The Indiana Hoosiers have taken the college football world by storm over the past two seasons. Now, they’re looking to build on that success and keep the momentum rolling in a big way in 2026. With Curt Cignetti leading the way, the Hoosiers are more than capable of putting together another CFP run.
Ranking every Indiana Football position group from strongest to weakest
The 2026 roster features a solid mix of returning production and additions through the transfer portal. The schedule also sets up well. Cignetti also brings back his entire coaching staff, which is extremely rare when coming off a National Championship-winning season.
After going a perfect 12-0 in the regular season last year, how many games will Indiana win in 2026? Here are our game-by-game predictions:
Indiana Football 2026 predictions: Game-by-game projections
Game 1: vs. North Texas
North Texas won 12 games last year and was one of the best Group of 6 teams in the country. However, they are essentially a whole new team in 2026. Eric Morris left for the Oklahoma State job, and took a significant amount of talent with him. UNT's roster features 49 transfers and an entirely new coaching staff. New head coach Neal Brown got a tough draw by having to face the defending National Champions on the road in his first game leading the Mean Green.
Indiana wins big. 1-0.
Game 2: vs. Howard
This is a free space. Indiana should make light work of Howard.
Indiana dominates. 2-0.
Game 3: vs. Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers shouldn't be overlooked, as they have been a consistent winner under Tyson Helton. WKU has also given Indiana fits in recent matchups, as IU won by narrow scores of 33-31 in 2021 and 33-30 in 2022. But that was before Curt Cignetti came to Bloomington and changed everything. WKU should be a solid team, but the Hoosiers still have a significant talent advantage in this one.
Indiana breezes through the non-conference slate. 3-0.
Game 4: vs. Northwestern
Indiana's Big Ten slate begins with a home matchup against Northwestern on Friday, September 25. The Wildcats are 11-16 in Big Ten play over David Braun's three seasons in Evanston. Looking to build some excitement, Braun brought in Chip Kelly to be his offensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel to be his quarterbacks coach. It makes for an interesting dynamic, but it might not be enough to keep up with Mike Shanahan and the Hoosiers.
Indiana wins the Big Ten opener by double-digits. 4-0.
Game 5: at Rutgers
Indiana's first road game of the season comes on October 3 in Piscataway. The second stint for Greg Schiano at Rutgers hasn't gone as planned. The Scarlet Knights have won more than three Big Ten games just once over the course of six seasons during his current tenure. WR K.J. Duff is a legit star, but there aren't enough other pieces around him to take down the Hoosiers.
Indiana takes care of business on the road. 5-0.
Game 6: at Nebraska
Indiana throttled Nebraska by a score of 56-7 back in 2024. Since then, the Huskers have regressed while the Hoosiers have thrived. Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is a tough place to play, but when it gets down to the nitty gritty, Indiana is the far superior team. However, the Hoosiers can't be caught looking ahead with a highly-anticipated matchup against Ohio State looming.
The Hoosiers win, but maybe by less than they should. 6-0.
Game 7: vs. Ohio State
The matchup between Indiana and Ohio State has Game of the Year potential. As the last two National Champions, this Big Ten title game rematch should feature plenty of fireworks. Heading into the new season, this matchup can be viewed as a toss up. However, by the time October 17 rolls around, the Buckeyes will be a bit more battle-tested than the Hoosiers. Before heading to Bloomington, Ohio State will have already faced No. 5 Texas on the road, Illinois at home, and No. 22 Iowa on the road. Indiana's schedule is much lighter, which can be viewed as both a good and bag thing. But for now, a slight edge goes to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State wins, but barely. 6-1.
Game 8: at Michigan
The Hoosiers don't get much of a break after facing Ohio State, as a trip to Ann Arbor comes the following week. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding the Wolverines in Year 1 of the Kyle Whittingham era. The talent appears to be there, but Michigan's success largely depends on sophomore QB Bryce Underwood taking that crucial next step in his development. The consistency hasn't been there for Underwood just yet, and the Hoosier defense is more than capable of making life extremely difficult on him in this one.
Indiana bounces back. 7-1.
Game 9: vs. Minnesota
Indiana hosts Minnesota on Halloween night in Bloomington. Getting this game at home is a big advantage for Cignetti and company, as the Golden Gophers were abysmal on the road last season. Specifically, Minnesota went 7-0 at home but 0-5 on the road in 2025. Road woes have been a common theme for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, and things won't get any easier in this matchup.
Indiana wins. 8-1.
Game 10: vs. USC
This matchup against USC is flying-under-the-radar. The Trojans are in a make-or-break year under Lincoln Riley, and his offenses know how to put up points. However, Riley has generally won the games he's supposed to, but has struggled against the top teams in the conference. It will be interesting to see where the Trojans are in the Big Ten standings when this contest rolls around. But with USC having to travel all the way across the country and Indiana coming off a bye, the Hoosiers should be victorious.
Cignetti bests Riley. 9-1.
Game 11: at Washington
Washington is a program on the rise, and Husky Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in all of college football. Jedd Fisch led the Huskies from a 6-win season in 2024 to a 9-win season a year ago, and his do-it-all QB is back. Demond Williams is a matchup nightmare, and is a legitimate Heisman contender. This is Indiana's longest road trip of the season in terms of distance, and may be their toughest road test on the gridiron as well.
Hoosiers lose a close one. 9-2.
Game 12: vs. Purdue
Indiana has dominated Purdue over the last two seasons. The Hoosiers have defeated the Boilermakers by a combined score of 122-3, and Purdue is expected to be in the cellar of the Big Ten once again this season. This one could get ugly again.
Overpowering win. 10-2.
There you go: Indiana goes 10-2. While it won't be the same as last year's undefeated campaign, going 10-2 in 2026 means that Indiana will likely still be competing in the CFP. It would also mean that Cignetti would move to 37-4 over his first three seasons in Bloomington. Not too shabby! Now it's time to see how things play out.
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