ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum joined "First Take," and previewed the 2026 Indiana football season. A past critic of the Hoosiers, and one who admitted to his mistakes, Finebaum made it clear that he didn't see a path for the reigning national champions to repeat the same success in 2026. "Slow down a little bit. … You had your day, you'll have some fun, but you're not winning the national championship this year." He was sure to give IU acknowledgement. He named Curt Cignetti "the best coach in college football" while noting that he doesn't believe last year is a "one-off," and expects Indiana to be a playoff-caliber team going forward. Buy 2026 IU football tickets!
"They are the third best team in their own conference, and I know that sounds like a slam, but it's not." After calling out the Hoosiers' nonconference schedule, he took note of what Big Ten play will look like for Indiana, highlighting a three-game stretch in October.
Oct. 10 at Nebraska Oct. 17 vs. No. 1 Ohio State Oct. 24 at No. 16 Michigan
Cig says: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti on the best conference: Big Ten or SEC? "That to me is a three-game gauntlet, that they didn't have to do last year." Finebaum also expects the Hoosiers to have a tough stretch in November, when they play No. 14 Southern Cal and at No. 21 Washington in consecutive weeks. "They have four or five games that they really didn't have to deal with last year," he said.
"Slow down a little bit. ... You had your day, you'll have some fun, but you're not winning the National Championship this year." @finebaum sees NO chance in Indiana winning the National Championship 😳 pic.twitter.com/NfZqVdhXJ2 — First Take (@FirstTake) August 18, 2026 The Hoosiers kick off their season on September 5th, when North Texas visits Bloomington and former Indiana and Center Grover quarterback Tayven Jackson makes his return to Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers were ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY coaches and AP polls, behind top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Oregon. Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers. .oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why ESPN's Paul Finebaum likes Indiana football, but not to win national championship