The 2019 season was one for the history books at Indiana. Hitting the eight-win mark is extremely rare in Bloomington, yet the Hoosiers were a one point away from hanging a ninth victory in the “W” column, which would’ve been one of the best seasons in program history.

Because of last year’s success and the amount of talent and experience returning in 2020, there was a lot of excitement about IU’s potential to hit nine wins and return to a bowl game. Some of that might be tempered now, knowing that the Hoosiers have inherited a very tough eight-game schedule.

Indiana will play four teams that were ranked in the preseason Associated Press Poll — Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin. Just getting to four wins might be considered a success this fall.

Still, the Hoosiers have Michael Penix Jr. back under center, a running back room that includes Stevie Scott and Sampson James and wide receiver Whop Philyor. There’s plenty of talent to score a lot of points.

The questions come on the defensive side of the football — particularly when playing against those four ranked teams this season. If there’s improvement along the defensive line, IU could still be in for a solid season.

Here’s how ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) sees IU’s schedule playing out in 2020:

  • Oct. 24: vs. Penn State — 26.3% chance of victory
  • Oct. 31: at Rutgers — 81.4% chance of victory
  • Nov. 7: vs. Michigan — 49.8% chance of victory
  • Nov. 14: at Michigan State — 79.6% chance of victory
  • Nov. 21: at Ohio State — 8.6% chance of victory
  • Nov. 28: vs. Maryland — 90.5% chance of victory
  • Dec. 5: at Wisconsin — 16.5% chance of victory
  • Dec. 12: vs. Purdue — N/A