The Indiana Hoosiers have taken the college football world by storm under Curt Cignetti. Since taking over the program with the most losses in college football history, Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to an overall record of 27-2 with a pair of College Football Playoff appearances over the last two seasons. This past season, the Hoosiers went a perfect 16-0 en route to winning a historic National Championship.
Curt Cignetti details why Josh Hoover is the right QB to succeed Fernando Mendoza
Despite losing a plethora of significant contributors from last year's team including Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza, it's clear the Hoosiers have plenty of staying power in 2026. Cignetti has bolstered Indiana's roster with a solid transfer portal class, and has Indiana well-positioned to compete for another national title this upcoming season.
When looking at the upcoming 2026 Indiana football schedule, there are several key matchups fans are already eying. But one matchup in particular has elite potential to be among the best games of the year in all of college football.
Indiana set to host Ohio State on October 17
In what will be must-watch television for all Hoosier football fans, Indiana will host the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 17. It seems quite possible that both teams are ranked in the top-5 of the AP Poll when that contest rolls around.
Both Indiana and Ohio State are among the favorites to win the National Championship this season. More specifically, the Buckeyes are the odds-on favorites with the national title with odds of +650 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hoosiers aren't far behind with odds of +750 to win it all.
In his two seasons at the helm of the IU program, Cignetti's only Big Ten loss has come to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. That came back during the 2024 season when Ohio State defeated Indiana 38-15 at the Horseshoe in Columbus. However, Cignetti and the Hoosiers were able to get their revenge in the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game.
The last time the Buckeyes traveled to Bloomington was back in 2022. It was a day to forget for Hoosier fans, as the 2nd-ranked Buckeyes cruised to a 56-14 victory. The loss dropped Indiana to 3-7 overall and 1-6 in Big Ten play. Needless to say, a lot has changed since then.
Rematch of Big Ten Championship Game is must-watch television
October's matchup between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes brings us a re-match of this past season's Big Ten Championship Game. In a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, the 2nd-ranked Hoosiers prevailed by a score of 13-10 in a physical slugfest. The win gave Indiana its first Big Ten title since 1967.
The game didn't start out all that promising for Indiana, as OSU defensive end Caden Curry delivered a crushing hit to Mendoza on the first play from scrimmage. The Hoosier quarterback was clearly shaken up and remained on the turf for several moments after the play. He eventually got up under his own power and jogged off to the sidelines. Mendoza wasn't out for long, and upon his return, he delivered clutch moment after clutch moment to lead the Hoosiers to a historic victory.
Mendoza's toughness and tenacity earned the respect of Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, and showed just how special of a player he is.
With the Buckeyes coming to Bloomington this fall, Cignetti and company are eager to continue their reign of the college football world.
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