NCAA College Football Betting Futures - Indiana Hoosiers Preview

[Shame About Ray]

It is time to start getting those college football betting juices flowing with some NCAA futures. So crack a cold one and let’s get to previewing the sports betting hungry Hoosiers in this online betting feature.

Overview

A new day has come for Indiana football as Bill Lynch has led the Hoosiers back into football relevance. The Hoosiers attended a bowl game for the first time in 14 years, won seven games and more importantly, got a win over their biggest rival, the Purdue Boilermakers.

There is some anxiety, though, as quarterback Kellen Lewis is suspended indefinitely without much explanation. He’ll probably be back soon but without Lewis, this team won’t finish above .500

Offense

Without much of a running game, Lewis was the offense last year so if he is going to miss a few games or the season, Indiana is in trouble. Lewis totaled 3779 total yards and 37 touchdowns so you do the math.

If he’s back, and my best guess is that he will be, then the explosive Hoosiers offense should be one to reckon with once again.

IU averaged over 30 points per game but will have to replace James Hardy, the school’s all-time receiver. They would also be better served finding some kind of a running game or at least a complement to Lewis.

Marcus Thigpen, who is away from spring practice because of track, is a speed demon but he isn’t a particularly good football player. He played running back last year because of his tantalizing speed but it translated into less than 600 yards rushing and no scores. Brian Payton and Demetrius McCray need to step up and support Lewis.

The wide receiver corps is deep enough to handle the loss of Hardy.

Defense

If you thought Indiana was all offense and no defense like a mid-grade Pac 10 team, think again. The Hoosiers are steady and with this overall balance, should climb the ranks in the Big Ten.

Their main stud on defense is Greg Middleton, who led college football with 16 sacks. This unit upfront for the Hoosiers is part of why the defense has now turned things around. They had the most takeaways in the Big 10 and finished with a +2 turnover margin, which was second best in the conference.

The defensive line makes the job much easier for the secondary, which has to replace two cornerbacks this year. Chris Phillips looks like a front runner for one of the starting spots and there is a spirited competition for the other opening.

Outlook

Is there a changing of the guard in the Big 10? Ohio State is still at the top but Michigan is under construction, leaving the door open for a slew of improved teams to compete with Ohio State. Illinois, Iowa and Indiana should all be in the college football betting mix.

Billy Lynch has turned around the program at Indiana and they could be a sleeper for a serious bowl this year if everything falls into place. First they have to get Lewis back from suspension, and then they have to find a decent and outside of that, just grow as a team that is learning to become a winning program.

Ohio State is not on the radar this year and with Western Kentucky, Murray State and Ball State, Indiana should be 3-0 when Michigan State comes to visit. They only have four road games this year – at Minnesota, at Illinois, at Penn State and at Purdue – so another winning season is definitely in reach.