Making the Case for Indiana as the No. 1 Team in College Football

Let’s make something abundantly clear. Indiana won’t be ranked No. 1 in any poll anytime soon as long as Ohio State keeps winning. In fact, no one is likely to unseat the Buckeyes unless the Buckeyes finally unseat themselves.

Fine. Understood. But let’s at least have a conversation about it. Let’s talk about the team, the path and everything behind and in front of it.

After thoroughly dismantling one of college football’s best teams in one of college football’s best environments, one has to, at the very least, entertain the conversation that Indiana might have the best football team in America.

Say it with me, and don’t hold back.

Indiana, the best team in college football.

It sounds weird, right? If it makes you feel any better, it’s probably as weird to type as it is to read. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, and that’s exactly the point.

Whether you’re there or not, one thing cannot be overstated enough. If the logo on the side of the helmet was different—say a classic football blueblood—this team would be viewed and respected differently. We would appreciate what we just witnessed far more.

On Saturday, the Indiana defense, which came into Saturday ranked No. 3 in the nation, limited Oregon, the nation’s No. 6 scoring offense, to just 267 yards of offense on the road.

The 30-20 victory, while plenty acceptable, could have been far more lopsided. A pick-six and a slew of costly penalties slowed the Hoosiers, although that’s about the only thing that could.

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Indiana was the dominant team, which is saying something considering the opposition. Oregon has looked the part of a legit title contender from the start of the year—and the Ducks still very much could be.

At home, Oregon is another beat entirely. This was the first loss the Ducks have suffered at home since December of 2023. Since 2021, this team has lost a grand total of three times at home.

To understand how we arrived here, one doesn’t have to travel far. At this point a season ago, Indiana was a CFB darling in the making. The Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new head coach Curt Cignetti, becoming the story of the 2024 season.

Acceptance was mixed given Indiana’s limited football history, but that didn’t matter. Cignetti’s team ultimately crashed the postseason. Although they ultimately lost to Notre Dame in the opening round, a statement was made.

Some, including this writer, questioned whether the pieces could come together in a meaningful way for the second year in a row. With the schedule, the changes and the assumption (clearly wrong) that a regression of some kind was in order, it seemed certain.

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Many of the key cogs on defense returned. And with a void at quarterback, Cignetti zeroed in on former Cal QB Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza hasn’t just grabbed the baton. In many respects, he’s lifted this offense to a different level.

What we’re left with is a team with incredible balance and few holes. While the roster might be overflowing with the same level of star power as others, it’s closed the gap.

That was on display on Saturday, and it was certainly on display when the Hoosiers throttled Illinois 63-10. This group can win with style points; it can also win ugly, just like we raw in a road win at Iowa.

Now, with a suddenly manageable path the rest of the way, Indiana is no longer a playoff hopeful. The Hoosiers are a real threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten, and they should be dreaming as big as they possibly can.

Indeed, the Buckeyes are still a force. And if both teams continue to thrive, they could meet in the Big Ten Championship Game—a matchup that would be oozing with intrigue. While time will hopefully tell how these teams stack up, it would feature one powerhouse vs. another.

Cinderella? That label has long been shed.

The charm that hovered over this team all of last year has been replaced with something more daunting and overpowering. Indiana is no longer the little engine that could. The Hoosiers are a beast of a team capable of beating any program in any building.

They have the defense, the quarterback and the head coach. They have all the pieces a program needs to win every single game they play.

While they probably won’t be ranked No. 1 heading next week, the resume up until this point is the best in college football. And if all goes according to plan, the Hoosiers will have the opportunity to prove itself worthy of such an honor.

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