The days of Indiana football playing second fiddle to basketball season are over.
Indiana is projected to post a 10-2 record in 2026, according to the latest predictions from CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford. The Hoosiers are expected to go 7-2 in Big Ten play as they build on last winter’s national championship success.
Crawford’s model shows Indiana dominating its non-conference schedule against North Texas, Howard and Western Kentucky.
The real story comes in conference play. The projections have Indiana beating Ohio State and USC at home in Bloomington. Those wins would represent program-defining victories for Curt Cignetti’s squad.
Crawford also expects wins over Northwestern, Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota and rival Purdue.
That puts Indiana in position for a College Football Playoff berth.
The model isn’t predicting perfection. Crawford expects two conference losses on the road.
Indiana is projected to lose at Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Hoosiers are also expected to drop a difficult West Coast trip against Washington.
But only two road losses in an expanded 18-team Big Ten represents a massive step forward.
A 10-win season would change how the rest of college football views Indiana. Beating Ohio State and USC at home proves this program can compete with the sport’s elite programs on a consistent basis.
The Hoosiers are no longer just a trap game for Big Ten powers. They’re becoming a problem the entire conference has to to solve.
