This is not the same Indiana

I checked in on this game (in Bloomington) tonight at HT. It was 12 zip. The final is Indiana, fifth-ranked, 29 Northwestern 23. It was 22-20 with 4:25 left to play. Indians were -20.5. The game stats were a close analog to the score. Indiana's pass defense failed the expectations of the point spread. They won the game on the ground. Both teams played mistake-free ball. There were a surfeit of penalties but they were evenly distributed. Northwestern was the near-equal of the defending national champions tonight--in Bloomington--and that's not to say that the "Wildcats", who got as many votes in the AP top 25 poll as I did, are the near-fifth best team in the land. It's to say that Indiana, playing their first game against a legit opponent is not near the fifth best team in the land. Next week Indy goes to Ruptures. I don't think...maybe they will be 20.5 favorites in the cauldron that is SHIA Stadium, but if they are, I might take Ruptures to cover. This is not the same Indiana as last season.