2026 IUFB: CHAPTER 3

[Pagoda]

I like the optimism but ND is a 20.5 point favorite.  Maybe Wisky surprises them… but it’s gonna be a tough one for them.

[Home Jersey]

Just now, Pagoda said:

I like the optimism but ND is a 20.5 point favorite.  Maybe Wisky surprises them… but it’s gonna be a tough one for them.

Yeah, Fickell is probably the odds on favorite to be the first in-season firing. 

[Stuhoo]

5 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

I like the optimism but ND is a 20.5 point favorite.  Maybe Wisky surprises them… but it’s gonna be a tough one for them.

Geez, that's the same spread as the ND/Purdon't game.

Is there any way I can bet that Wisky loses by less than Purdon't?

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

18 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

IU beat Oregon last year ... twice, when Oregon was just as talented as they will be this year.

Now Oregon lost both of their coordinators. Three other offensive staff members left with Stein to go to Kentucky.

Oregon has tons of talent? Coaching is a integral factor when players look ultra-talented. Other teams are extremely talented and don't have to deal with new people scattered all over their coaching staff.

And I don't want to hear about "payback" for last year. The time for payback for Oregon against IU was in the Peach Bowl. That was their pre-game locker room hype, and lasted only until superior coaching and preparation guided DeAngelo Ponds to jump the route on the game's first play. AFter that, Oregon wasn't thinking about payback, they were thinking "uh-oh, here we go again."

I'll take the team that had enough talent last year, has just as much talent this year, and returns its entire coaching staff.

Oregon did lose both but they return a Heisman level QB, both RBs, arguably the best TE in the nation, the best front 7 in the nation and arguably the best CB in the nation and brought in the top safety transfer. Biggest question for them will be offensive line. They were really young last year. they have the most talented roster in the nation. Could be Lannings best roster, though his 2027 team will also be really good and will have Raiola(who will be good in a real program).

[skhoosier2]

52 minutes ago, LIHoosier said:

The Wisky/Notre Lame game is at Lambeau

Thanks.  Still think with how ND travels it will be more of a home game for them.  Hopefully UW is more competitive than the line indicates.

[Hovadipo]

39 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

I like the optimism but ND is a 20.5 point favorite.  Maybe Wisky surprises them… but it’s gonna be a tough one for them.

Yeah, it's really not what anyone wants to hear but the Domers are going to be a load this year. I'd love to get another shot at them in January.

[Brass Cannon]

Early season lines are a crapshoot.  And this QB is no joke as we learned last year. Was he the only QB with multiple TDs against us before garbage time in the the peach bowl?

[Pagoda]

5 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

Yeah, it's really not what anyone wants to hear but the Domers are going to be a load this year. I'd love to get another shot at them in January.

That would be amazing.

Frankly, if they just don’t win it all this year that would be excellent.  Our 16-0 title really annoys them and I’d love to keep lording that over them.

[Lebowski]

1 hour ago, LIHoosier said:

The Wisky/Notre Lame game is at Lambeau

Not gonna lie, this would be a pretty cool experience to attend. But both teams can pound sand. 

[Stuhoo]

1 hour ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Oregon did lose both but they return a Heisman level QB, both RBs, arguably the best TE in the nation, the best front 7 in the nation and arguably the best CB in the nation and brought in the top safety transfer. Biggest question for them will be offensive line. They were really young last year. they have the most talented roster in the nation. Could be Lannings best roster, though his 2027 team will also be really good and will have Raiola(who will be good in a real program).

Per 247 composite rankings, the five most talented rosters last season were:

1. Georgia
2. Bama
3. OSU
4. Texas
5. Oregon

We went 4-0 against those teams, in one road game and three neutral site games. So I'm not sure how you are measuring "talent." For me? Talent is as talent does.

So while Oregon is an objectively very good and talented team, I prefer the talents of guys like Hardy, Jones, Evans, Khobie, and on and on and on, even if they were two and three stars.

Oh, and are you saying that the best front seven in the nation isn't a Bryant Haines-coached group that includes Tucker, Landino, Daley, Osunsami, Jones, Hardy and Wyatt? To me that's not just a hot take, that's a wrong take.

Finally, I find it really interesting that many/most of the pundits are falling into the same trap of grading a Cignetti football team based on 'talent profile' instead of process, culture, attention to detail, and system. IU gets more flowers than ever, but teams like Texas and Oregon are their preference over Indiana. Still! It's frankly kind of awesome.

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

7 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Per 247 composite rankings, the five most talented rosters last season were:

1. Georgia
2. Bama
3. OSU
4. Texas
5. Oregon

We went 4-0 against those teams, in one road game and three neutral site games. So I'm not sure how you are measuring "talent." For me? Talent is as talent does.

So while Oregon is an objectively very good and talented team, I prefer the talents of guys like Hardy, Jones, Evans, Khobie, and on and on and on, even if they were two and three stars.

Oh, and are you saying that the best front seven in the nation isn't a Bryant Haines-coached group that includes Tucker, Landino, Daley, Osunsami, Jones, Hardy and Wyatt? To me that's not just a hot take, that's a wrong take.

Finally, I find it really interesting that many/most of the pundits are falling into the same trap of grading a Cignetti football team based on 'talent profile' instead of process, culture, attention to detail, and system. IU gets more flowers than ever, but teams like Texas and Oregon are their preference over Indiana. Still! It's frankly kind of awesome.

