"When Miami was putting together its shocking first national title under Howard Schnellenberger in 1983, Indiana was going 3-8. The Hoosiers would go 0-11 the next season. When Nebraska was wrapping up a second straight national title with an all-time great team in 1995, Indiana was going 2-9 with wins over only Western Michigan and Southern Miss. When Ohio State was pulling a classic upset of Miami in 2002's BCS championship game,"
"For virtually all of college football's history, Indiana has been an also-ran at best. But in a sport long defined by the haves, the ultimate have-not has become its national champion. Indiana was the losingest program in the history of major college football heading into 2025, but the Hoosiers won their first title with guts, a glorious Fernando Mendoza touchdown run and a late interception from Jamari Sharpe. In this new era of college football, literally anything is possible."
Indiana transformed from a historical also-ran into a national champion by winning the 2025 College Football Playoff title 27-21 over Miami. The Hoosiers entered 2025 as the losingest program in major-college history but defeated six top-10-at-the-time teams during the season. Key plays included Fernando Mendoza's touchdown run and Jamari Sharpe's late interception that sealed the win. The championship came in the second year of the 12-team CFP and ranks among the least likely first-time national titles since 1996 or BYU's 1984 crown. The result underscores increased parity and the possibility of dramatic program turnarounds.
Read at ESPN.com
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