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Mind Your Banners
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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
On the final pregame Mind Your Banners of the Indiana football season, Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman discuss the build-up to the CFP national title game, the matchup between Indiana and Miami, predictions for Monday night and what this season means for the Hoosiers.
Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman, road-weary but returned to Indiana after a riveting Peach Bowl, to recap the Hoosiers' College Football Playoff semifinal win against Oregon, setting up a national-title bout with Miami next Monday night. Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/10/indiana-football-historic-season-national-championship-fans-mark-cuban-pam-whitten-scott-dolson/88109670007/ 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 break down Friday night's Peach Bowl matchup between No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon, a rematch from the Big Ten regular season now playing out in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/08/indiana-football-news-preview-oregon-peach-bowl-2026-big-ten-sec-dominance-cfb-playoff-atlanta/88057622007/ 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 sit down to discuss Indiana's remarkable start to the 2026 transfer portal, as Curt Cignetti balances Peach Bowl preparations with setting his roster up for another College Football Playoff run next season. Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2026/01/01/who-won-indiana-alabama-game-rose-bowl-college-football-great-story-curt-cignetti-fernando-mendoza/87984031007/ Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter: https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU
Insiders Zach Osterman and Michael Niziolek unpack IU's win, holding tradition-rich Alabama without a touchdown, and snapping a lengthy bowl win drought to advance to the CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl. Read all coverage at IndyStar.com and get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter: https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU
IU Insider Zach Osterman checks in from downtown Los Angeles after Rose Bowl media day. Both the Hoosiers and Crimson Tide spent time speaking with reporters about Thursday's College Football Playoff quarterfinal in Pasadena. Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/12/30/mikail-kamara-injury-health-indiana-football-rose-bowl-alabama-stats-daniel-ndukwe-stephen-daley/87961803007/ 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 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/ Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter: https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU
IU Insider Zach Osterman checks in with the first installment of this week's Rose Bowl Diaries, tracking all the news and notes as the Hoosiers head west for their date with Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Today, updates and thoughts on Indiana's offensive preparations, with a little bit more on what to expect in the coming days. 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/ 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 cover a lot of ground during a quiet period just before the Hoosiers' Rose Bowl preparations really begin to ramp up. The boys take a look at potential CFP matchups, pending portal needs, early projections for the Rose Bowl and more. Chapters: 0:00 -- Intro 2:15 -- First look at potential quarterfinal opponents 18:17 -- Early Rose Bowl projections 27:11 -- HeisMendoza, and moving on 31:09 -- The DL after Daley 43:30 -- Projecting roster questions Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/12/16/indiana-football-cfp-rose-bowl-fernando-mendoza-heisman/87782120007/ 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 pack a lot into this week's show, discussing Indiana basketball so far, the Hoosiers' outlook at Kentucky, the shape of the Heisman Trophy race and how Fernando Mendoza fi
Zach Osterman and Mike Niziolek break down a whirlwind 24 hours, after Indiana defeats No. 1 Ohio State to win the Big Ten championship, clinching for the Hoosiers the No. 1 ranking and overall seed in this year's College Football Playoff, as well as a place in this year's Rose Bowl. Zach and Mike recap the game, analyze the Hoosiers' Playoff path and try to make some sense of what all this means for IU fans.
IndyStar's Zach Osterman and Mike Niziolek of The Herald-Times break down a whirlwind 24 hours, after Indiana defeats No. 1 Ohio State to win the Big Ten championship, clinching for the Hoosiers the No. 1 ranking and overall seed in this year's College Football Playoff, as well as a place in this year's Rose Bowl. Zach and Mike recap the game, analyze the Hoosiers' Playoff path and try to make some sense of what all this means for IU fans.
Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch joins IndyStar's Zach Osterman for a BuckeyeXtra/Mind Your Banners crossover, previewing Saturday night's Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana. Kaufman and Osterman break down everything from the quarterback matchup, to these teams' dominant defense, to what a win would mean for both sides, its effect on the Heisman race and more. Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/12/02/indiana-football-pat-coogan-leader-proven-winner-motivator-speeches-curt-cignetti-big-ten-cfp/87557306007/ 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 convene for the most anticipated Mind Your Banners in history: The Big Ten championship game preview. Zach and Mike break down the matchup between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, what the keys are for both sides, who and what might turn the game, what a win means to each side and more. Chapters: 0:00 -- Intro 1:53 -- Initial thoughts 8:10 -- What this game means 12:11 -- Quarterback battle 17:03 -- Defenses staying fresh all season 26:18 -- Potential x-factors 36:24 -- Most important player each side 41:29 -- Mike's got questions 51:21 -- Potential CFP implications 1:01:01 -- Final thoughts, predictions Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/12/02/indiana-football-pat-coogan-leader-proven-winner-motivator-speeches-curt-cignetti-big-ten-cfp/87557306007/ Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter: https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU
USA Today Co.'s Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman discuss the Hoosiers' forthcoming matchup with Ohio State in this year's Big Ten football championship game, how IU got there, what we learned from the Purdue win and what to expect in Indy.
Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman discuss Indiana's quest to complete a perfect 12-0 season with Friday night's Old Oaken Bucket game in West Lafayette. Does Purdue have hope of an upset or will the Hoosiers punch their ticket to the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis?
Mike Niziolek and Zach Osterman sit down during the bye week to discuss some interesting talking points around Curt Cignetti's team, as the Hoosiers try to rest and recover themselves ahead of the sprint finish to the season now coming into view. Chapters: 0:00 -- Intro 3:38 -- Will Fernando Mendoza win the Heisman Trophy? 8:32 -- Why this Heisman race has developed this way 21:53 -- One encouraging trend ahead of Purdue 28:19 -- One discouraging trend ahead of Purdue 32:35 -- How well-represented is Indiana on All-Big Ten teams? 37:41 -- Reasonable expectations from here Read: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2025/11/17/fernando-mendoza-heisman-odds-indiana-football-stats-julian-sayin-marcel-reed-diego-pavia/87317595007/-defend-effort-shots-miss-darian-devries-incarnate-word/87310163007/ Get IndyStar's IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter: https://profile.indystar.com/newsletters/iu-insider/?ipid=NLsignupIU
Bloomington Herald-Times' Mike Niziolek and IndyStar's Zach Osterman discuss the ins and outs of Indiana's 31-7 win Saturday over Wisconsin, in the Hoosiers' regular-season home finale.
Mind Your Banners doubles up this week, this time talking about a pair of 3-0 starts over at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Zach Osterman and Mike Niziolek discuss the good and bad in the early returns from both Teri Moren's team, and Darian DeVries' first IU outfit.






