Indiana football entered 2026 with unfamiliarly high standards. The Hoosiers have never started a season as the reigning national champions. An expectation comes with that title.
The Hoosiers lost key production from last year’s roster, which generated questions about how the new-look team would gel on the field.
Ahead of its season opener against the University of North Texas on Sept. 5, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti acknowledged the uncertainty around this year’s team.
“I believe you learn about your team every week,” Cignetti said during a press conference Aug. 31. “Every time you go out there and play a game, you learn a lot about your team. What's done is done. This is a new football team and we have a chance to be pretty good. But we gotta do it.”
With a 3-0 nonconference record and a 129-point differential to begin the season, Indiana has silenced some initial concerns.
Indiana allowed 367 total yards to North Texas and struggled to tackle at times — a rarity with last season’s team. The Mean Green found success on the ground, outrushing the Hoosiers 152-134 in the contest.
Since then, Indiana has dominated.
After the Cream and Crimson held Howard University to just 57 yards Sept. 12, Cignetti said his team was “back to how we used to be.” The Hoosiers followed that performance by limiting Western Kentucky University to 186 yards of offense Sept. 19.
“We developed in fall camp, in the last three games we developed, and I saw a lot of positive things,” Cignetti said during a press conference Monday. “You know, our standards have improved, our consistency has improved, our togetherness, better understanding of what's expected.”
Some of the early concerns surrounding Indiana centered on redshirt senior quarterback Josh Hoover. The transfer quarterback faced criticism from his former head coach Sonny Dykes in the offseason. In March, Dykes pointed out Hoover’s 42 turnovers across his 31 starts at Texas Christian University.
After arriving in Bloomington, Hoover stepped into the starting quarterback role previously occupied by Fernando Mendoza, who led Indiana to one of the most efficient passing attacks in the nation in 2025.
With the Hoosier faithful used to efficient quarterback play, small mistakes from the position are magnified.
After scoring over 50 points in each of its first two games, Indiana’s offense started slow in Week 3 against Western Kentucky. The Cream and Crimson scored zero first-quarter points at home for the first time since September 2024.
Yet Hoover still finished with 273 passing yards and two touchdowns, including a 79-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Charlie Becker. With his performance, Hoover led the Hoosiers to a 38-0 victory over the Hilltoppers.
“I think there is too much scrutiny on Josh Hoover right now,” Cignetti said. “Unfair scrutiny.”
Through three starts, Hoover’s numbers support Cignetti’s claim. The signal caller began the season with back-to-back four touchdown outings. Hoover now has 10 touchdown passes and owns a 72.5% completion rate heading into conference play.
“So, you know, I'm glad he's our quarterback,” Cignetti said.
Now with its nonconference slate finished, Indiana turns its attention to the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will begin conference play against Northwestern at 8 p.m. Friday, presenting Cignetti another opportunity to learn about his unit.
The Wildcats will be the Hoosiers’ biggest test of the season so far. They own a 2-0 record and enter Friday following a dominant 41-7 victory over the University of Colorado Boulder.
While the Big Ten opener presents a challenge, it also gives Cignetti another opportunity to learn about his team.
“Every team you have you’ve got concerns, whether they be depth issues, you know, upcoming opponent, how to best attack them, preparing your team day-to-day, week to week. So, we're ready for Big Ten competition,” Cignetti said. 
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
