#7 Indiana put the college football world on notice during its 63-10 domination of Illinois in Week 4. The win was enough to vault the program into postseason contender status. However, the Hoosiers will need to take out tougher opponents to be taken seriously as a championship-caliber squad.
There won’t be a better opportunity for IU than this weekend. The Hoosiers will get to take on #3 Oregon in an early Big Ten litmus test. Can the Ducks secure another win to cement their place atop the conference? Below is my prediction and pick for College Football Week 7’s game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Oregon Ducks.
Oregon enters this contest as seven-point favorites (-115) over Indiana, with the over/under set at 53.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Indiana vs. Oregon prediction, preview
Earning a victory at Autzen Stadium is no easy task. Oregon has reeled off 18 straight wins there, the nation’s longest active win streak. It helps that the Ducks are led by one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Dante Moore. The sophomore has been phenomenal thus far, throwing for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns to just one interception. Last week’s game vs. Penn State may have been his best performance yet. Moore threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns on an efficient 74.4% passing. This is a diverse aerial attack; four different players have recorded at least 15 catches and 197 yards.
Statistics don’t tell the whole story for this Oregon offense. Prior to Penn State, the program won by at least three scores in all of their contests. As a result, the Ducks have only averaged 30.3 pass attempts per game. Long story short, Moore has put up impressive numbers in limited action. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the Big Ten.
Still, it’s not as if this weekend’s game will be a walk in the park. Indiana’s defense has been tenacious, surrendering the third-fewest points per game in college football (9.6 PPG). That includes allowing a combined 25 points to Iowa and Illinois. Head coach Curt Cignetti loves to ramp up pressure. The Hoosiers have recorded 16.0 sacks and a Big Ten-leading 49.0 tackles for loss as a team. Leading the way is linebacker Isaiah Jones (3.5 Sk, 8.0 TFL).
IU doesn’t need to be great on defense; holding Oregon to under 30 points wouldn’t be the worst result. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, their offense is more than capable of taking over a game. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, much like Moore, is a legitimate NFL prospect. The junior has thrown for 1,208 yards and 16 touchdowns to just one interception. If Indiana had found itself in more tightly contested games, those numbers would be even better. Mendoza leads all of college football with an eye-popping 197.8 quarterback rating.
Indiana vs. Oregon pick, best bet
Both of these schools wield can’t-miss quarterbacks and terrific pass catchers. Still, the key to winning this matchup will be on the ground. Can either offense keep their opponent off the field? Oregon’s offensive line is terrific, creating wide-open lanes for an underrated running back room. However, four different Hoosiers have gained at least 200 rushing yards this season. If Indiana can churn out some clock, they should find a way to stay in this game.
