Pete Thamel is betting on Indiana to stay on top of college football.
On the “College GameDay Podcast,” the ESPN college sports insider picked the Hoosiers to repeat as national champions, even with the usual pressure that comes with defending a title and the added grind of an expanding College Football Playoff.
"I'm taking Indiana. Until they prove otherwise, I'm taking Indiana," Thamel said.
"It's not that I think Ohio State or anybody else is going to be bad; I am all in on Indiana. The dude is 27-2."
That confidence starts with Curt Cignetti’s track record. Indiana has gone 23-1 in regular-season play over the first two years of his tenure with two different transfer quarterbacks running the offense.
Kurtis Rourke arrived from Ohio and immediately turned into a 3,000-yard passer in 2024. Fernando Mendoza then took the next step last season, going from an average Power Four starter at Cal to a Heisman Trophy winner at Indiana. Now Josh Hoover gets the job, and his production at TCU was already eye-catching - more than 3,400 passing yards in each of his last two seasons.
"I'm a card-carrying member of the Josh Hoover fan club," Thamel said. "If you look at Kurtis Rourke at Ohio and Indiana.
You look at Fernando, who was good at Cal, and you look at what they did with him at Indiana. You look back at the quarterbacks Cig had at James Madison, you can go back further if you want, but they've basically had a quarterback who's been the player of the year in the league every year."
Indiana’s path in 2026 won’t be quiet. Ohio State wants payback in Bloomington after losing to the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship last season. Oregon, which Indiana doesn’t see in the regular season, would also be looking to settle the score if the teams meet in the postseason.
And the threats don’t stop there. Miami is also circling after a College Football Playoff loss to Indiana, though its schedule still leaves a clear route back to the playoff in 2026.
Beyond that, Notre Dame and Georgia are both lurking as major non-conference powers Indiana didn’t face in 2025. The Fighting Irish are aiming to make a statement after being left out of the 2026 College Football Playoff, while Georgia is trying to end a three-year national title drought under Kirby Smart.
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Jeremiah Smith Just Put Serious Weight Behind One Buckeyes Freshman
Big Ten Media Days usually bring the usual summer polish, but Jeremiah Smith gave Ohio State a little more than a canned answer when the conversation turned to freshman receiver Brock Boyd. Smith made it clear he has noticed Boyds playmaking already, and the praise carried extra weight coming from the Buckeyes top returning wideout, who knows what it looks like when a young receiver starts earning trust quickly.
Boyds path into the lineup is part of a broader competition that is still taking shape, with five receivers battling for three steady spots behind Smith. Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Kyle Parker and Chris Henry Jr. are all in that mix, and Boyds emergence only adds another layer to a group that is trying to sort itself out before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Just Hinted At An Ohio State Line Shakeup
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Day pointed to Phillip Daniels as one of the players whose practice work could help determine the best five, and that kind of flexibility matters because the staff is still weighing how the pieces fit. The right guard competition is part of it, but so is the broader question of whether Ohio State can lock in a lineup early enough to avoid another season of shuffling, especially with Day saying this is the deepest the line has been since he took over. [Read more 🡒]
National Buzz Is Building Around Ohio States Next Receiver Threat
National attention is starting to follow Chris Henry Jr., and for good reason. Pete Nakos recently put the Ohio State freshman on his list of true freshmen who could make an immediate impact this season, a sign that the buzz around the receiver room is already reaching beyond Columbus. With Jeremiah Smith established as the headliner, the Buckeyes are still sorting out who else can step into meaningful snaps, and Henry Jr. has the kind of talent that keeps him in that conversation.
The opportunity is real because the depth chart behind Smith is still unsettled, leaving several young receivers to battle for limited spots. If Henry Jr. keeps flashing in camp, he could put himself in position to matter right away, which is exactly why his name is drawing so much interest before the season even starts. For Ohio State, the appeal is obvious: another high-end receiver threat emerging early would only deepen a room that already carries plenty of intrigue. [Read more 🡒]