UI Football with a chance to make a statement against Michigan State

And yet, the most interesting note of this week's assembly seems to be that IU coach Archie Miller will be the honorary captain of the Hoosiers football match against Michigan State on Saturday.

Insider Mail: Is the 3-0 football match real? And what to expect in Hoosier Hysteria

That's what the 3-0 UI football did. Expected or not, the Hoosiers' perfect non-conference season generated enough buzz – a mixture of curiosity and hope – to push back the impending basketball season and keep fans interested in what's happening at Memorial Stadium. .

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The Hoosiers are 3-0 and a complete performance.
Jordan Guskey, IndyStar

This weekend, a team comes to town and the opportunity comes to Tom Allen's door, for Indiana to prove itself, justifies this excitement and warns the rest of the Big Ten that maybe, just maybe those whom they have accustomed to intimidation before.

"This week would be a big next step," quarterback Peyton Ramsey said. "An opportunity not only to play a good Michigan State team, but also to play Michigan State at home, and gain even more confidence during this event. It's a huge week in terms of preparation and concentration. "

Whatever the internal expectations, it's probably fair to say that Indiana has surpassed what the public has been waiting for so far. Not necessarily in the results – IU has been favored in each of his three wins – but the way they do.

Quarterback Peyton Ramsey provided a firm hand to the Hoosiers' offense. (Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)

In a 38-10 win against Ball State, the Hoosiers took 255 yards, and Ramsey completed 10 assists. Indiana at one point scored 31 unanswered points.

Michigan State will test this attack in the same way as its opponents and few opponents will.

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The Spartans could be disappointed when they leave 1-1, but no home team stops the race like Coach Mark Dantonio's coaches. The 34.5 rushing Michigan State rinks per game and 1.28 rushing yards allowed per court are both at the forefront of college football.

Dantonio is a superb coach who adopts a customary defensive hardness. His first seven are big. His defensive lines are physical. They will be wrong to confuse and confuse, but in the end, they will make you beat them.

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He did not play against MSU last year and is hungry for victory.
Jordan Guskey, IndyStar

Run the ball, and Indiana can open the parts of his game book that best suit Ramsey. Playback options, passing options, smart road combinations, and speed scans can help Hoosiers become angry with Michigan State, Number 23. But first, they have to set the race.

"Their front seven is their strong," said junior left tackle Coy Cronk. "They really have a very good front to seven, experienced guys, strong guys and strong in the middle, good linebackers. It will be a good match for us.

If the match of the IU race against Michigan State's defensive against the race is a force on the force, then the match could turn on the other side of the ball against weakness.

The young defenders of Indiana reacted quickly, but the Hoosiers are not without anxiety. They are first in the Big Ten and ninth in the defense of the passes, but penultimate in the conference against the race. Last weekend, Ball State won 204 yards against Indiana, with several explosive games.

Dantonio makes as little use of his offensive philosophy as his defensive philosophy: running downhill, establishing a physical ground game and using it to launch a passing attack led by an experienced quarterback, Brian Lewerke.

Still, the Spartans are as poor as they manage to stop the race, the last in the league with only 114 yards per game.

After a week off the state of Michigan, Indiana expects trouble there, regardless of the numbers.

"Obviously, the program still varies, they will have wrinkles and things that they try to give us," Allen said. "A typical Michigan State team, Dantonio coach: physical, fundamental, difficult. That's what they are going to be.

Saturday's most intangible question is whether it's a typical Indiana, as it was not during the first three weeks.

The Hoosiers are undefeated because they do not make mistakes. They are in the first half of the conference in terms of revenue margin, third-party conversions and penalties per match.

And this buzz has been largely organic. There have been no bold statements about this team or this game, other than that it's a Saturday night home encounter with a Big Ten ranked opponent for a rivalry trophy. There is no hypothetical match, no attempt to give it more context than it deserves.

In the past, Indiana has ended all stages, from half-time shows to special incentives for students. Once, Sports Director Fred Glass went door-to-door in the Greek row at Bloomington.

None of this here. In any case, Allen is a strong advocate of the opposite, saying this week that the next step for his team is simply to "win the Big Ten, one at a time".

This team does not behave like the one Indiana fans booked in mid-October. Through three games, he does not play either like Indiana. Saturday night we will have the clearest indication of Indiana's independence.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

INDIANA VS. NO. 23 STATE OF MICHIGAN

tipoff: 7:30 pm, Saturday, Memorial Stadium.

TV / Radio: Big Ten Network / WFNI-1070 AM, 107.5-FM.

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Cronk thinks the IU did not finish well last year against the Spartans.
Jordan Guskey, IndyStar