CrimsonCast

CrimsonCast / BHN continues its 2026 positional preview series with a deep dive into the Hoosiers’ wide receivers and tight ends — two groups that will help determine how quickly Josh Hoover settles into Curt Cignetti and Mike Shanahan’s offense.
Galen Clavio breaks down what Indiana lost from last year’s passing game, including Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr., E.J. Williams, and Riley Nowakowski, then looks at how the 2026 group could be rebuilt around Charlie Becker, Nick Marsh, Shazz Preston, and Tyler Morris. The episode focuses heavily on efficiency, alignment, drop rate, average depth of target, slot usage, contested catches, and why Indiana’s passing game works best when the run game keeps the offense ahead of schedule.
The second half shifts to tight end, where Indiana has a fascinating but unproven room featuring Blake Thiry, Andrew Barker, Brock Schott, Trevor Gibbs, PJ MacFarlane, and others. Galen discusses who might replace Nowakowski’s do-everything role, who could emerge as a blocker, who may be the best receiving option, and why the first month of the season will reveal how much trust the staff has in this group.
Check out our IU running back room preview podcast here.
Check out our preview of the quarterbacks (well, really just Josh Hoover) here.
Subscribe to the Back Home Network for more CrimsonCast coverage of Indiana football, IU athletics, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers, Big Ten football, and the 2026 college football season.

Indiana football is getting closer, Memorial Stadium questions are getting louder, and CrimsonCast LIVE breaks down what realistic upgrades could look like for IU’s gameday future.
Galen Clavio goes live to discuss the latest from IU football fall camp, the Big Ten Network visit to Bloomington, and a new local NIL deal pairing Carter Smith with Janko’s Little Zagreb. Then the show turns to the big listener question: what should Indiana actually do with Memorial Stadium? Galen walks through why a brand-new stadium is unlikely, what renovation options make more sense, and how costs for premium seating, press box upgrades, concourses, bathrooms, lighting, sound, video boards, and Wi-Fi can quickly turn a stadium project into a massive capital campaign.
The episode closes with reaction to Dusty May’s comments about leaving college basketball for the Dallas Mavericks, what those comments say about the transfer portal and NIL era, and why coaches may increasingly rethink life in college sports. Plus: a quick check-in on Fernando Mendoza after a promising night with the Raiders.
Subscribe to the Back Home Network for more CrimsonCast coverage of Indiana football, IU athletics, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers, Big Ten football, and the 2026 college football season.
RSVP for the Posh Hotel show on Tuesday!
Check out the 2026 Homefield Game Day Collection

College football is almost back, and so is CrimsonCASH! 🏈💰
Scott and James kick off their 2026 Big Ten betting preview by breaking down the first half of the conference’s win totals, identifying their favorite values, and debating which teams are overrated, underrated, and worth betting before the season begins.
From Ohio State and Oregon to USC, Washington, Wisconsin—and one very strong opinion on Purdue—there are plenty of futures worth discussing before kickoff.
🏈 Big Ten win total predictions (Part 1)
💰 Our favorite preseason futures bets
🚂 Why Purdue’s win total might be the best under on the board
🌹 Ohio State vs. Oregon debate
✈️ USC, Washington, UCLA and the travel factor
🎯 College Football Playoff futures
🤔 Is Texas overrated?
☘️ Will Notre Dame actually miss the CFP?
🏆 Early Heisman betting value
👀 Preview of Part 2 featuring Indiana and the rest of the Big Ten
Do you agree with our best bets? Which Big Ten win total are you playing before the season starts? Let us know in the comments!
Be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss Part 2 and our weekly CrimsonCASH betting shows throughout football season.
Presented by Homefield Apparel and the Back Home Network.
00:00 Intro & Football Season Returns
00:41 CrimsonCASH is Back for 2026
02:52 Big Ten Win Totals Preview Begins
05:31 Ohio State Win Total
08:42 Oregon Win Total
10:23 Penn State Win Total
12:27 Purdue Win Total (Favorite Bet)
14:54 Rutgers Win Total
16:02 UCLA Win Total
17:44 USC Win Total
19:22 Washington Win Total
21:33 Wisconsin Win Total
24:17 Biggest Futures Bets
25:00 Texas to Make the CFP?
26:06 Notre Dame Playoff Debate
32:00 Heisman Value Picks
34:37 Looking Ahead to Part 2
Note: Timestamps may not appear as clickable links for every listener depending on platform/app.
In this episode:TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS

Indiana football didn’t appear out of nowhere. CrimsonCast goes deep into the long, strange, fascinating history of IU football, from its 1880s origins to the Old Oaken Bucket, the 1945 Big Ten champions, the Phil Dickens sanctions, and the 1967 Rose Bowl team.
Galen Clavio is joined by Chris Williams of IU Artifacts for a historical dive into how Indiana football developed, why the program spent decades fighting structural disadvantages, and why today’s Hoosier fan base has deeper roots than outsiders realize. They trace the early campus fields, the move to Jordan Field and Memorial Stadium, Indiana’s place in the early Big Ten hierarchy, the creation of the Old Oaken Bucket, and the importance of figures like Zora Clevenger, Bo McMillin, George Taliaferro, and John Pont.
The second half looks at the rise and collapse after the 1945 season, the difficult postwar years, the controversy around Phil Dickens, the impact of NCAA and Big Ten sanctions across IU athletics, and how the 1967 Hoosiers became Indiana’s first Rose Bowl team. It’s a reminder that Indiana football history is far richer, weirder, and more important than the national narrative usually allows.
Subscribe to the Back Home Network for more CrimsonCast coverage of Indiana football, IU athletics, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers, Big Ten football, and the 2026 college football season.

Indiana football is entering a new era, and CrimsonCast digs into what that means for IU football fans, Memorial Stadium traditions, the Ohio State matchup, and the growing number of Hoosiers in the NFL.
Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio open with Indiana weather, fall camp energy, Homefield drops, and a few concert detours before returning to listener questions from the CrimsonCast community. They revisit potential names for the emerging Indiana-Ohio State football series, including the 36-Star Showdown, Harrison-Grant ideas, Old Guard vs. New Blood, and other rivalry-branding possibilities.
From there, the show moves into the evolving Indiana football gameday experience: tailgate timing, getting fans into Memorial Stadium earlier, whether air horns or alerts could help, why “Hurts So Good” works, how IU can better celebrate Hoosiers in the NFL, and what traditions could make Indiana’s home-field atmosphere more distinctive. The episode also covers which former IU players to track on Sundays, how fans should think about drafting Hoosiers in fantasy football, and why the fan experience has to improve through both athletic department investment and fan buy-in.
Subscribe to the Back Home Network for more CrimsonCast coverage of Indiana football, IU athletics, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers, Big Ten football, and the 2026 college football season.