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Ball State is six years removed from its last winning season, while Indiana’s drought is double that. Both looking to start the year on the right foot as they attempt to end those streaks in 2019, the in-state rivals will meet Saturday in Indianapolis.
The game is scheduled to start at Noon ET and will be televised on CBS Sports Network. If you don’t have cable or don’t have that channel, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
CBS Sports Network is one of the 100-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of Indiana vs Ball State on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which will allow you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Hulu With Live TV comes with Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies and 60-plus live TV channels, including CBS Sports Network.
You can sign up for Hulu with Live TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of Indiana vs Ball State on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
YouTube TV comes with 70-plus live TV channels, including CBS Sports Network.
You can sign up for YouTube TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of Indiana vs Ball State on your computer via the YouTube website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or other compatible streaming device via the YouTube app.
If you can’t watch live, YouTube TV comes with included DVR.
Indiana vs Ball State Preview
Michael Pennix takes over at quarterback this season for the Hoosiers after an impressive showing last year before tearing his ACL. Pennix should have plenty of help as the Hoosiers return starting running back Stevie Scott as well as the majority of a quality and experienced receiving corps. While there are some questions regarding the offensive line, the unit actually boasts a decent amount of experience mixed in with some exciting young talent. Despite being a potential question mark at the start of the season, the Hoosiers could find the offensive line being one of their bigger strengths as the season progresses.
Defensively, the Hoosiers have returning talent across the board and look to be a much more experienced unit compared to last year – returning seven starters from last year’s squad. With experience on the line, at linebacker, and in the secondary, the Hoosiers should be a fairly well-rounded defense in line for a sizeable improvement over their inconsistent play from recent years.
The Cardinals also look to break in a new quarterback after moving on from the Riley Neal era. The quarterback took advantage of graduate transfer rules to play his final collegiate season at Vanderbilt and looks to be replaced by Drew Plitt. The offense should look considerably different as Plitt is much more of a pocket passer compared to Neal – who could make/extend plays with his legs. While they also work in a new running back, the Cardinals return the entire offensive line along with nearly every contributing receiver from last season.
The Cardinals return nine players from what was an excellent defense last season. Expect the defense to play a huge role in helping Ball State get off to a strong start, especially as the passing and rushing attacks both feature fresh faces. Considering how much talent is coming back, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to expect some progression from the unit this season, though it will be incredibly hard to top last year’s excellent pass defense.
Ball State should struggle to handle Indiana’s size up front, though they do have the makings of a team capable of an upset. Especially if quarterback Drew Plitt comes ready to play, the Cardinal passing attack has the capability to keep them in the game while their defense is talented enough to come up with some big stops when they need them. While they may be overmatched physically, the Cardinals have enough talent on defense to make the occasional big play. Especially with Indiana’s offensive question marks coming in, expect this game to be a whole lot closer than most of the early predictions indicate.