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1987 Indiana

8–⁠4 (6–⁠2 Big Ten), coached by Bill Mallory.

Schedule and results

Indiana in 1987, game by game: won vs. Rice 35–13; lost at Kentucky 15–34; won vs. Missouri 20–17; won vs. Northwestern 35–18; won at No. 9 Ohio State 31–10; won at Minnesota 18–17; won vs. No. 20 Michigan 14–10; lost at Iowa 21–29; won vs. Illinois 34–22; lost at No. 13 Michigan State 3–27; won vs. Purdue 35–14; lost vs. No. 17 Tennessee 22–27+22−24Won 35–13 vs. Rice+22RiceLost 15–34 at Kentucky-19KentuckyWon 20–17 vs. Missouri+3MissouriWon 35–18 vs. Northwestern+17NorthwesternWon 31–10 at No. 9 Ohio State+21No. 9 Ohio StateWon 18–17 at Minnesota+1MinnesotaWon 14–10 vs. No. 20 Michigan+4No. 20 MichiganLost 21–29 at Iowa-8IowaWon 34–22 vs. Illinois+12IllinoisLost 3–27 at No. 13 Michigan State-24No. 13 Michigan StateWon 35–14 vs. Purdue+21PurdueLost 22–27 vs. No. 17 Tennessee-5No. 17 Tennessee
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 12vsRiceW 35–⁠1368%
Sep 19atKentuckyL 15–⁠3439%
Sep 26vsMissouriW 20–⁠1760%
Oct 3vsNorthwesternW 35–⁠1871%
Oct 10at9Ohio StateW 31–⁠1020%
Oct 16atMinnesotaW 18–⁠1739%
Oct 24vs20MichiganW 14–⁠1044%
Oct 31atIowaL 21–⁠2939%
Nov 7vsIllinoisW 34–⁠2270%
Nov 14at13Michigan StateL 3–⁠2736%
Nov 21vsPurdueW 35–⁠1475%
Jan 2Bowls & playoffvs17TennesseePeach BowlL 22–⁠2737%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Tennessee 27–⁠22 in the Peach Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; tied for 2nd in the Big Ten.

In program history: The 17th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 132 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 7: 20
  2. Wk 8: 15
  3. Wk 9: 11
  4. Wk 10: 18
  5. Wk 11: 16
  6. Wk 12: 20

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1987.

Led the nationErnie Jones: receiving yards (1,265 yds)

Record
8–⁠4
Conference
6–⁠2 tied for 2nd in Big Ten
AP final
Unranked peak No. 11
Points
283–⁠238
Coach
Bill Mallory
Elo
1558 +83 this season
SP+ rating
8.3 No. 33 of 101; offense No. 45, defense No. 32
SRS
7.0 No. 30 of 104 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Defensive coordinator
Joe Novak
Captains
Tom Polce and Van Waiters
Most valuable player
Ernie Jones

Drafted in 1988

The 1988 draft
Rd 1Eric Moore OGNew York Giants
Rd 3Van Waiters LBCleveland Browns
Rd 7Ernie Jones WRPhoenix Cardinals

All-Big Ten

3 first team, 3 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1987 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1987 Big Ten standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Michigan State7–⁠0–⁠19–⁠2–⁠18
Iowa6–⁠210–⁠316
Indiana6–⁠28–⁠4
Michigan5–⁠38–⁠419
Ohio State4–⁠46–⁠4–⁠1
Minnesota3–⁠56–⁠5
Purdue3–⁠53–⁠7–⁠1
Illinois2–⁠5–⁠13–⁠7–⁠1
Northwestern2–⁠62–⁠8–⁠1
Wisconsin1–⁠73–⁠8

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.