Repeating as National Champions is arguably the toughest thing to do in sports. When you are at the top, everybody wants to bring you down. After winning it all, matchups against your team instantly get circled on the calendar, and you get everybody best shot.
After a perfect 16-0 season that culminated in a historic national title, the Indiana Hoosiers are sure to get a Super Bowl-like effort from their opponents in the upcoming college football season. Curt Cignetti has turned the IU football program from an afterthought into a national power, and the Hoosiers have plenty of staying power with Cignetti leading the way.
Expectations remain high in Bloomington, as Indiana is among the early favorites to win it all in the 2026-27 season. However, these three teams pose the biggest threat to a Hoosier repeat.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off an undefeated 12-0 regular season, and they were finally able to beat Michigan for the first time since 2019. However, their season went south in the postseason as Indiana handed Ohio State a 13-10 loss in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes then lost to Miami (FL) in the Cotton Bowl/Quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. After that rough ending to the season, Ryan Day has re-loaded OSU's roster to compete for a natty this season.
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Indiana is set to host Ohio State at Memorial Stadium on October 17 in a matchup that has serious Game of the Year potential. The Buckeyes have revenge on their minds after losing the Big Ten title game, and it's already clear that this heavyweight matchup carries a ton of weight in how the CFP field will play out.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were left out of the CFP field last season, and they are coming back with a vengeance in 2026-27. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are both off to the NFL, but Aneyas Williams is more than capable of leading a successful Fighting Irish rushing attack. The rising junior averaged 9.3 yards per rush last season, and he has all the tools to be an effective playmaker.
Quarterback CJ Carr is coming off a freshman season in which he racked up 2,741 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also added 3 rushing touchdowns. After such a sensational rookie campaign, Carr should be even better this fall. Notre Dame also returns 9 of its top 10 tacklers from last season, which puts the Fighting Irish defensive core in a great spot.
Texas Longhorns
It's clear that Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns are going all-in this season. Sarkisian landed the No. 1 WR in the portal in the form of Auburn's Cam Coleman, and he figures to be Arch Manning's top target. Manning had some rough showings last season, but he steadily improved and still finished with over 3,000 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns (10 rushing) with 7 interceptions. He should be more polished heading into the new season.
Defensively, Sarkisian made the move to fire defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and bring in Will Muschamp. Mushcamp has seen a little bit of everything in his coaching career, and he is one of the best defensive minds out there. The Longhorns are loaded with talent and present a major threat to Indiana's quest to repeat as National Champions.
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