 In the fourth week of the season , however , Indiana suffered its first loss : a 27 – 15 conference defeat at the hands of No. 22 Wisconsin . The Hoosiers recovered from the setback , however , and won their next four games — all of which were against Big Ten opponents . The fourth of those victories came against the Michigan State Spartans , who had replaced Wisconsin at the No. 22 spot in the country . Indiana held the Spartans scoreless in a tough defensive battle , earning a 10 – 0 victory . With a 7 – 1 record , Indiana appeared to be in position to compete for the Big Ten championship , but consecutive losses to highly ranked Penn State and Ohio State put an end to any thoughts of a championship . The Hoosiers ended the season with a 24 – 17 win over traditional rival Purdue and accepted a bid to the Independence Bowl . 
