Indiana Football Season Off to Unique Start in Week 0

Indiana doesn't kick off its 2022 season until Friday, but three of the Hoosiers' first five opponents – Illinois, Western Kentucky and Nebraska – will take the field on Saturday in what is known as Week 0. Indiana coach Tom Allen and Illinois coach Bret Bielema commented on the abnormal start.

The 2022 college football season kicks off in a unique way for the Indiana Hoosiers.

In what is known as Week 0, there are 28 college football teams will take the field on Saturday. \ It's a trend that began with the 1983 Kickoff Classic when No. 1 Nebraska took on No. 4 Penn State at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Television networks realized that having a few marquee matchups a week early would help increase ratings in anticipation of the season.

Indiana doesn't play until Friday against Illinois, but three of the Hoosiers' first five opponents – Illinois, Western Kentucky and Nebraska – begin their seasons on Saturday. Illinois plays host to Wyoming at 4 p.m. ET, Western Kentucky hosts Austin Peay at 12 p.m. ET and Nebraska matches up with Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland at 12:30 p.m. ET.

It's an interesting dynamic for Indiana. On one hand, the Hoosiers' Week 1 opponent, Illinois, has the chance to get its feet wet at home against Wyoming before beginning Big Ten play. But on the flip side, Indiana will have film on Illinois, whereas much of Indiana's offense will be unknown before the Illini arrive in Bloomington. There's always the threat of injuries, too. 

For Indiana coach Tom Allen, it's an entirely new situation. Allen and his staff will watch the games together, and players will split up into groups to scout the Illini. 

"I don’t know if I’ve ever had this happen before like this," Allen said. "As a matter of fact I would say we haven’t, so very unique for sure. We’re going to see if what we’ve been working on has been on point or if we need to make adjustments."

At Big Ten Media Days on July 27, second-year Illinois coach Bret Bielema said the original schedule was set up to play at Wisconsin to begin the season. He lobbied to add a Week 0 home game instead of starting the year with a Week 1 Big Ten road game. Things shook out for Illinois to open the season at home against Wyoming, followed by a road trip to Indiana, and he credits Josh Whitman, Illinois' Director of Athletics, for getting it done. 

"I think through 14 years as head coach," Bielema said. "I definitely would say a coaching cliche that is true ... is you see a huge amount of improvement in players that have never played the game from Week 1 to Week 2."

Illinois' 1,000-yard rusher and third-team All-Big Ten running back Chase Brown agrees. 

"It’s only going to work in our favor," Brown said. "We’re going to get experience on the field and be able to gel as a team before we get to play a Big Ten opponent."

There's also a potential long-term benefit of playing in Week 0. In between home games against Virginia on Sept. 10 and Chattanooga on Sept. 22, Illinois will have a bye week. And in the heart of Big Ten play – following a home game against Minnesota on Oct. 15 and before a road trip to Nebraska on Oct. 29 – the Illini will get their second bye week of the season.

"When teams may be starting to die down because they’ll be playing week after week after week, we’ll get an extra bye week," Illinois wide receiver Isaiah Williams said at Big Ten Media Days. "I feel like it will help us on the later end of the season.”

Bielema and the Illini also recognize the difficulties that come along with this kind of start. Primarily, they won't have film on the new-look Indiana offense. Along with fresh faces at offensive coordinator, running backs coach and wide receivers coach, it's guaranteed that Indiana's leader in passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns will be different from last season.

Allen has internally named a starting quarterback, but the winner of the competition between Connor Bazelak and Jack Tuttle won't be public information until kickoff against Illinois.

"Coach [Allen] has done a nice job of keeping that under wraps," Bielema said. "I think one of the things I've tried to do and learn in this profession, these early games are usually the most difficult because of the unknown."

And like Allen, it's an unfamiliar landscape for Bielema. Aside from the unknowns throughout Indiana's roster, Bielema notes Illinois will have short week before heading to Bloomington.

"I have never played a Friday night game in college football," Bielema said. "We did it in the NFL a little bit, but I think the challenge of playing that quick turnaround from a Saturday game to a Friday is a unique challenge.

Just how impactful these factors will be in the result of Indiana and Illinois' matchup at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 2 – or the season as a whole – is up for debate, but it's an interesting scheduling quirk to keep an eye on.

"It’s a unique situation and I’m kind of looking forward to it," Allen said. "It will be an interesting and exciting first day of the 2022 season, so we’re looking forward to it."

Related stories on Indiana football: 

• LINEBACKER POSITION PREVIEW: Indiana football's leading tackler from the last three seasons, Micah McFadden, is off to the NFL. Team captain Cam Jones will take over as the leader of the room, which brings in transfers Bradley Jennings Jr. from Miami (FL), Jared Casey from Kentucky and the top-rated recruit in program history, Dasan McCullough. CLICK HERE
• WIDE RECEIVER POSITION PREVIEW: Indiana lost its top two receivers from 2021 – Ty Fryfogle and Miles Marshall – and coach Grant Heard left for UCF. D.J. Matthews returns to Indiana after tearing his ACL in week four, Donaven McCulley is making the switch from quarterback to receiver, and transfers Cam Camper and Emery Simmons have stood out in fall camp. CLICK HERE
• DEFENSIVE LINE POSITION PREVIEW: Indiana hired Paul Randolph to replace Kevin Peoples as the defensive line coach. Randolph brings coast-to-coast college football coaching experience, and he's working with a deep combination of returning experience, talented transfers and young potential. CLICK HERE