What the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers accomplished was unprecedented. Led by prickly pear head coach Curt Cignetti and lovable LinkedIn super-user Fernando Mendoza, Indiana steamrolled the competition to a triumphant 16-0 record, Big Ten title and national championship victory. Now, the Hoosiers have the biggest target in college football on their backs. Mendoza is off to the NFL, and former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover is in to lead the offense. The Hoosiers lost weapons galore, but had an excellent transfer portal haul with the acquisitions of Nick Marsh, Turbo Richard, Chiddi Obiazor and others. It’ll be impossible to top last season’s achievements. But Cignetti isn’t one to settle, and the Hoosiers will undoubtedly have back-to-back titles on their minds. Can the Hoosiers run it back in 2026? It will be fascinating to find out. Here are five bold predictions for Indiana in 2026. 5 Bold Predictions for Indiana in the 2026 College Football SeasonIndiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti absorbs the moment after his team defeated the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19, 2026.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesIndiana Will Make the College Football Playoff in 2026Last season was a perfect storm for the Indiana football program. The Hoosiers struck gold with Mendoza, their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Cignetti and company coached circles around opposing staffs. And time and time again, the Hoosiers came up clutch in the season’s biggest moments. In 2026, there are numerous new pieces in Bloomington, but if anyone can get this group to gel, it’s this coaching staff. Hoover feels like a great fit for coordinator Mike Shanahan’s system. Richard, Marsh and numerous new defenders should benefit from better situations. Couple those new toys with a relatively weak Big Ten schedule, and the Hoosiers should be in the Big Ten title conversation again. Perhaps Indiana’s two toughest games will come in mid-October with back-to-back matchups against Ohio State and Michigan. If the Hoosiers can win both or split that pair, they should be sitting pretty to be in the 2026 College Football Playoff picture.Related: College Football Playoff Predictions for 2026Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) makes a catch for a touchdown Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, during the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against Oregon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Indiana Will Not Repeat as Big Ten Champs in 2026Fresh off a storybook season, there’s plenty of reason for optimism about Indiana in 2026. The offense added numerous key playmakers. The defense reloaded with transfers. The schedule also feels extremely workable. That said, it’s tough to repeat as a conference champ in the sport’s most top-heavy league. Indiana should be extremely good in 2026, but there are other contenders. Oregon brings back an experienced quarterback and tons of talent. So does Ohio State, despite numerous key departures on the defensive side of the ball. Sprinkle in resurgent programs like Michigan, Penn State and USC, and you have yourself a doozy of a title race. Indiana will make the College Football Playoff field, but will just miss out on the Big Ten title game. Pencil me in for an Ohio State-Oregon Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.Indiana's Josh Hoover throwing during spring practice at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesJosh Hoover Will Clean Up the Turnovers This SeasonThis spring, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes made offseason headlines for calling out Josh Hoover’s turnover problems. Dykes wasn’t wrong. Through three seasons in Fort Worth, Hoover racked up 33 interceptions, far more than he’ll be allowed to throw for the Hoosiers. Has Hoover been a turnover machine over the past three seasons? Yes. Is there a reason to believe Indiana can fix him? Also, yes. Mendoza wasn’t a perfect

player before he joined Indiana. He was a good player at Cal, but looked unrefined at times. The same could be said about Hoover at TCU. If any OC and program in college football can fix a gunslinger quarterback, it’s Shanahan and Indiana. With better talent around him and less pressure to do it all on his own, Hoover will clean up his turnovers in 2026 and be a more-than-adequate replacement for the departing Mendoza.Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2026Kansas State Transfers Chiddi Obiazor and Tobi Osunsanmi Will Combine for 10 or More SacksIndiana did an excellent job of creating havoc on defense last season. The Hoosiers had five defenders tally five or more sacks. A few of those high-performers are gone, but in steps high-profile transfers Obiazor and Osunsanmi. In 2025, Obiazor and Osunsanmi had down seasons by their high standards. Kansas State’s defense was a mess, and the pair notched just six sacks between them. This season, the former Wildcats will be in a system much more suited to creating game-wrecking plays, and both will benefit because of it. The step up in competition will be tough. And the pair will likely be the focal points of opposing offensive lines. But it won’t matter. I expect Obiazor and Osunsanmi to bounce back in a big way in 2026 and notch at least 10 sacks between them.Related: Big Ten 2026 All-Conference TeamMichigan State Transfer Nick Marsh Will Be a Breakout Player for the Hoosiers This SeasonIndiana is quietly building a reputation for churning out high-quality receivers. Last season, star wideouts Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt exploded for just over 1,700 yards and 28 touchdowns combined. A good portion of that was due to the prolific play of Mendoza. But some of that credit has to go to Shanahan’s system. This season, Cooper Jr. and Sarratt are off to the NFL. One key returner is Charlie Becker, who came up with some clutch catches down the stretch of the Hoosiers’ CFP run. Add in Marsh, who tallied over 660 yards and six touchdowns on a dreadful Michigan State passing attack, and you have all the makings of a formidable receiving corps again this season. Marsh has an immense amount of talent. But unlike last season, he won’t always draw the toughest defensive assignment with Becker sharing the field with him. Marsh will be one of the biggest transfer portal acquisitions in all of college football this season. Pencil him in for over 800 yards and at least 10 touchdowns in 2026. Related: Curt Cignetti Q&A: Indiana Coach Opens Up on Challenge of Title DefenseRelated: Big Ten Football Predictions for 2026Related: College Football Top 138 Team Rankings for 2026This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Source: Yahoo Sports