, I don't think the Hoosiers are getting in with three losses.  For that matter, I'm not positive that they'd get in at 10-2.  Miami missed last year at 10-2 but their losses weren't very good.  The Hoosiers *MIGHT* get in at 10-2 if Oregon and Penn State both finished very highly ranked. 

If the Hoosiers lose in Iowa City then they can't realistically make the playoffs without a road winning in either Autzen or Happy Valley. 

On Iowa's side of things, they need wins.  After years of comically bad offenses they exploded for 38 points in Piscataway last week but they gave up 28.  Hopefully for the fighting Ferentz' the 28 points allowed to Rutgers was an aberration.  It looks like it because they held ISU to 13 and their two cupcakes to a TD each but now they are about to face an Indiana team that just dropped 63 on the Illini. 

Iowa's schedule is ROUGH.  They get PSU and Oregon at home but I don't think that will be enough.  They have road trips to Madison, LA, and Lincoln.  Wisconsin may be down but that is still a rivalry game in Camp Randall.  USC looks solid and that is a West Coast road trip and Nebraska looks solid as well.  They should beat Minnesota and Michigan State at home but even those aren't gimmies. 

If Indiana plays like they did against Illinois,  Iowa has no chance.

that's what I'm thinkin

Iowa and Illinois are similar - maybe

but, of course the games are always different

Indiana isn't going to be at home at night. Going on the road into Kinnick is a whole different deal. 

I think Indiana is pretty good, love that QB, but Illinois was insanely overrated as a top 10 team their rating was a joke from the word go. 

Don't think it'll be a 63-10 outing. Thinking it'll be a close dog fight. Illinois should prevail by 7ish imo. Vegas seems right on the money here to me. 

agreed on Kinnick
agreed on Illinois overrated - should be receiving votes like Iowa
vegas right more often than me but, .......... I'm thinking about 34-20

if it was in Indiana, I'd agree. Kinnick is a dangerous fucking place to play, and Iowa always gets some voodoo magic go their way there. imo it's the biggest nightmare stadium to go into and play in the B1G. they have beaten so many good teams there at home over the years that on paper they had zero reason of ever beating.

Better teams than this Indiana one have gotten punked down at Mordor many times over the years.

Better teams than this Indiana one have gotten punked down at Mordor many times over the years.

ha! Mordor is a great name for that place. i honestly think it's the biggest son of a bitch place to play for a visiting team in the entire B1G. like Hawk said IU's saving grace is it's afternoon game and decent weather. night game with bad weather is basically a death sentence for the visiting team.