What would College Football be in 2026 without the Ohio State Buckeyes? According to CBS Sports' Brad Crawford, the sport would be without the program, with four of the 10 most important games of the upcoming campaign.
Crawford listed the Buckeyes' matchups with the Oregon Ducks (No. 1), Indiana Hoosiers (No. 3), Texas Longhorns (No. 5), and TTUN in "The Game" (No. 8) on his list. Texas had the second-highest number of top 10 games. The defending champion Indiana Hoosiers had just one.
As Crawford noted, Ohio State will be the first test the Hoosiers will have during the 2026 season. Crawford sounded skeptical about Indiana with TCU Horned Frogs transfer quarterback Josh Hoover under center.
"Despite six straight wins to open the season with TCU transfer Josh Hoover at quarterback, the jury will still be out on the Hoosiers heading into this seismic opportunity at home against the Buckeyes. It'll mark Indiana's first game against an opponent of comparable talent since taking out Miami for a national title and should give Curt Cignetti a better understanding of his team's chances of repeating. Indiana plays Michigan, USC, and Washington as well, with those games narrowly missing this group despite their importance," Crawford wrote.
Ohio State is still seen as the best, while Indiana has doubts about being a flash in the pan
The way Crawford's list reads, you would've thought the Buckeyes won the 2024/2025 CFP title. The Hoosiers' lack of perceived premier matchups comes off as doubts in Indiana's ability to remain a top team.
Curt Cignetti and Co. recruited another good, if not dominant, class to Bloomington. If he's truly a great coach, IU's 16-0 run won't be a mirage. It's telling, though, that losing guys like Fernando Mendoza, Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr., and D'Angelo Ponds makes the Hoosiers an uninteresting team outside of a Big Ten Championship Game rematch with OSU. Crawford listed the Ohio State game as Indiana's only top-26 game.
The Buckeyes' brand power is no flash in the pan after decades of success, whether in the BCS era, the four-team CFP era, or the 12-team CFP era.
Can we say the same about the Hoosiers? The 2026 season will answer that question.