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If fans have spent the last few decades viewing Indiana football strictly as a basketball school, waiting for November, it is time to wake up.
The Hoosiers are no longer just a pesky trap game for the Big Ten's blue bloods. If the latest national models are accurate, Indiana will officially remain a massive problem for the rest of the 18-team super-conference.
According to the latest 2026 game picks and win-loss predictions from CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford, the Hoosiers are projected to finish with a stunning 10-2 overall record, including a dominant 7-2 mark in Big Ten play to continue their success from their national title-winning season last winter.
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To understand just how staggering this projection is, it's important to look at who Crawford expects Indiana to beat.
The model predicts the Hoosiers will steamroll their non-conference slate of North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky before unleashing chaos in conference play. Crawford projects Indiana to secure program-defining, marquee victories over Ohio State and USC in Bloomington. Add in projected wins over Northwestern, Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota, and rival Purdue, and the Hoosiers are suddenly staring down the barrel of a double-digit win season and a legitimate College Football Playoff berth.
The path to 10 wins won't be entirely flawless. The CBS Sports model predicts two conference losses, both coming in incredibly hostile road environments. Crawford expects Indiana to stumble in Ann Arbor against Michigan and drop a grueling West Coast trip to Washington.
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However, escaping an expanded Big Ten schedule with only two road losses against perennial contenders is a massive victory. A 10-2 campaign fundamentally alters the national perception of Indiana football. Beating a loaded Ohio State roster and a high-profile brand like USC proves that Curt Cignetti's program is built for sustained excellence among the sport's elite.
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