CRAWFORD | Indiana has devoured its cupcake buffet. Is it ready for the Big Ten? | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — There are box scores, and then there are crime scenes. This was the latter.

Indiana 73, Indiana State 0.

That’s not a football score. That’s a mercy rule in search of a higher power. Or at least a halftime intervention.

Indiana bought this game, by God, and they got their money’s worth. At halftime, the No. 22-ranked Hoosiers led 45-0. Total yards: Indiana 383, Indiana State 10. They threw the ball 20 times and ran 17. It took the Sycamores 26 minutes of game time to get a first down.

By then, it was halfway to bedtime. You’ve seen spring games that were more competitive.

Omar Cooper Jr. did his best Marvin Harrison Jr. impression with 10 catches, 207 yards, and four touchdowns — in less than three quarters. Fernando Mendoza went 19-of-20 for 270 yards and five touchdowns like he was throwing against air, which, to be fair, many times he was.

It was impressive. It was dominant. It was also — let’s be honest — meaningless.

Because Indiana didn’t just schedule Indiana State. It bought out of games against Louisville and Virginia to do it. Games that might’ve hurt. Games that might’ve helped. Games that might’ve told us something.

Instead, we got Kennesaw State, then Indiana State, and Indiana dominated the dojos to the tune of 129-9 against teams with the combined defensive sturdiness of wet tissue paper.

Next week, it gets Illinois. Ranked No. 9 and at least road and Power 4 tested after a 45-19 win at Duke.

Maybe Indiana is for real. Maybe this team — full of returning starts and confidence — just needed a couple of exhibition blowouts to gear up. Maybe Omar Cooper is truly uncoverable. We know Elijah Sarratt is really good. Mendoza is an NFL prospect. Maybe just letting them ease in and get timing down is a smart thing.

There can be no question, Cignetti knows what he’s doing. What are you going to say about a guy who gets to Indiana and leads thenm straight to the College Football Playoff. That kind of makes you second-guess proof. And it should.

But there’s also the risk that the Hoosiers just spent two weeks doing skeleton drills in full pads, tuning up their highlight reels and piling up stats against hopeless opponents instead of sharpening themselves for the Big Ten.

Next weekend, we get to see what happens when somebody finally hits back.

That’s the question Indiana now has to answer. You don’t get better by playing the JV. You get better by exposing yourself to real football. Playing Louisville, or Virginia, or anyone who can actually complete a forward pass.

Cignetti's crew looked crisp. Focused. Ferocious on defense. He harped on “urgency” and “mental intensity” — and they showed both. His team played with purpose and discipline. Almost no one let up. But how much resistance does a hammer need from the nail?

The coach acknowledged after the game that his team just had more talent.

“I think we got better Week 2,” Cignetti said. “I think we got better Week 3. I don't think defense gave up a first down until four minutes to go in the second quarter and then we pulled them pretty early in the third. … I didn't see anybody relaxing at any point in the game, coaches or players.”

That’s a key point. Because if ever there were a game for relaxing, this was it. That’s not in Cignetti’s DNA. And his players followed that lead. And that's a good sign.

Indiana’s defensive line piled up five sacks and 16 tackles for loss. That’s not swarming. That’s a controlled demolition.

The Hoosiers used three quarterbacks. Scored touchdowns on 10 of 13 drives. Went 9-for-9 in the red zone. They even cleaned up the penalties after a shaky start.

But what they didn’t get was pushed. Or tested. Or even slightly unsettled.

There will be time for that. What Cignetti wanted to see was his team executing cleanly in a game setting and building a bit of cohesion and confidence. That mission is accomplished.

Indiana is 3-0. It has outscored opponents 156-23. That’ll light up the AP Poll and the comment sections.

It’s been fun. But next week, the guys in the other helmets start hitting back.