On Monday Night, the Indiana Hoosiers made history winning their first National Championship in a remarkable 16-0 season for Curt Cignetti's team. The run the Hoosiers have been on can't be understated as going 16-0 is impressive, but when you look at the list of programs they knocked off on the way to the Championship, it's one of the best seasons of all-time.
The Hoosiers beat the Oregon Ducks in Eugene and again in the College Football Playoff, Penn State, Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and Miami in the National Championship Game. The win that felt like it meant the most to Indiana came in the Big Ten Championship over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State and Indiana are set for October rematch
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers met in the Big Ten Championship as the last two unbeaten teams in a clash of different powers. Indiana was still seen as the scrappy underdog, but handing the defending National Champions their first loss of the season cemented Indiana as a true National Championship contenders.
Now Indiana and Ohio State will get to square off once again on October 17th, 2026 as Curt Cignetti will try to avenge his only loss in Big Ten play over two seasons while Ryan Day looks to get revenge for the Big Ten Championship Game.
Indiana will host Ohio State on Oct. 17. Remainder of Big Ten schedule will be released next Tuesday
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 20, 2026
The Ohio State Buckeyes will look very similar on offense as Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson, and Jeremiah Smith return as one of the scariest trios in college football. The defense loses a ton to the NFL Draft with Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Kayden McDonald departing, but the talent level is still high enough to earn the Buckeyes the No. 3 ranking in our Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings.
Curt Cignetti's team on the other hand will have a ton of fresh faces trying to lead the Hoosiers to back-to-back Championships. Fernando Mendoza, Omar Cooper Jr, Elijah Sarratt, D'Angelo Ponds, and more are likely off to the NFL while stars like Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh join via the Transfer Portal.
Seeing the last two National Champions face off in the regular season will be incredible as the game should have massive implications for the College Football Playoff race and the Big Ten Championship. Both teams will have plenty of time to mold their new units, making for an incredible showdown.