Indiana Football vs Washington Tips, Prediction, Start Time, TV

BLOOMINGTON – The real Hoosier hysteria is happening this weekend at Memorial Stadium.

Indiana football will welcome ESPN's College GameDay to campus and once again feature a sellout crowd for its game against Washington.

The No. 13 Hoosiers (7-0; 4-0 Big Ten) have a chance to match the program's best start ever as they are one of just nine undefeated teams in the country.

Take a look at our weekly preview, The Runout, to find out what stood out during the week, players to keep an eye on, a prediction and more:

IU Football vs. Washington: Story from the tape

When: Saturday, October 26 at 12:00 pm ET
Where: Memorial Stadium (52,626), Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network
Line: Indiana -6.5
Series: Indiana leads 2-1
Last meeting: Washington defeated. Indiana, 38-13, on September 6, 2003

More: Indiana Football: How QB Tayven Jackson compares to other Big Ten backups

IU football players to watch vs. Washington

Tayven Jackson, QB: Who else?

Jackson steps into the starting lineup while Kurtis Rourke recovers from a thumb injury suffered against Nebraska. The redshirt sophomore had a strong second-half performance in his longest action of the season to complete a 56-7 win over the Cornhuskers.

The sample size was still limited — he only dropped back to pass nine times — and he benefited by entering the game with a 28-7 lead.

Jackson's goal against Washington will be to avoid the uneven performance that cost him the starting job last year. As Cignetti has stated on numerous occasions, he is still known for his inconsistency in practice.

One way Jackson can do this is to embrace Rourke's side and avoid negative plays. In seven starts, Rourke was sacked just six times on 202 dropbacks and turned over four times (three interceptions).

The good news for Jackson is that Cignetti has improved nearly every facet of the offense compared to last season. The Hoosiers have a much-improved running game – they averaged 6.5 yards per carry last week against one of the best run defenses in the country – and their offensive play has been tremendous.

Judge Ellison, RB: The aforementioned rushing attack will be as important as ever on Saturday.

Ellison had his fifth ever 100-yard game last week (the second for IU) despite only carrying the ball nine times, but it was his early success – he scored a 43-yard gain and a touchdown on the first Drive – which set the tone for the victory.

The Cornhuskers hadn't allowed a rushing touchdown all season before the Wake Forest transfer punched it in from the 5-yard line.

Washington comes to Bloomington after struggling against the run this season. In the team's three losses, the Huskies have given up 540 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and six touchdowns. They have allowed just 3.4 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown in four wins.

This big difference clearly shows the Hoosiers the path to victory.

Terry Jones Jr., S: The change Indiana made in the starting secondary was notable as the team had maintained the same starting lineup on both sides of the ball through the first six games.

Amare Ferrell moved to strong safety in place of Josh Sanguinetti and Jones took Ferrell's spot at Rover. It was the Old Dominion transfer's first start for the Hoosiers, but he didn't play like someone who sat on the bench for half the season.

Jones had six tackles (four solo) with four quarterback pressures. The only time he was targeted he allowed a two-yard play.

“He did a good job on special teams,” Cignetti said. “Got an opportunity on Saturday. An aggressive player. Played a lot of football. Had over a hundred tackles at ODU last season.”

Washington starting quarterback Will Rogers will be a big test for the group. According to Pro Football Focus, Rogers is one of the top-graded quarterbacks in the country (96.3) on throws of 20 yards or more. He is 12 of 23 at this depth passing for 399 yards and six touchdowns.

Pay attention to your banners: Rourke out, Jackson in for the GameDay visit from Washington

IU football: Week 8 odds and finishes

NSYNC: Indiana's offensive line harassed Nebraska's talented front seven. On 33 rush attempts and one sack, they only allowed two tackles for loss. “I’m not surprised by what they did on Saturday,” Cignetti said. “Not at all.” The starting lineup played together every snap outside of mop-up time and that made a real difference, according to Cignetti. “They’re on the same page,” he said. “They work really well together.”

Stress relief: Washington coach Jedd Fisch said one benefit of IU outscoring its opponents 80-0 in the first quarter was that they didn't have to deal with the “play-caller anxiety” that comes up when a coach see a deficit on the scoreboard. Fisch said the Hoosiers' playing up front all season – they are only one of two teams in the country that have yet to fall behind – has allowed them to find an impressive offensive rhythm.

Frequent flyer: Big Ten teams have struggled on cross-country road trips. Indiana is one of the few teams that avoided disappointment when it visited UCLA earlier this season after traveling across multiple time zones. Through the first seven weeks of the season, the visiting team was 2-11 in those conference games. Washington faces the additional challenge of a midday kickoff (9:00 a.m. local time). The Huskies faced the same scenario in a 40-16 loss to Iowa.

More: Indiana football's revamped starting secondary is helping the defense reach new heights

IU Football Stats of the Week

245: Indiana has its largest seven-game winning margin since 2020, according to ESPN's Max Olson. That number is ahead of the last three national champions – 2023 Michigan (229), 2022 Georgia (228) and 2021 Georgia (223). Indiana has the best offense in the country (48.7 points) and the seventh-ranked defense (13.7 points allowed).

More: 'We're going with him': Indiana football QB Tayven Jackson has the support of his teammates

IU Football Quote of the Week

“We have 100 percent confidence and the team has 100 percent confidence, I have confidence, the staff has confidence in Tayven Jackson,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said

More: After dedicating their lives to football, the Sunseri brothers are finally sharing a field for IU-Washington

Prediction: Indiana 28, Washington 20

Washington has the ability to spoil IU's undefeated season if it can overcome the recurring red zone issues that have plagued its offense this season. The Huskies have outscored every single one of their opponents – they boast a top-25 offense that averages more than 450 yards per game – but simply haven't been able to put enough points on the board.

They also have a quarterback in Will Rogers who is more experienced (47 career starts) than anyone the Hoosiers will face all season.

Why should Indiana still have the edge? Even with a backup quarterback in the starting lineup, Cignetti earned the benefit of the doubt. He coached this team into a playoff contender and passed every test that was thrown at him.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his coverage.