Indiana is back in the national conversation before the 2026 season even kicks off, and CBS Sports has the Hoosiers planted firmly in the College Football Playoff mix again.
That alone says plenty about how far Curt Cignetti’s program has come. Indiana is entering the year with a shot at defending its national championship, but the first hurdle is simpler and still plenty demanding: getting back to the CFP for a third straight season. CBS Sports believes that path is very much open, even if the Hoosiers didn’t quite crack the top tier of contenders.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports put Indiana in the “program leadership should prevail” tier, a group it shared only with Texas. Crawford’s assessment was blunt about the shift in Bloomington.
"The Hoosiers proved last season their rise under Curt Cignetti was no fluke, and expectations for 2026 extend well beyond another playoff appearance," wrote CBS Sports' Brad Crawford. "Continuity, confidence and one of the nation's most disciplined programs have transformed Indiana into a legitimate Big Ten heavyweight. The roster is experienced and bolstered by portal additions; the culture is established, and the belief in Bloomington has shifted from chasing respect to chasing championships.
"The Hoosiers may not recruit like Ohio State or Oregon, but they have consistently outperformed expectations under Cignetti. Counting them out of the national title conversation after winning it all last season would be a mistake."
Indiana landed just outside CBS Sports’ “clear frontrunners” tier, which included Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Miami and Georgia. The Hoosiers and Longhorns were the next group down, while other contenders were sorted into categories labeled “rosters worth a second look,” “schedule assistance looms large,” “first-year coach hesitancy,” and “dark horses.”
The Big Ten showed up heavily across the projection, with six different schools mentioned and Indiana right in the middle of the league’s upper class. Ohio State and Oregon made the top tier, USC landed in the third, Michigan showed up in the fifth and Washington in the sixth.
Crawford’s writeups on the Big Ten schools painted a clear picture of the conference’s hierarchy entering 2026.
For Ohio State, he pointed to Ryan Day’s track record and the talent around Heisman finalist Julian Sayin, writing: "When you're 82-12 as a head coach, winning big is expected. Ryan Day has another title-capable squad after the Buckeyes fell well short of the prize in 2025. Heisman finalist Julian Sayin has a new offensive coordinator to pair with the nation's best player, Jeremiah Smith, and a few first-year impact players from a decorated signing class."
Oregon also drew a strong review, with Crawford highlighting the Ducks’ defense and the return of quarterback Dante Moore: "Armed with an all-senior defensive front, all-world linebackers and one of the nation's most lethal secondaries, Oregon's defense, built by Dan Lanning, could be the best in college football. And we haven't even mentioned the return of quarterback Dante Moore, who led the Ducks to within one win of last season's national championship game. Lanning is due for a breakthrough, and it feels like the 2026 campaign is when it'll happen."
USC’s outlook centered on a roster that no longer leaves much room for excuses. Crawford wrote: "The Trojans' roster makeover under Lincoln Riley has reached the point where excuses no longer exist.
USC paired the nation's No. 1 recruiting class with an already talented core, creating the kind of depth required to survive both the Big Ten and CFP. Elite freshmen won't have to carry the program, but several are talented enough to contribute immediately.
More importantly, the Trojans look tougher in the trenches and more complete defensively than they have in recent seasons."
And for Michigan, Crawford focused on the challenge ahead under Kyle Whittingham: "Kyle Whittingham offers Michigan instant credibility, but even one of college football's most respected coaches inherits a difficult path in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines face one of the nation's toughest schedules, leaving little margin for error during a transition season of sorts. Whittingham's teams are known for toughness and consistency, yet expecting an immediate playoff breakthrough against this slate feels ambitious."
For Indiana, though, the message was different. The Hoosiers are no longer being treated like a surprise story or a hopeful outsider. CBS Sports has them sitting among the teams expected to matter again, and Cignetti’s group is being viewed as something bigger now: a program with staying power.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Got The Break It Needed In Monshun Sales Race
Monshun Sales recruitment has tightened into a high-end chase, with Indiana still in the mix alongside Texas, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama as the 5-star receiver heads toward a decision. For the Hoosiers, this is the kind of battle that matters beyond one commitment, because Curt Cignetti is pushing for what would be the first-ever 5-star high school recruit in program history.
Texas has done plenty to make a strong case, but the picture there is not entirely settled with a decision still three days away. Indianas opening is simple enough: keep pressure on, stay relevant and hope the race stays fluid long enough for the Hoosiers to make one more push before Sales closes things down. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Fans Are Feeling The Loss Of A Voice They Grew Up With
For four decades, Joe Smith was part of the soundtrack around Indiana University football and basketball, a familiar presence to generations of fans who grew up hearing his voice around the program. Working alongside Don Fischer, he handled the pregame, halftime and postgame duties that helped frame the action, and his reputation extended beyond Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium into Bloomingtons high school sports scene, where his storytelling and connection to the community made him stand out.
Smith stepped away from IUs radio broadcast in 2022, but he never really disappeared from the orbit of Hoosier sports, staying involved in coverage even as the program moved through the Cignetti seasons. Former coach Tom Crean was among those who remembered him for his kindness and his genuine love for IU and Bloomington, a reminder of how much of Smiths appeal came from being more than a broadcaster - he was a constant presence people felt they knew. [Read more 🡒]
These Indiana Returners Will Define What Comes After The Breakthrough
Indianas breakthrough season has already shifted the conversation from what the Hoosiers did to what they can sustain, and that starts with the players who are coming back. Curt Cignetti has pointed to Khobie Martin, Drew Evans, Amare Ferrell, Blake Thiry and Daniel Ndukwe as the kinds of returners who can turn one big year into something more durable, whether that means filling a hole, pushing for a bigger role or simply giving the staff more certainty at spots that still need answers.
Martin sounds like a player whose rise could become one of the quieter storylines of the offseason, while Evans is in the middle of a search that still has not produced a clear answer at center. Ferrell brings more than production to the secondary, Thiry is suddenly in position to compete after redshirting, and Ndukwe is part of a battle at the stud spot that should tell Indiana a lot about how ready its depth really is once the next season begins. [Read more 🡒]