If you were sitting in the stands at Memorial Stadium on that chilly November afternoon in 2024, you felt it. The air was different. For decades, the Indiana vs Michigan football game was basically a scheduled funeral for the Hoosiers. You showed up, watched a bunch of guys in winged helmets run for 300 yards, and went home to focus on basketball season.
But things changed. Honestly, they changed the second Curt Cignetti walked into Bloomington and told everyone he doesn't take a backseat to anybody.
That 20-15 win for Indiana wasn't just another tally in the win column. It was a program-altering earthquake. Michigan fans might tell you it was a "down year" for the defending champs, but that’s a lazy way to look at a game where the Hoosiers actually out-toughed the Wolverines in the trenches.
The Day the "Losingest" Beat the "Winningest"
People love to bring up the history. Michigan is the winningest program in the history of the sport. Indiana? Statistically, they've spent a lot of time at the bottom of the ocean. Heading into that 2024 matchup, Indiana had only beaten Michigan twice since 1988.
Think about that.
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Entire generations of IU students lived and died without seeing a win over the Wolverines. Then Kurt Rourke shows up. In the first half of that game, Rourke looked like a surgeon. He hit Omar Cooper Jr. for a 7-yard score and then found Elijah Sarratt on a beautiful 36-yard bomb.
By halftime, it was 17-3. The stadium felt like it was vibrating.
Why the Second Half Was a Nightmare
It wasn't all sunshine and tailgates. The second half was basically a 30-minute panic attack for Indiana fans. Rourke, who was playing with a recovering thumb injury, went 3-for-10 for a measly 16 yards after the break.
Michigan's defense started smelling blood. Dominic Zvada—who is basically a human cheat code at kicker—drilled a 56-yarder to make it a one-score game.
Then Kalel Mullings happened.
Mullings is a bruiser. He punched in a 1-yard touchdown with about nine minutes left. Michigan went for two to tie it. The ball literally trickled through a defender's hands. If that catch is made, we’re talking about a completely different legacy for this Indiana team. But it wasn't. Indiana held on.
What the 2024 Game Actually Meant for the Big Ten
Look, the 2024 Indiana vs Michigan football game secured Indiana’s first-ever 10-win season. That is wild. This is a school that defines success as "making a bowl game in Detroit."
Suddenly, they were 10-0.
For Michigan, it was a wake-up call that the Sherrone Moore era was going to be a massive uphill climb. They finished that game with only 69 rushing yards. When is the last time you saw a Michigan team get bullied at the line of scrimmage like that?
- Total Yards: Michigan 206, Indiana 246.
- Time of Possession: Michigan actually held the ball for 33 minutes.
- The Difference: Indiana's defense held Michigan to one touchdown on three red-zone trips.
That’s the game right there. Efficiency vs. Volume.
The 2025 Outlook: No Michigan on the Schedule?
Here is the weird part. If you’re looking for a rematch in 2025, you’re going to be waiting a while. Because of the new Big Ten expansion—thanks, Oregon and Washington—the schedules are a complete mess.
Indiana and Michigan don't play each other in 2025.
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Instead, Indiana is dealing with a brutal mid-section that includes road trips to Iowa City and Eugene, Oregon. They replaced Michigan with the Oregon Ducks. Talk about "out of the frying pan and into the fire."
The Fernando Mendoza Factor
With Kurt Rourke gone, the Hoosiers turned to Fernando Mendoza in 2025. And honestly? He’s been lights out. While the Indiana vs Michigan football game isn't happening this year, the standard set in that 2024 game is what drove them to their #3 ranking in October 2025.
Mendoza has been surgical. He put up 332 yards and four touchdowns against Michigan State recently. He’s the reason people aren't calling Indiana a "one-year wonder" anymore.
Common Misconceptions About the Rivalry
Most people think this isn't a rivalry. Technically, they’re right—it’s not "The Game" or the "Paul Bunyan Trophy." But for Indiana, Michigan is the measuring stick.
When Indiana beats Michigan, the donors actually open their wallets.
Another mistake? Thinking Indiana won because Michigan was "bad." Michigan’s defense in 2024 was still elite. They held Indiana to their lowest point total of the entire season. Indiana didn't win because Michigan tripped; they won because their defense, led by guys like Aiden Fisher, refused to break in the fourth quarter.
"It tells you a lot about the resiliency of this team... at the end of the day, they all count as one. Whether it's 72-6 or 3-2, they all count as one." — Curt Cignetti
That quote from Cignetti after the 2024 win basically sums up the new Indiana identity. They don't care about style points. They just want your soul.
How to Follow the Next Matchup
Since the 2025 schedule skipped this matchup, the next time these two meet will likely be in 2026 or 2027, depending on how the Big Ten "Flex Protect" model rotates.
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If you want to understand where these programs are headed, keep an eye on these specific indicators:
- NIL Spending: Indiana has ramped up their collective spending to keep pace with the Big Ten blue bloods.
- Red Zone Defense: Indiana's 2024 win was built on "bend but don't break."
- Transfer Portal Success: Both Moore and Cignetti rely heavily on veteran transfers rather than just 4-star recruits.
The days of skipping the Indiana game to go get an early start on tailgating are over. If you're a Michigan fan, you now circle the IU game with a bit of anxiety. And if you're a Hoosier? You finally feel like you belong in the same room as the big boys.
To keep track of the evolving Big Ten standings and future scheduling for the Hoosiers and Wolverines, your best bet is to monitor the official Big Ten availability reports and the "Flex Protect" schedule releases which dictate these matchups through 2028. You should also watch the 2025 College Football Playoff rankings, as Indiana's performance there is currently validating that the 2024 win over Michigan was the start of a trend, not a fluke.