If Indiana is to make it back to the postseason for a 3rd consecutive year, an accomplishment last achieved by the Hoosiers in the late 80s, then they’re going to have to navigate a brutal next month-and-a-half on their schedule.

Indiana’s next 5 opponents are at least receiving votes in the latest AP Poll, with 4 of them being ranked: Penn State (4), Ohio State (11), Michigan (14) and Michigan State (17); Maryland is receiving votes (and sitting in 27th). The 5 have a combined record of 19-1, with the only loss being OSU’s to Oregon. It’s not as if the 2-2 Hoosiers are unaccustomed to playing ranked opponents this season, having already faced — and lost to — now No. 5 Iowa and now No. 7 Cincinnati. But IU will need to reverse the losing trend if it’s to get to 6 wins.

Let’s rank the next 5 opponents, in terms of matchups and IU’s likelihood of scoring an upset.

Maryland (4-0)

Oct. 30 • College Park, Md.

The Terrapins have the weakest résumé among the next 5 Indiana opponents, with wins over West Virginia, Howard, Illinois (road) and Kent State. Yet the Hoosiers will have to play Maryland, one of the Big Ten’s surprise teams, on the road. It won’t be an easy task, especially considering IU will have faced Penn State before the bye, then Michigan State and Ohio State in the preceding weeks. How beat up will the Hoosiers be?

But while the Terrapins offense has feasted on lesser opponents, particularly through the air, they won’t find as much weakness against a Hoosiers secondary that is one of the best in the Big Ten. Led by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland has a league-best 1,413 yards passing in 4 games, but it’s run game is only 8th in the Big Ten. Indiana, which hasn’t turned teams over as much this season as last, will need to try to return to form. Tagovailoa has been secure with the ball, throwing only 1 interception in 111 passes.

Indiana hopes that Michael Penix Jr. is has fully returned to form by Game 8, because Maryland has shown to be susceptible to the pass, ranking 10th in the Big Ten in passing yardage allowed (212.5). IU has the weapons to hurt the Terps, assuming Penix and Co. build off the 373-yard performance in the win at Western Kentucky.

Michigan State (4-0)

Oct. 16 • Bloomington, Ind.

Speaking of surprise teams, there are none bigger in the Big Ten — East or West — than Michigan State, as Mel Tucker’s Spartans have climbed out of the depths of the conference to be a contender, even if only as a dark horse.

Why? Because Michigan State’s offense has gone from dormant to vibrant, as it’s averaged 35.3 points per game in its undefeated start, the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten. The Spartans have one of the best QB/RB combinations in the conference, with Payton Thorne (909 passing yards with 10 TDs and only 1 interception) and Kenneth Walker III (554 yards, 5 TDs).

Quite uncharacteristically, Indiana ranks dead last in the Big Ten in points allowed — the Hoosiers returned 9 of 11 starters off of last season’s stellar group — giving up 29.3 points per game. But it’s not giving up many yards on the ground, only 108.5 yards per game, so the Hoosiers could concentrate on slowing down Walker and trying to put the game in the hands of Thorne. MSU’s strength, at least offensively, has been in its balance.

Michigan (4-0)

Nov. 6 • Ann Arbor, Mich.

It feels like many are waiting for the bottom to fall out on Michigan, as it often has during the Jim Harbaugh Era. But will it in 2021?

Maybe we’ll know more in early November, when Indiana finishes this run against ranked (or nearly ranked) opponents. The Wolverines are winning by playing efficient, old-school Big Ten football — running the ball, not turning the ball over, and stifling teams on defense. UM allows only 11.8 points per game, having not given up more than 14 in an outing this season.

Michigan’s rushing offense, led by running backs Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins — the two have combined for 792 yards with 13 touchdowns and have only been stopped behind the line of scrimmage on one snap — is tops in the Big Ten. It averages nearly 291 yards per game, nearly 70 better than second-best Ohio State. But UM is one-dimensional, ranking second-to-last in passing yards, and maybe that sets up well for Indiana’s defense. IU linebackers Micah McFadden and Cam Jones can stack up on the line; it was the tactic Rutgers used in Week 4, holding Michigan to only 112 rushing yards, but the Scarlet Knights just didn’t score enough, losing 20-13 in Ann Arbor.

Ohio State (3-1)

Oct. 23 • Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana is banking on taking advantage of Ohio State mistakes, as it did in the near comeback last season in Columbus, when the Hoosiers almost scored the biggest upset of the college football season.

The Buckeyes have been loose with the football, at least by their standards, with 5 turnovers in 4 games.

But it’s on the other side of the ball that OSU has been particularly — and uncharacteristically — leaky. The Buckeyes are giving up 23.3 points per game, the third-worst mark in the Big Ten. They gave up 31 to Minnesota, which just scored 10 at home vs. Bowling Green, and 20 to Tulsa. Bizarrely, Ohio State has not been good, or even mediocre against the run, with its 155 yards per game allowed the second-worst in the league. And it’s given up 6 rushing touchdowns. The passing defense (No. 12 in the Big Ten) isn’t good either.

Now, IU’s offense hasn’t gotten untracked, at least until WKU Saturday. But if IU can find a similar game plan to a year ago, when it turned OSU over 3 times, then maybe it can again hang with the Buckeyes.

Penn State (4-0)

Oct. 2 • University Park, Pa.

Penn State might be the best team in the Big Ten.

Currently, it probably has the most to play for, having positioned itself early this season as the Big Ten’s best chance for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Penn State has impressed by picking up a couple of big wins in the first 4 weeks, against Wisconsin (is that really a good win?) and Auburn.

The Nittany Lions might be the most complete team in the Big Ten, not necessarily doing any one thing exceedingly well, but not having any glaring weaknesses either. It helps too that quarterback Sean Clifford is playing the best football of his career, averaging 290.5 yards per game with 8 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. And receiver Jahan Dotson is an incredible weapon, with 362 yards receiving in 4 games with 4 scores.

And IU has that thing that happened last season, which might be playing into PSU’s favor now. The Nittany Lions are plenty motivated, with the memory of their loss in Bloomington fresh in their minds. The overtime victory in the season opener, when Penix dove for the pylon and the win, vaulted IU into the national conversation and sent Penn State into a tailspin.

Now on the road, against a far improved PSU team, it’s going to be darn hard to repeat.