BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers escaped with a 23-16 overtime victory over Minnesota on Saturday, but the win raised more questions than answers about a team with College Football Playoff aspirations.
Backup quarterback Grant Wilson, who replaced an ineffective and banged-up Josh Hoover at halftime, hit Charlie Becker for a 33-yard gain to set up Paddy McAteer's 60-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, then found Becker again on the first play of overtime for the go-ahead score . The Indiana defense stopped Minnesota on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line to seal it.
The dramatic finish masked a deeply uneven performance from the No. 4 Hoosiers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten), who have now won three of their last four games by a combined 13 points while their offense sputters.
Hoover Benched After Rough First Half
Hoover, who had been listed as probable with an arm injury, completed just 8 of 19 passes for 119 yards with a touchdown and an interception before Curt Cignetti pulled him at halftime . The benching came after Hoover took a late hit in the first half and had struggled for weeks—he threw for just 81 yards on 8-of-18 passing in the previous week's 13-6 overtime win at Michigan .
Wilson provided a spark, finishing 9 of 17 for 156 yards and the overtime touchdown to Becker, who led all receivers with eight catches for 149 yards .
Cignetti declined to name a starter going forward, saying only that Hoover "practiced every day" and the staff would evaluate the position during the bye week .
Special Teams Nearly Cost Indiana
The Hoosiers' kicking game was a disaster for much of the afternoon. Nico Radicic has now missed five kicks this season after missing just two in his entire career prior to 2026 . Minnesota blocked a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter, and a botched snap on a 26-yard attempt in the fourth quarter cost Indiana a chance to take the lead .
Billy Gowers' punting also hurt the Hoosiers—his first shank gave Minnesota the ball at Indiana's 27-yard line, leading to a field goal, and a second short punt set up a flea-flicker touchdown that gave the Gophers a 10-7 halftime lead .
McAteer's 60-yarder to force overtime was redemption, but the inconsistency has become a pattern. "Special teams will cost Indiana a CFP berth" if it isn't cleaned up, the Indianapolis Star warned after the game .
What It Means
Indiana remains in the thick of the playoff race—ESPN's Football Power Index gave the Hoosiers an 89.3% chance of reaching the CFP entering the weekend . But the offensive line is banged up, the quarterback situation is unsettled, and the margin for error is shrinking.
The Hoosiers enter their first bye week of the season before hosting USC on November 14, followed by a trip to Washington and the regular-season finale against Purdue . Cignetti's team has time to get healthy. Whether it can fix its offense in time to make another championship run is another matter entirely.