Hoosiers Daily News: Is Indiana being doubted again ahead of 2026?

Indiana football has very little to prove under Curt Cignetti moving forward.

The Hoosiers won a national championship in year two of his tenure, something nigh unthinkable just 24 months prior. They were given twelve games to play and ended up winning sixteen. Despite this, Indiana will open the 2026 season outside of the top-5 in the AP preseason poll.

Indiana will rank No. 6 when it takes the field for the first time. The Hoosiers sat at No. 20 at this time last year and actually fell, somehow, to No. 23 just a week later, which shows the glaring flaws in the AP poll’s methodology, but that’s a conversation for another day.

Regardless, Indiana will stay at No. 6. Where it goes from there is almost entirely up to the Hoosiers themselves. And that worked pretty well last time.

Here’s what to know about the Hoosiers today:

ICYMI on The Crimson Quarry

• Indiana football survey: Projecting the Hoosiers’ win total in 2026
• The Josh Hoover and Fernando Mendoza debate is not real
• Indiana football 2026 position preview: Wide receivers
• Report: Indiana AD Scott Dolson signs contract extension

What they’re saying about the Hoosiers

• USA Today:Big Ten football’s 10 most impactful transfers for 2026: From Josh Hoover to Terry Moore
• The Indianapolis Star:Former Indiana basketball trainer files lawsuit against IU, athletic director. What we know
• The Daily Hoosier:“Kill the old you”: IU football QB Josh Hoover says he’s never been held to a higher standard

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