Published on: January 20, 2026, 09:24h.
Updated on: January 20, 2026, 09:24h.
- The Indiana Hoosiers defied expectations in winning the College Football Playoff National Championship
- In an extraordinary turn of events, Curt Cignetti crafted a narrative worthy of the big screen
The Indiana Hoosiers achieved an undefeated college football season with a thrilling 27-21 win over the Miami Hurricanes on Monday night. Led by Heisman Trophy recipient Fernando Mendoza, Indiana’s remarkable 16-0 journey comes just two years after a disappointing 3-9 record in 2023, marking the school’s third consecutive losing season.
Indiana’s remarkable rise to the pinnacle of college football, just two years after Curt Cignetti’s arrival, is historic both on the field and in the betting world.
Prior to the commencement of the 2025 college football season last August, most sportsbooks had Indiana’s odds of winning the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship at 100/1 or higher. The +10000 odds translate to an implied winning probability of less than 1%. Despite reaching the 2024 CFP, the Hoosiers suffered a first-round defeat against their in-state rivals, Notre Dame, with a score of 27-17.
Remarkable College Football Odds
With odds of 100/1, the Indiana Hoosiers made history by setting the record for the longest preseason odds to win the National Championship. Before this triumph, the Auburn Tigers held the record at 50/1 when they won the title in 2010.
Indiana’s success against 100/1 odds marks the second-longest odds for a championship-winning team in the six major US sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAAF, NCAAM), surpassed only by the 1999 St. Louis Rams, who won the Super Bowl with 150/1 odds.
The Hoosiers’ turnaround feels like a cinematic storyline. From 1899 to the start of the 2025 season, Indiana recorded the most NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) losses with 715 defeats. Remarkably, the Hoosiers won three bowl games during their 2025 CFP run, a milestone considering they had only secured three bowl game victories throughout their entire program history prior to this year. Indiana football commenced its journey in 1887.
Historically, Indiana football had never exceeded nine wins in 138 seasons prior to 2025, achieving this mark only twice. With an outstanding record of 27-2 over two seasons, Cignetti could lose the next 32 games and still maintain a better winning percentage than the Hoosiers achieved in the five seasons preceding his tenure.
“Many believed this was unattainable,” Cignetti remarked on Monday night. “This might be one of the most remarkable stories in sports, and it’s thanks to these players and our staff.”
With 100/1 odds, a bettor who staked just $10 on Indiana before the season walked away with $1,000.
Big Ten Dominance Continues
Indiana’s championship signals a third consecutive year that the CFP National Championship victor hails from the Big Ten. With the increasing influence of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights, it seems the SEC’s dominance may be waning.
Early predictions for the 2026 college football season suggest a strong possibility of a Big Ten four-peat. DraftKings currently lists Ohio State and Indiana as co-favorites with the best odds at +700, followed by Texas and Notre Dame at +750, with Oregon at +850 completing the top five.