After their 28-point thrashing at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday, the Hoosiers will look for as many quick fixes as possible.

But what are those?

Indiana gets a schedule reprieve in Game 2 — it’ll be a big favorite vs. Idaho in the home opener — but the slate turns into a gauntlet soon after. The Hoosiers will face a likely top-10 opponent in 3 of the next 5 weeks (Cincinnati, Penn State and Ohio State), plus a road trip to Western Kentucky and a home game vs. Michigan State, which was one of the big surprise Big Ten winners in the opening weekend.

So the time to find answers is now.

Let’s take a look at the biggest fixes needed for Tom Allen’s crew.

Fix the line

The offensive line was leaking from everywhere, raising serious questions about the shape it’s in to start this season. And considering Indiana returned more than a half dozen offensive linemen with starting experience from last year, when they were the best in the Big Ten in fewest sacks per game allowed, the sub-par effort was surprising.

Few think IU has the best O-line in the league; fewer still think it’s the worst. But it played more like the later against the Hawkeyes.

Senior Caleb Jones, who might be nursing several nagging injuries, was ineffective at left tackle, a reversal from the consistent player who came in with 18 starts over the last 2 seasons. Luke Haggard, the backup left tackle who many thought might get a starting nod, didn’t play in the game, perhaps due to his own injuries. Jones struggled, with 2 false starts and a hold, along with allowing multiple pressures and a sack. Allen briefly made a change in the second half, putting right tackle Matthew Bedford on the left and Tim Weaver, who had started at right guard, pushed out to tackle. But Allen didn’t like that mix either.

And the interior of the line had its share of issues, too. The Hoosiers have some interchangeable parts on the line, which came in handy as it battled through multiple injuries last season. Perhaps it’ll help again now as IU looks for a cohesive group of five.

Easy on Penix

Until Michael Penix Jr., can start to feel comfortable again — he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL last season — offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan needs to adjust his approach.

First: Run the ball. Easier said than done with an offensive line that failed to move Iowa, one of the best defenses in the Big Ten, off the line of scrimmage. But the Hoosiers have to find a way to establish a baseline for their offense and get into second- and third-and-manageable downs. Second: Let Penix settle in with a variety of short throws, rather than trying to bomb the ball down the field. His accuracy deep was awry, to say the least. The biggest example might have been his miss of Peyton Hendershot on the first possession of the second half, when Penix airmailed the tight end in the end zone.

Try to get Penix going early, before letting him air it out late.

Take the advice

After the game, Allen said the Hoosiers would try to move on as quickly as possible from the blowout.

“Flush it,” he said.

Good advice.

The Hoosiers can’t afford to let the hangover linger. IU will likely handle Idaho on Saturday in Memorial Stadium — the Vandals beat Simon Fraser (which is a D-II team from Burnaby, British Columbia) 68-0 Saturday — but faces a challenging slate after. It gets No. 8 Cincy, No. 19 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State in 3 of the next 5 weeks.

Clean it up

Indiana had only 7 penalties, not a cataclysmic total, but the timing frequently spelled doom.

Five of the penalties came on offense. Four of them nuked drives, with Indiana unable to convert afterward for another first down. The 5th came before a made field goal.

Having 4 drives killed by penalties is almost impossible to overcome, certainly at a quality opponent like Iowa. And IU found that out Saturday.