Indiana football has had a special season. One ESPN College GameDay panelist thinks the Hoosiers are not getting enough credit for what they have done so far. Desmond Howard says Indiana should be the no. 1 team in the country.
Howard made the comments when discussing who may be the most overrated College Football Playoff contender this season. Howard says since Ohio State is ranked no. 1 ahead of Indiana, that makes the Buckeyes the most overrated.
“We were in Eugene, this team (Indiana) went down there and handled their business,” Howard said on GameDay Saturday.
.@DesmondHoward thinks Indiana should be the No. 1 team in the country 👀 pic.twitter.com/28Y1dPBjzT
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 1, 2025
Howard believes Indiana and Ohio State should switch, with the Buckeyes going to no. 2 overall in the country. Both Indiana and Ohio State are undefeated.
Indiana is 8-0 on the season and plays Maryland on Saturday.
Curt Cignetti has Indiana rolling once again
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has worked wonders with the program. In just his second season, Cignetti has yet to lose a game at home during his tenure there.
In 2024, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. He once again has Indiana in position to do that again. The Hoosiers already have wins this season over Oregon, Illinois and Iowa.
The Indiana head coach says his team prepares well and competes.
“And on the road we've been successful as well. And the thing we ask our guys to do is play every play like it's 0-0, game on the line and from beginning to end, regardless of the competitive circumstances. And I think they've bought into that message,” Cignetti said, per 247 Sports.
Cignetti has been mentioned as a candidate for other power 4 jobs, like Penn State. The Indiana coach affirmed his commitment to the Hoosiers by signing a new contract extension, that will pay him $11.6 million a year.
“At Indiana University, we are committed to performing at the highest levels in everything we do, and no one has exemplified that more than Coach Cignetti,” Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said in a statement released by the school. “Put simply, Cig is a winner. From last year's College Football Playoff appearance to this year's top-3 national ranking, the IU Football program's success has been tremendous. Curt and Manette Cignetti are home in Indiana and we are delighted that the Cignetti family will be Hoosiers for many years to come.”
Indiana and Maryland play Saturday at 3:30 ET. Maryland is 4-3 on the year.
