Heading in to the start of the 2026 college football season, the argument can be made that the Indiana Hoosiers deserve to be ranked as the No. 1 team in the country.
The Hoosiers are 27-2 under Curt Cignetti and are coming off a perfect 16-0 season and National Championship. The entire coaching staff is back, as are key returners on both sides of the ball along with a talented group of transfers that is ranked as the top portal class in the nation according to On3. No matter how you slice it, the Hoosiers are primed for another big season.
Ranking the Hoosiers No. 1 in the AP preseason poll has been an argument we’ve made here at Hoosier State of Mind. But after coming in at No. 6, not being ranked in the top spot may be a blessing in disguise for Indiana.
Preseason No. 1 teams haven’t lived up to the billing in recent memory
The No. 1 spot in the 2026 AP preseason poll belongs to the Ohio State Buckeyes. In recent memory, earning the No. 1 ranking in the AP preseason poll has been more of a curse than a blessing…