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2026 Indiana Hoosiers Football Predictions with Betting Odds and Best Bets

by Ryan Cobbett - 7/28/2026

Indiana Hoosiers football predictions Josh Hoover

Last season the Indiana Hoosiers flipped the college football landscape upside down as they beat Miami to win the National Championship. Curt Cignetti and his coaching staff led the Hoosiers to an incredible undefeated season, a Big Ten Championship, and the first National Championship in program history. As we move our attention to the upcoming season, the expectations for Indiana have changed. They are no longer underdogs, and the expectation is for them to be right back in the College Football Playoff mix. Indiana will be the biggest game on each of their opponents’ schedules, and they will have to show consistency as a program. There are questions surrounding the team’s new quarterback and whether or not this defense will stand strong again this season.

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Indiana Hoosiers Summary of Last Season

The Indiana Hoosiers went on to record a perfect, 16-0, season last year. They closed out close games against Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State in the regular season and completely dominated the remainder of their regular season schedule. Indiana took down Ohio State in a defensive minded Big Ten Championship, sneaking past the Buckeyes 13-10, giving the Hoosiers the number one overall seed in the playoffs. Indiana dominated their first two games in the playoffs, beating Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25. In the championship game, they held off Miami’s second half comeback try, taking down the Hurricanes 27-21.

The Hoosiers offense ranked 17th in the country in yards per game, averaging 452 YPG. They ranked third in the country in PPG, averaging 41.6 PPG. Fernando Mendoza completed 72% of his passes and he totaled 3,535 passing yards. He threw 41 touchdowns, added another seven on the ground, and threw just six interceptions. Mendoza also had a dynamic duo of rushers in the backfield with him. Roman Hemby led the team with 1,120 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Kaelon Black added another 1,040 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Khobie Martin added 505 rushing yards on 78 carries, and he recorded six rushing touchdowns. Mendoza also had a dynamic duo at receiver. Both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt recorded 65 or more receptions. Cooper Jr. led the team with 937 receiving yards, with Sarratt right behind him with 830. However, it was Sarratt that led the way with 15 receiving touchdowns, with Cooper Jr. adding 13.

Despite having a dominant offense, the strength of this Hoosiers team was their defense. The Hoosiers allowed just 11.7 PPG which was the second-best mark in the country behind only Ohio State. They also limited opponents to just 266 YPG which also ranked inside the Top Five. Rolijah Hardy led the Hoosiers with 103 tackles and eight sacks. He also recorded five pass deflections which were tied for third. Aiden Fisher and Louis Moore also reached the 90-tackles milestone on the season, with Fisher adding 4.5 sacks and two interceptions and Moore leading the team with six interceptions. D’Angelo Ponds was another cornerstone for this defense, adding 60 tackles, 10 pass deflections, two interceptions, and he forced a fumble.

Indiana Hoosiers Key Additions/Losses

The defending champions rank 52nd in the country in returning production. They saw eight players depart via the draft. Mendoza and Cooper Jr. went in the first round, and Ponds went in the second round. He was followed by Black (third round), Sarratt (fourth round), tight end Riley Nowakowski (fifth round), offensive lineman Pat Coogan (sixth round), and Fisher (seventh round). The Hoosiers also saw some departures in the portal, none more significant than defensive lineman Hosea Wheeler who transferred to Baylor.

Despite all the losses, Cignetti did what he does best, reload. He put together the eighth best transfer portal class in the country. He refueled his offense by adding quarterback Josh Hoover (TCU), wide receiver Nick Marsh (Michigan State), offensive lineman Joe Brunner (Wisconsin), running back Turbo Richard (Boston College), and wide receiver Shazz Preston (Tulane). He also added some strong defensive players in edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State), cornerback A.J. Harris (Penn State), as well as two more edge rushers in Joshua Burnham (Notre Dame) and Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State).

2026 Indiana Hoosiers Schedule Breakdown

Indiana has a backloaded schedule for the 2026 campaign. They open with four straight home games against the likes of North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, and Northwestern. Indiana will then head out to take on Rutgers in their first road game of the season. After that, it gets a lot tougher. Their following six games are as follows, at Nebraska, Ohio State, at Michigan, Minnesota, USC, and at Washington. While they do have a bye week between Minnesota and USC, Indiana needs to avoid the trap game against Minnesota after playing the Buckeyes and Wolverines in back-to-back weeks. A road trip to Washington will also be a tall task. They finish the season with another easy matchup against Purdue.

2026 Indiana Hoosiers X-Factors/Big Questions

Does Curt Cignetti finally lose at home?

Cignetti has yet to lose a home game since taking over at Indiana, and he should win four more to start the season. However, Ohio State comes to town on October 17th to try and end his home winning streak. The Hoosiers also have home games against USC and Minnesota, two teams that should not be overlooked. Indiana’s win total is set at 10.5, with the strongest possibility of a loss being the game against the Buckeyes. At some point Cignetti will lose at home, but he will do everything he can to take down the Buckeyes, not only to stay perfect at home, but to pick up a key win as they look to defend their conference championship.

Can Indiana maintain National Powerhouse status?

This is an extremely important question heading into this season. Indiana reached the top of the mountain. They won their first national championship, they won the Big Ten, and they have posted a 27-2 record in their last two seasons. Now they have to see what Hoover can do in Mendoza’s shoes, they must see if they get enough help from the ground game, and it is not crazy to say the wide receiver room has taken a hit from last season. Cignetti knows how to win, but he needs to put together another 10-win season in order to prove consistency and assign the Hoosiers the label of national powerhouse.

2026 Indiana Hoosiers Notable Odds:

National Championship: +900

Big 10 Champion: +290

Heisman Winner- Josh Hoover: +1500

Predicted Win Total: 10.5 Games

2026 Indiana Hoosiers Predictions:

Until proven they no longer belong at the top, I am high on this Indiana team. Cignetti knows how to win… Google him. While this year’s team may be the weakest in his short tenure at Indiana, there is still a lot to like. They play their toughest game at home, and in order for the win total to hit, Indiana can lose one game. At +100 I am going to take the over on the win total. I am also going to take a flier for them to defend their National Championship at +900. While I do not think Hoover is a Heisman-caliber quarterback, if he can limit the turnovers, he will win a lot of games this season. Cignetti still has more he wants to prove.

Prediction: Over 10.5 Wins, +100

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