The Hoosiers' previous head coach, Terry Hoeppner, died in June 2007 and Bill Lynch took over the program.

The team's season-long mantra was "Play 13," referring to the goal of earning a bowl game after the 12-game regular season.

Meanwhile, Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy gained widespread attention across North America for a tirade against a sportswriter for The Daily Oklahoman.

The Cowboys were 6–6 on the season and unranked nationally, a generally disappointing outcome for a team with a highly touted pre-season offense.

Zac Robinson, who replaced Bobby Reid as the starting quarterback early in the year, led the offense.