Curt Cignetti has already done the part that used to feel impossible at Indiana. In just two seasons in Bloomington, he’s gone 27-2, capped by a perfect 16-0 run that ended with one of the most impressive national titles the sport has ever seen. Now the Hoosiers are walking into 2026 with a very different problem: staying on top.
That reality shows up in the preseason odds. Indiana is sitting at +900 to win the National Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook, good for the sixth-shortest number in the market.
Only Ohio State (+600), Notre Dame (+600), Texas (+650), Oregon (+750), and Georgia (+850) are ahead of the Hoosiers. Behind Indiana are Miami FL (+1000), LSU (+1700), Texas Tech (+2200), and Alabama (+2500).
For a program that, two years ago, was coming off the most losses in college football history before Cignetti arrived, that’s a staggering shift. Indiana is no longer the surprise story. It’s part of the conversation now.
But that’s where the pressure starts to change shape. The Hoosiers are the defending national champions, and that brings a level of expectation this program has never had to live with.
Every opponent on the schedule is going to circle Indiana. Every slip will draw a crowd.
The first stumble, if it comes, will bring the noise with it.
That’s the new challenge for the Hoosiers: not getting to the top, but proving they can stay there. They’re in uncharted territory, and oddsmakers are treating them that way, even as there’s a case to be made that Indiana should be even closer to the top of the board.
The Hoosiers are the third Big Ten team in the championship odds, and they trail two teams they beat during last year’s historic CFP title run. Still, the books know how rare a repeat really is in college football, and the numbers reflect that reality.
With kickoff for the opener against North Texas just days away, Indiana enters 2026 with confidence, momentum, and the kind of target that comes with being the team everyone wants to knock off. The last two years showed what Cignetti can build. This season will tell the rest of the story.
In Other News...
Indianas Season Opener Just Got Another National Stage
FOXs Big Noon Kickoff is set to make another stop in Bloomington, this time airing live from the South Lawn outside Memorial Stadium on the morning of Indianas 2026 season opener against North Texas. The pregame scene will start early, with a tailgate beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET, followed by a Barstool pregame show at 9:00 a.m. and Big Noon Kickoff at 10:00 a.m. ET.
For a program under Curt Cignetti that has already become familiar territory for national pregame crews, it is another sign that Indiana has turned home Saturdays into appointment viewing. The Hoosiers have hosted these shows multiple times in recent years, and the opener will once again put Bloomington in the national spotlight before a snap is even played. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hoosier Kaelon Black Is Suddenly In Line For Early NFL Snaps
Kaelon Blacks rise in San Francisco has been one of the quieter but more notable former Hoosier developments heading into the NFL season. The 49ers took him with the 90th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and hes already made the 53-man roster after turning heads in training camp and preseason work.
What makes the early role so interesting is where Black sits on the unofficial Week 1 depth chart, where he is listed as the teams second running back. That puts him in position to be the primary backup behind Christian McCaffrey as San Francisco gets ready for its opener, a spot that could mean real snaps sooner than many expected when the draft ended. [Read more 🡒]
Former Indiana QB Opens Up About Facing The Hoosiers Again
Indiana footballs 2026 opener already carries a little extra intrigue, with North Texas set to come to Memorial Stadium for a noon ET kickoff. For the Hoosiers, it means the first game of the season will also bring a familiar face back to Bloomington, as former Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson is now the starter for the Mean Green.
Jackson spoke during a media availability session about what it will mean to face his former team and how he has handled his winding college journey across multiple schools. He said he is focused on his mindset and on playing at a high level, and his return adds a layer of personal history to a season opener that was already going to have some attention. [Read more 🡒]