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Highlights ESPN college football writers identified key points of improvement for each of their top-25 teams’ defenses on Monday. ESPN’s Jake Trotter noted that Indiana’s one “flaw” — allowing a 61.5% completion rate — hasn’t hurt them, as they’re giving up just 5.54 yards per attempt. The Hoosiers rank second nationally in defensive EPA and have yet to allow more than 13 offensive points in a Big Ten game. Indiana’s defense has been so dominant in 2025 that even ESPN analysts are struggling to find an area for improvement. In ESPN’s latest power rankings breakdown, a panel of college football writers and analysts described how each top team could get better defensively. When it came to No. 2 Indiana, Jake Trotter admitted there wasn’t much to critique. “The Hoosiers, who rank second nationally in defensive EPA, have imposed their will on defense, especially in Big Ten play,” Trotter wrote. “No Big Ten offense has scored more than 13 points against the Hoosiers.” Indiana’s defensive production backs that up. The Hoosiers lead the nation with 29 sacks and rank third in fewest points allowed per game (10.9). Meanwhile, challenging opponents like Illinois, Iowa and Oregon have each failed to find consistent offensive success against them. Trotter’s one note of imperfection was that Indiana’s opponents are completing 61.5% of their passes, a middle-of-the-pack number in the Big Ten. But even that “flaw” has proven meaningless. The Hoosiers are allowing just 5.54 yards per attempt, the 10th-best mark in the country. In other words, completions might be happening, but they’re going nowhere. “So, where can Indiana improve? Well, the Hoosiers are allowing opponents to complete 61.5% of their passes, which is middle of the road in the Big Ten,” Trotter wrote. “But even that hasn’t really hurt the Hoosiers, who are giving up just 5.54 yards per passing attempt, the 10th-best number in the country. In other words, Indiana might be giving up completions — but it’s not going for many yards anyway.” At 8-0 and sitting second behind Ohio State in both ESPN’s power rankings and the AP poll, Indiana’s defense remains the foundation of its title hopes. According to ESPNBet, the Hoosiers now hold the second-best odds to win the national championship at +600. Indiana will be in action again on Saturday as they travel to take on Maryland. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
