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HEY.
YOU.
CALM DOWN.
FOCUS.
The #iufb4gameday movement is a moot point with an Indiana loss in Winston-Salem to Wake Forest on Saturday. So, if a possible-yet-unlikely appearance by College Gameday in Bloomington for Indiana-Ohio State would make that the biggest game in the modern history of Indiana football -- this Wake Forest game is the biggest game in the modern history of Indiana football, as of right now.
Through three games in the 2015 season, Dave Clawson's team has had mixed results. They blew out FCS Elon to open the year, followed it up with a road conference loss to a questionable Syracuse team, and then needed a field goal to beat an Army club that lost to Fordham early this season. Just like Indiana, I have no real reasonable idea if they are maybe kinda good or really, really bad.
Either way, they could present problem's for Indiana's defense that has been part-stellar, part-sieve -- because the Hoosiers don't yet know what quarterback they'll be facing on Saturday.
Here's what both candidates bring to the table.
Option 1: John Wolford
Why he'll start: Through two games against Elon and Syracuse, Wolford led the ACC in passing yardage after posting a pair of 330-plus yard outings in Dave Clawson's offense. A good passer -- he's completing passes at a clip of 66%, too. His ability to throw the ball downfield in a pass-heavy attack would certainly be an advantage against Indiana's young secondary. The sophomore from Jacksonville is the "veteran" of the two signal-calling options in Winston-Salem, too.
Why he won't: Wolford struggled early against a relatively hapless Army team before injuring his ankle and not returning -- he'd only thrown for 16 yards on 5 attempts and threw one interception. And while Wolford did pick up a few yards on the scramble against FCS Elon, you'd be hard pressed to call him anything but a pass-first quarterback. He also threw for a ton of yardage against the only other power opponent the Deacons faced in Syracuse, Wolford threw three picks in that outing. Clawson's been tight-lipped thus far about Wolford's health -- and it's more than reasonable to thing he won't be even an option come Saturday.
Option 2: Kendall Hinton
Why he'll start: The ACC Freshman of the Week came on in relief of Wolford and gave the Deacons a much needed spark of the bench with his legs. The run-first Durham product ran for 101 yards on 17 carries and was accountable for both Wake touchdowns with said legs. He gave a much needed boost to an offense that had seemingly gone stagnant against Syracuse and the early part of the Army contest -- and has the momentum coming into the Indiana matchup even if Wolford is fully healthy.
Why he won't: It's not the right fit for Hinton to make his first start against this Indiana team. Indiana's biggest weakness defensively can be exposed by a vertical passing game -- and it's not clear yet if Hinton has the arm talent and decision-making skills to beat a team through the air. Indiana's front 7 isn't world-beating, but it's certainly the strength of a defense that has, at times, looked fairly stout against the run this season.
But, really, who cares what we think. The guys at Blogger So Dear, who, like, watch this team all the time have thoughts on who gets the nod on Saturday.
We'll have full coverage of the Wake Forest matchup throughout the rest of the week.