The Indiana Hoosiers are on the doorstep of college football history, carrying an unbeaten season into the national championship game with a chance to accomplish something no modern team ever has.
At 15-0, Indiana is already one of just five teams in the modern era to reach that mark. A win against the Miami Hurricanes would make the Hoosiers the first major college football program to finish 16-0 since Yale Bulldogs accomplished the feat in 1894 — an era of leather helmets and no forward pass.
What makes Indiana’s run even more remarkable is how it was built. The Hoosiers entered the season without a single five-star recruit, leaning instead on development and precision under second-year coach Curt Cignetti. Once one of the most consistent rebuild jobs in the Big Ten, Indiana is now one win from the most dominant single season in program history.
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Indiana announced itself on the sport’s biggest stage with a 56-22 dismantling of the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers forced three first-half turnovers and led 35-7 at halftime, holding Oregon to just nine rushing yards before the break.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, continuing a postseason surge that has elevated his NFL Draft profile. Indiana’s defense set the tone early, opening the game with a pick-six just 11 seconds into the contest.
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The Hoosiers followed that performance with a 38-3 rout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, gaining momentum with every playoff snap.
Indiana heads south to face Miami on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. They chase a perfect season that would stand alone in over a century.
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