Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman check in from Los Angeles, where the Hoosiers will soon arrive ahead of Thursday's Rose Bowl. Indiana faces Alabama in the CFP quarterfinal. Zach and Mike break down the matchup, offer predictions and more.

Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/12/23/indiana-football-coach-curt-cignetti-alabama-kalen-deboer-career-connections-kane-wommack-nick-saban/87887446007/

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Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman check in from Los Angeles, where the Hoosiers will soon arrive ahead of Thursday's Rose Bowl. Indiana faces Alabama in the CFP quarterfinal. Zach and Mike break down the matchup, offer predictions and more.
Read: <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Findiana%2F2025%2F12%2F23%2Findiana-football-coach-curt-cignetti-alabama-kalen-deboer-career-connections-kane-wommack-nick-saban%2F87887446007%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAFerguson%40usatodayco.com%7Cf52c46b9d7f24ec3226508de473ba543%7Cbc924c8d3e164e88bf26d7fcfb14f2d5%7C0%7C0%7C639026518668127861%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=4sJCQ%2F%2FKWh1lFnR%2FdgIqIMEf3Z5gdUb0CHDyzb8y3ro%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/12/23/indiana-football-coach-curt-cignetti-alabama-kalen-deboer-career-connections-kane-wommack-nick-saban/87887446007/</a>
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Indiana Hoosiers coverage from the IndyStar and Bloomington Herald-Times.

Indiana Hoosiers coverage from the IndyStar and Bloomington Herald-Times.

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What to make of Indiana football vs Alabama in the Rose Bowl, predictions, more

Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman catch up on football's offseason reset, storylines for Curt Cignetti's team heading toward spring, Darian DeVries' bubbling resume and more.

Chapters:

0:00 -- Intro

0:53 -- Checking in with football

7:30 -- Offseason storylines

21:46 -- Hoops heading into February

32:30 -- What makes a successful first DeVries season?

Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/02/03/indiana-football-roster-khobie-martin-future-players-step-up-returning-win-coach-curt-cignetti/88478021007/

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Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman catch up on football's offseason reset, storylines for Curt Cignetti's team heading toward spring, Darian DeVries' bubbling resume and more.
Chapters:
0:00 -- Intro
0:53 -- Checking in with football
7:30 -- Offseason storylines
21:46 -- Hoops heading into February
32:30 -- What makes a successful first DeVries season?
Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/02/03/indiana-football-roster-khobie-martin-future-players-step-up-returning-win-coach-curt-cignetti/88478021007/" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="0">https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/02/03/indiana-football-roster-khobie-martin-future-players-step-up-returning-win-coach-curt-cignetti/88478021007/</a>
Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="1">https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU</a>

Mind Your Banners: Life on the bubble

Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman discuss IU football's off ramp from winning a CFP national championship into preparations for 2026, plus an important win for Darian DeVries' team over Purdue that might just have put the Hoosiers back on a path to the NCAA tournament.

Chapters: 0:00 -- Intro

1:15 -- Football finally settling down

9:01 -- How Cignetti's Hoosiers move on

12:58 -- Thoughts on how IU's roster settled out

24:03 -- Shifting to basketball, big Purdue win

33:11 -- Nick Dorn's emergence, and what IU needs from LA trip

Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/29/indiana-basketball-nick-dorn-stats-potential-coach-darian-devries-ncaa-tournament-hopes/88399661007/

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<hr>
Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman discuss IU football's off ramp from winning a CFP national championship into preparations for 2026, plus an important win for Darian DeVries' team over Purdue that might just have put the Hoosiers back on a path to the NCAA tournament.
Chapters: 0:00 -- Intro
1:15 -- Football finally settling down
9:01 -- How Cignetti's Hoosiers move on
12:58 -- Thoughts on how IU's roster settled out
24:03 -- Shifting to basketball, big Purdue win
33:11 -- Nick Dorn's emergence, and what IU needs from LA trip
Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Findiana%2F2026%2F01%2F29%2Findiana-basketball-nick-dorn-stats-potential-coach-darian-devries-ncaa-tournament-hopes%2F88399661007%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClark.Wade%40indystar.com%7Ca2988a570a944a62885808de602d611d%7Cbc924c8d3e164e88bf26d7fcfb14f2d5%7C0%7C0%7C639053945182762286%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=0VsOkLJsar40Ey02bLQoY4LL0bxU4rqlhvGQNjOlQfg%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc="">https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/29/indiana-basketball-nick-dorn-stats-potential-coach-darian-devries-ncaa-tournament-hopes/88399661007/</a>
Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU" data-ogsc="rgb(83, 132, 147)" data-linkindex="1">https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU</a>

Mind Your Banners: IU basketball back in the swing, as football finally settles down

Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman check in from Miami to try and capture what Monday night's 27-21 win over the Hurricanes, clinching the 2026 CFP national championship, means to both this team and this program.

Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/20/indiana-football-national-championship-vs-miami-curt-cignetti-jamari-sharpe-fernando-mendoza/88261018007/

Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter: https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU

Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman check in from Miami to try and capture what Monday night's 27-21 win over the Hurricanes, clinching the 2026 CFP national championship, means to both this team and this program.
Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Findiana%2F2026%2F01%2F20%2Findiana-football-national-championship-vs-miami-curt-cignetti-jamari-sharpe-fernando-mendoza%2F88261018007%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClark.Wade%40indystar.com%7C6b9f85fcc1944ec71ab208de5844f510%7Cbc924c8d3e164e88bf26d7fcfb14f2d5%7C0%7C0%7C639045250351154226%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=lFg4MekXvFj8ik0mp%2Fp7IiWjifKSoqw0I4k5Q2j5qJ4%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc="">https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/20/indiana-football-national-championship-vs-miami-curt-cignetti-jamari-sharpe-fernando-mendoza/88261018007/</a>
Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU" data-ogsc="rgb(83, 132, 147)" data-linkindex="1">https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU</a>

What to make of Indiana football vs Alabama in the Rose Bowl, predictions, more

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