Indiana's roster returns three offensive line starters, including reigning Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year Carter Smith, behind a defense that led the country in tackles for loss last year. Add in transfer additions Turbo Richard at running back and Nick Marsh at receiver, and Cignetti's staff has stacked more talent onto a team that already won a title. Western Kentucky's front seven has to find a way to slow that down without much size advantage anywhere on the field.
The bigger story for Indiana this year isn't Western Kentucky — it's whether the Hoosiers can handle being the hunted instead of the hunter. Every Big Ten opponent had a full offseason to pick apart Cignetti's scheme, and the days of sneaking up on anybody are over. None of that applies against a Conference USA team, though. This is a measuring-stick opener in the sense that Indiana should crush it, and how comfortably they do it will say more about the new-look offense than the scoreboard margin will.
For Western Kentucky, Saturday, September 19 is about building an identity before conference play matters more. Whoever wins the Tisdale-Glenn battle needs reps against a defense this talented to find out what he actually has. There's no shame in a loss here — the Hilltoppers have made a bowl seven straight years doing exactly this kind of schedule management, taking their lumps early and rounding into form by November.