The Indiana Hoosiers are just one win away from their first national title in school history. Set to face the Miami Hurricanes in the CFP national championship game, Indiana also has the chance to become the first team in the CFP era to finish 16-0.
While other teams have gone undefeated to win a national title in the playoff era, none have done so with a 16-game season. The Hoosiers, now 15-0, join a short but elite list of teams with such a record.
Here’s a look at how Indiana’s run compares to previous undefeated teams and how it stacks up against other 15-0 squads.
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How many teams have ever gone 15-0?
There have been just four teams to go 15-0 and finish as national champions. Those include the Clemson Tigers in 2018, the LSU Tigers in 2019, 2022's Georgia Bulldog team and the 2023 Michigan Wolverines.
Thanks to the expanded 12-team CFP field, the Hoosiers get the benefit of an extra game to finish a historic 16-0.
Here's a brief look back at the previous unbeaten national champions, which Indiana could join next week.
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2018 Clemson Tigers (15-0)
The 2018 Clemson Tigers featured one of head coach Dabo Swinney's most talented rosters. It included future first-rounders such as quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne, cornerback A.J. Terrell, and defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.
At the start of the season, Lawrence, a true freshman and the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2018, was behind Kelly Bryant on the depth chart. Swinney named Lawrence the starter by the fourth week, and the Tigers finished the regular season undefeated. Clemson then beat Pittsburgh 42-10 in the ACC title game to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. The Tigers had no trouble against No. 3 Notre Dame in the semifinal, winning 30-3 in the Cotton Bowl.
In the national championship game, Clemson dominated Nick Saban’s Alabama team, winning 44-16. The victory marked Swinney's most recent national title.
2019 LSU Tigers (15-0)
Speaking of talented teams, the 2019 LSU Tigers were absolutely loaded. The squad featured Joe Burrow at quarterback, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson at receiver, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire at running back. The defense included standouts such as Derek Stingley Jr., Grant Delpit, and Patrick Queen.
Burrow won the Heisman Trophy that season as LSU steamrolled every opponent in its path, including No. 9 Texas, No. 7 Florida, No. 9 Auburn, No. 3 Alabama, and No. 4 Georgia in the SEC Championship. The Tigers defeated Oklahoma and Clemson in the playoff by a combined margin of 105-53. Head coach Ed Orgeron led LSU to its first national title since 2007.
2022 Georgia Bulldogs (15-0)
Georgia won a second consecutive national title in 2022. The team was led by returning starter Stetson Bennett at quarterback, as well as receiver Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers. Typical of a Kirby Smart-coached team, the defense was loaded with talent, including linebackers Smamel Mondon Jr. And Jamon Johnson, and a secondary with Malaki Starks, Kelee Ringo and Kamari Lassiter. Oh yeah, and a defensive line with Jalen Carter and Nazir Stakhouse.
The Bulldogs started the season as the preseason No. 3 team in the country. Georgia cruised into the SEC title game undefeated, highlighted by a 27-13 win over No. 1 Tennessee in early November and ranked wins over Oregon. The Dawgs then beat LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship and followed that with a thrilling victory over Ohio State in the CFP semifinal. Georgia emphatically ended TCU’s Cinderella run with a 65-7 win over the Horned Frogs in the national title game.
2023 Michigan Wolverines (15-0)
Jim Harbaugh’s final season at Michigan was filled with controversy, but it ended with a national championship nonetheless. The team was partially overshadowed by the Connor Stallions sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh himself was suspended for six games—three for recruiting violations from 2020 and three related to the Stallions scandal.
Despite the distractions, Michigan went undefeated, including a 30-24 win over No. 2 Ohio State to secure the Big Ten title. The Wolverines then shut out Iowa, 25-0, in that game. In the Rose Bowl semifinal, Michigan defeated No. 4 Alabama 27-20 in overtime, marking the final game of Nick Saban’s illustrious career. Michigan capped the season with a 34-14 victory over Washington in the national championship, earning the program its first national title since 1997. Over the season, Michigan outscored opponents 538-156.
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It's hard to put into words how remarkably special this Indiana team is. The Hoosiers built off of a CFP appearance and historic 11-win season from 2024 and took it to heights that Indiana fans thought impossible. Over the last two seasons, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to its first Big Ten title since 1967.
Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza became the school's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner, and the Hoosiers have dominated just about every team it has faced. What was once the losingest program in all of college football is just one win away from its first-ever national title in school history.
2025 Indiana results
In this year's CFP, Indiana is out-scoring its opponents 94-25.(!)
| Week | Result | Record |
| 1 | Indiana 27, Old Dominion 14 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Indiana 56, Kennesaw State 9 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Indiana 73, Indiana State 0 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Indiana 63, Illinois 10 | 4-0 |
| 5 | Indiana 20, Iowa 15 | 5-0 |
| 6 | BYE | -- |
| 7 | Indiana 30, Oregon 20 | 6-0 |
| 8 | Indiana 38, Michigan State 13 | 7-0 |
| 9 | Indiana 56, UCLA 6 | 8-0 |
| 10 | Indiana 55, Maryland 10 | 9-0 |
| 11 | Indiana 27, Penn State 24 | 10-0 |
| 12 | Indiana 31, Wisconsin 7 | 11-0 |
| 13 | BYE | -- |
| 14 | Indiana 56, Purdue 3 | 12-0 |
| 15 | Indiana 13, Ohio State 10 | 13-0 |
| 16 | Indiana 38, Alabama 3 | 14-0 |
| 17 | Indiana 56, Oregon 22 | 15-0 |