Indiana opens the season with something the program has never had before: a title attached to its name that still feels hard to wrap your head around seven months later.
“Defending national champs.”
That label alone gives Curt Cignetti plenty to work with, because the road to a repeat is a brutal one. Only three teams have pulled it off in the 21st century. Indiana is trying to become the fourth.
Cignetti has made clear he doesn’t see last year as some kind of carryover guarantee for this group. Fair enough. But there’s no shortage of material for the Hoosiers to lean on as they try to prove they weren’t just a one-year flash in the 2025 spotlight.
One of the loudest pieces of fuel is the preseason respect - or lack of it. Indiana’s No. 6 ranking in the AP Poll is the highest preseason mark in program history, but it also puts the Hoosiers in a familiar kind of company for defending champions who were met with doubt. Since 2010 Auburn, the only defending champ ranked worse than Indiana in the next preseason poll was 2024 Michigan, a team that had its head coach and 13 players leave for the NFL Draft.
Indiana was also the sixth national champion in the 21st century to land outside the top five in the following preseason AP Poll. Every one of the previous five lost at least four games the next season, and only 2007 Florida finished ranked in the final AP Poll.
That’s the sort of history Cignetti can point to if he wants to tell his team the outside world expects the Hoosiers to fade fast.
The preseason Big Ten conversation offered more of the same. Ohio State was picked to win the league in the conference’s unofficial media poll, even though the Buckeyes have to come to Bloomington on Oct.
- Ohio State also has what has been described as arguably the toughest schedule in college football, a new offensive play-caller, and a defense that ranks No. 78 in percentage of returning defensive production.
Indiana, meanwhile, beat Ohio State to claim last year’s Big Ten Championship, and did it with a front seven that mostly remains intact.
Still, the Buckeyes got the conference nod and were slotted No. 1 in the country. That won’t be forgotten in Bloomington.
Indiana also found itself behind Oregon in just about every meaningful preseason conversation. The Ducks were No. 2 in the Big Ten preseason poll, with Indiana at No.
- In the AP Poll, Oregon again checked in at No. 2 while Indiana landed at No. 6, and 55 of 69 voters put Oregon ahead of the Hoosiers.
The broader title predictions leaned the same way. Oregon showed up everywhere in media national championship picks; Indiana basically didn’t show up at all. The Ducks also replaced both coordinators, while Indiana kept both of theirs.
And then there’s the repeat question itself. The answer from the outside has been “no,” and while that might sting, it’s also the kind of skepticism Indiana fans would have taken without hesitation in almost any preseason conversation before 2026.
The new starting quarterback has been framed as one of the biggest reasons people are hesitant to buy the Hoosiers as a repeat threat, even though eight of the preseason top 10 teams have a returning starting QB. At the same time, Indiana is the only program in the country to have had two different quarterbacks finish in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting over the last two seasons.
That doesn’t make repeating easy. It just makes the doubts look a little less airtight.
The challenge is massive. The respect for that challenge seems to be driving a lot of the preseason conversation. Either way, Indiana enters the season with plenty of receipts and even more motivation.
In Other News...
Indiana Fall Camp Is Revealing A Few Crucial Position Battles
Indianas 2026 fall camp has moved at a brisk, businesslike pace, with the coaching staff getting a long look at a roster full of young players trying to carve out roles. Among the clearest competitions is at tight end, where Andrew Barker, Brock Schott and Trevor Gibbs are still battling for position, and blocking has emerged as a key separator in that group. Elsewhere, the secondary looks deeper than it did a year ago, with Byron Baldwin, Quan Sanks, Amare Ferrell and Preston Zachman all giving the staff reasons to feel better about safety depth.
There are also encouraging signs at cornerback from Carson Williams and Jaylen Bell, while linebacker P.J. Nelson continues to develop behind the starters. Wide receiver Lebron Bond has stood out for improved hands, and several walk-ons have added to the overall competitiveness of camp. With representatives from all 32 NFL teams taking in practices and no major injuries reported, Indiana is getting the kind of healthy, high-attention camp that should make these battles even more interesting as preseason work continues. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Backfield Just Got A Return That Could Change Everything
Lee Beebes return to practice gives Indiana another experienced piece to work with in the backfield, and it comes at a time when the Hoosiers are trying to keep their ground game among the most dependable parts of the offense. The redshirt senior has been working back from a knee injury suffered in September of last year, and he now says he feels fully recovered as he ramps up for the season.
Beebe is expected to join Khobie Martin and Turbo Richard in a three-player rotation, a setup that should help Indiana preserve the balance it has built under Curt Cignetti. The bigger question now is how quickly Beebe can re-establish himself after the layoff and how the Hoosiers choose to distribute the carries once the games start to matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Is In The Mix For A 5-Star Guard With One Catch
Nasir Andersons early recruitment has already become one worth tracking in Bloomington. The top-10 prospect in the class of 2027 has trimmed his list to 10 schools, and Indiana is still in the mix for a guard whose appeal goes well beyond the usual early hype. Anderson brings the kind of size, athleticism and all-around skill set that makes high-major staffs lean in early, and the Hoosiers are now trying to sell themselves against some of the biggest names in the sport.
For Indiana, the pitch is about more than simply getting in on a five-star talent. The staff will have to show Anderson how he would fit into the backcourt picture, especially with the current starting point guard already in place. That adds a layer to the recruitment, since the Hoosiers are not just competing for his commitment but also trying to define the role they could offer him if he chooses Bloomington. [Read more 🡒]