We did. And I get that. And I get how good Indiana will be. you can make cases for Oregon, Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame to win the natty. Can probably throw Texas into there. I'd consider those to be the only real contenders. Oregon still has the most talent. They have a really good coach who will need to take that next step himself. So to me, maybe, just maybe, this is finally Oregons year. 

 

Either way, I think Oregon, Indiana or Ohio State win the national title. Oregon would be wild giving the B1G four different teams in 4 years. 

[Home Jersey]

15 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Finally, I find it really interesting that many/most of the pundits are falling into the same trap of grading a Cignetti football team based on 'talent profile' instead of process, culture, attention to detail, and system. IU gets more flowers than ever, but teams like Texas and Oregon are their preference over Indiana. Still! It's frankly kind of awesome.

HoosiersAthletics Forum

Lots of fans from other programs desperately want to believe last year was a lucky fluke and/or Cig was just first to this idea of getting older guys on the team.

After we repeat this season it will be impossible for them to deny that this is anything but a Saban-like dynasty... but even better because of where it's happening. 

[BGVille Hoosierfan]

12 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

Lots of fans from other programs desperately want to believe last year was a lucky fluke and/or Cig was just first to this idea of getting older guys on the team.

After we repeat this season it will be impossible for them to deny that this is anything but a Saban-like dynasty... but even better because of where it's happening. 

I don't think we'll have the chance at a Saban-like dynasty.  Not because we won't be great but because I think we only have a few years left of college football as we know it.  I think once Indiana or other B1G teams continue to win the Natty over the next 2-3 years, the SEC will proverbially "take their ball and go home" and will officially break away from the NCAA and cause a major shakeup in the sport.  I think that's more of a reality than what people think.  

[Pagoda]

Hmm… I think the SEC needs the other conferences, notably the B1G, for compelling games and narrative.  On its own it’s worth much less.

I doubt we see another Saban like run because of the NIL era.  Can’t stack super teams anymore, which is going to spread out the titles.

As for what Cig does… I don’t know.  Our on paper talent keeps leveling up… so it could be darn good…

[Home Jersey]

10 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

Hmm… I think the SEC needs the other conferences, notably the B1G, for compelling games and narrative.  On its own it’s worth much less.

I doubt we see another Saban like run because of the NIL era.  Can’t stack super teams anymore, which is going to spread out the titles.

As for what Cig does… I don’t know.  Our on paper talent keeps leveling up… so it could be better darn good…

Agree the SEC needs at least the B10 and probably a handful of B12/ACC teams to break away and be successful.

IMO, the NIL factor is what makes coaching more important than ever. Can't stack super team talent anymore (generally speaking) so the differentiator is coaching because the talent is more spread out than it has been before.

That and the core staff basically being together for the last 10 years positions IU really well. The last 3 titles have all been concentrated to the B10. UConn has been to 3 of the last 4 title games in basketball during the NIL / portal era. 

I think it's still possible for dynasties to exist in the current landscape. We will see! 

[Hovadipo]

51 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

We did. And I get that. And I get how good Indiana will be. you can make cases for Oregon, Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame to win the natty. Can probably throw Texas into there. I'd consider those to be the only real contenders. Oregon still has the most talent. They have a really good coach who will need to take that next step himself. So to me, maybe, just maybe, this is finally Oregons year. 

 

Either way, I think Oregon, Indiana or Ohio State win the national title. Oregon would be wild giving the B1G four different teams in 4 years. 

I think this is entirely fair. I'm more interested in tiers than rankings (except for the front 7 thing, ours is definitely better) because anything can happen any time two teams step on the field and this feels like one of the strongest title contender tiers in a long time. 

Oregon is loaded and I'm curious to see if Lanning is ready to take the next step with that next step being just threatening for a title. I did not consider them a title threat last season. If he doesn't do it with this roster I'm not sure when he will. Miami is in a similar boat. They won't have the pass rush they had last year, but that roster is stacked with an upgrade at QB.

I get to say all that from a real comfortable place too because they're all chasing Indiana.

[southsidehoosier]

First 8 minutes is IU fb discussion. Joshua Perry is a believer in Indiana 

[CSP]

3 hours ago, Hovadipo said:

I think this is entirely fair. I'm more interested in tiers than rankings (except for the front 7 thing, ours is definitely better) because anything can happen any time two teams step on the field and this feels like one of the strongest title contender tiers in a long time. 

Oregon is loaded and I'm curious to see if Lanning is ready to take the next step with that next step being just threatening for a title. I did not consider them a title threat last season. If he doesn't do it with this roster I'm not sure when he will. Miami is in a similar boat. They won't have the pass rush they had last year, but that roster is stacked with an upgrade at QB.

I get to say all that from a real comfortable place too because they're all chasing Indiana.

What makes Oregon so much more loaded than last year? Health? Especially at WR? 

[Stuhoo]

As for the “Dante Moore is it” advantage argument, here is the Athlon Sports preseason QB ranking for 2025:

 

and for 2024:

 

[Hovadipo]

1 hour ago, CSP said:

What makes Oregon so much more loaded than last year? Health? Especially at WR? 

They were loaded last year too.