Indiana Went 16-0, Lost Eight NFL Stars, and College Football Is NOT Ready For Their No. 1 Ranking

Holy smokes, did you guys see this? Stewart Mandel just dropped his post-spring Top 25 for the 2026 college football season over at The Athletic, and it is a SHOCKER. We're talking about a paradigm shift from last year, and guess who's sitting pretty at number one? The Indiana Hoosiers. Yep, the Indiana Hoosiers! Mandel visited their campus this spring, and the man saw enough to put the defending national champs right at the top, no questions asked. I'm telling you, nobody expected this, especially not after what they lost.

The Hoosiers Rewrote History, Then Shed Their Stars

Let's be real, what Indiana did in 2025 was legendary. A perfect 16-0 season, taking home the Big Ten Championship, the Rose Bowl, the Peach Bowl, and the CFP National Championship Game. They became the first team to win 16 games in a single season since Yale back in 1894. Can you even imagine? Their school hadn't seen a Big Ten title since 1967 and never, ever, a national championship. And it's all thanks to Head Coach Curt Cignetti, who's got an insane 27-2 record over his first two seasons. The man is rewriting what's possible in Bloomington, and everyone across the league is taking notice.

But here's the kicker, the part that makes Mandel's ranking so wild: They lost EIGHT players to the NFL Draft this offseason! We're talking about their Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, plus All-Americans D'Angelo Ponds and Aiden Fisher. Four months ago, Mandel himself had them as low as No. 6 in his preseason rankings. So what changed? He must've seen something truly special this spring to move them all the way back to the top spot. Most analysts aren't even putting them first, favoring Ohio State or Oregon. Mandel clearly saw a different picture.

New Quarterback, Same Championship Swagger?

The biggest question mark, the storyline that had everyone buzzing this spring, was their offense. It was shorthanded, finding its footing with a lot of new faces. The crown jewel of their No. 1-ranked transfer portal class is TCU transfer Josh Hoover, stepping in at starting quarterback. Now, this is where it gets interesting. Former TCU head coach Sonny Dykes publicly questioned Hoover's turnover history. And when you look at his stats from TCU, 9,629 passing yards, a 65.2% completion rate, 71 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions, those ball security questions are legitimate. Thirty-three picks, man, that's a lot!

But Cignetti, ever the confident leader, isn't worried about the system fit. He flat out said, "Our offense will be a little different than TCU's offense." That's the kind of confidence you need to hear when you're breaking in so many new players. They're changing things up, trying to make it work for Hoover, and for everyone else on that new-look offense.

So, there it is. Indiana, the reigning champs, are back at No. 1 according to Stewart Mandel, despite losing a ton of talent and bringing in a new quarterback with a known turnover issue. It's a bold call, a real statement. Can Cignetti and this new crew prove everyone wrong and keep the championship train rolling? The 2026 season is going to be one for the ages, and I, for one, can't wait to see if they can live up to that insane ranking!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.