2008 Indiana Hoosiers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in college football betting this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Indiana Hoosiers (7-6, 3-5 in 2007, 9th place in Big 10)
The Hoosiers made a bowl game for the first time in 14 years in 2007, an achievement to former HC Terry Hoeppner’s memory, who lost his battle with brain cancer just before the start of the season. Indiana is now trying to register back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Offensive Outlook: 2nd Team All Big-10 QB Kellen Lewis (3779 total yards and 37 total touchdowns in 2007) is the undisputed leader of this offense that averaged 31.7 PPG last season. However the offense does have to replace superstar WR James Hardy (1125 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns) who was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills. Cause for concern for HC Bill Lynch will be the offensive line where three sophomores are expected to start and only one senior is listed on the depth chart.

Defensive Outlook: 1st team All Big-10 CB Tracy Porter left the team after an outstanding 2007 in which he recorded six interceptions and his contributions in the secondary will be sorely missed. NCAA leading sacker and 1st team All Big-10 DE Greg Middleton (16 sacks in 2007) is back to harass quarterbacks though along with DE Jammie Kirlew (12.5 tackles for loss in 2007). How quickly the Hoosiers can find a replacement for Porter will determine the effectiveness of this defense in 2008.

2008 Outlook: The Hoosiers start the season with three nobodies (Western Kentucky, Murray State, and Ball State) before they start conference play. Indiana is fortunate enough not to draw perennial powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan and will be looking to capitalize on not having to play either school. Kellen Lewis might be the best quarterback in the Big 10 and will be looking to prove it this year.

2008 will be a success if… The Hoosiers can post a winning record and go bowling again. Thirteen returning starters and the loss of Hardy and Porter means their work is cut out for them, but a winning season is not out of the question.

The Hoosiers were only favored in two of their Big 10 contests last season and are still looking for the respect that rivals Illinois and Purdue have been given in recent years. A winning season in 2008 will go a long way to earning that respect.

Prediction: 6-6, 9th place in Big 10