IU football has the sixth-best odds to win the 2026 national championship at 9-1

Photos of IU football vs. Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium.

Despite returning substantial production on both sides of the ball from last season’s 2025 national championship team, IU football won’t kick off the 2026 season as one of the top five favorites to win the title.

The Hoosiers made history last season under Curt Cignetti, finishing 16-0 and winning the program’s first-ever national title.

But that season is now in the rearview mirror, and IU will have to prove it on the field again. The preseason polls, which have IU ranked No. 6, reflect that, as do the odds.

Indiana will kick off the season with the sixth-best odds to win the 2026 national championship at 9-1.

Ahead of the Hoosiers are co-favorites Ohio State and Notre Dame at 6-1, Texas at 13-2, Oregon at 15-2 and Georgia at 17-2.

Miami, which IU defeated in the 2025 title game at Hard Rock Stadium, is just behind the Hoosiers at 10-1.

After Miami, LSU (17-1), Texas Tech (22-1), Alabama (25-1) and Texas A&M (25-1) round out the top 10 in the national title odds, according to DraftKings.

Ohio State, which comes to Bloomington to play Indiana on October 17, is a preseason national title favorite for the second straight season.

In terms of odds to win the Big Ten this season, here’s how the league stacks up:

Ohio State (9-5), Oregon (12-5), Indiana (13-5), USC (16-1), Michigan (17-1), Penn State (22-1), Washington (24-1), Iowa (42-1), Wisconsin (135-1), Nebraska (150-1), Illinois (160-1), UCLA (170-1), Minnesota (200-1), Northwestern (500-1), Michigan State (500-1), Rutgers (600-1) and Purdue (1,000-1).

Indiana kicks off the regular season against North Texas on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. FOX will televise the 12 p.m. ET start.

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