The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers won the Big Ten and national championship and were the first team in the modern era to go 16-0. They have 10 starters back, the hottest coach in the game and a manageable schedule.
It’s Ohio State and Oregon generating most of the preseason buzz, though, with both perched 1-2 atop the preseason AP Top 25 poll and among eight ranked teams.
The consensus around the sport is that the Buckeyes and Ducks are loaded and the Hoosiers’ roll is about to slow with TCU transfer Josh Hoover replacing Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
Doubt coach Curt Cignetti at your own peril. He’s 27-2 with two College Football Playoff appearances at Indiana and has yet to write a check his team can’t cash.
Ohio State plays the toughest conference schedule. The Buckeyes visit Indiana on Oct. 17 and host Oregon on Nov. 7. Those games will go a long way in deciding which teams make the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, not to mention impact CFP seeding.