I was this close to taking the Hoosiers last week to cover against UCLA and obviously regret not doing it. New coach Curt Cignetti has Indiana rolling and taking no prisoners. Meanwhile Charlotte (1-2) needed to rally from 17 points down last week to beat a bad FCS team, Gardner Webb. I'm not worried about an Indiana letdown. The Hoosiers name their score.

They're getting excited in Bloomington after IU rolled past UCLA last week to stay unbeaten, impressively so, thru three weeks under new HC Curt Cignetti (who won big previously at James Madison) and new QB Kurtis Rourke (MAC MVP at Ohio in 2022). A look at the upcoming favorable schedule plots a further path for a memorable Hoosiers campaign. But this is also a possible flat spot before Big Ten wars resume resume next week vs. Maryland, and understandable to overlook lowly Charlotte, which barely escaped with a 1-point win vs. Gardner-Webb last week. But the trend to note with the 49ers in the spread success of road teams in their games, now 3-0 this season and 13-2 vs. the line since 2023. Play Charlotte

Indiana has been one of the most impressive teams in the country to start the season, and they're showing no mercy to opponents. Charlotte will not provide much, if any, resistance.