Indiana Emerges as Big Winner from Notre Dame’s 0–2 Start

The Hoosiers didn't even play Saturday but aside from Texas A&M, may have been college football's biggest winner of the night

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti watches his team warm up prior to the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana made quick of Indiana State on Friday night, routing the Sycamores 73-0. One night later, roughly 200 miles north of Bloomington, Indiana, in South Bend, Notre Dame dropped another thriller. This one was a 41-40 loss to Texas A&M that dropped the Fighting Irish to 0-2.

Aside from the obvious in Texas A&M, Indiana may have just been the biggest winner in college football because of that.

Indiana Football's Current Setting

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Jonathan Brady (0) and Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Alberto Mendoza (16) celebrate after a touchdown during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana sits at 3-0 after Friday's drubbing of Indiana State and is now preparing for No. 9 Illinois in one of the biggest games in the history of Memorial Stadium. Both the Hoosiers and Fighting Illini have realistic College Football Playoff hopes, and Saturday's showdown will go a long way in determining who has a step up.

A win by Indiana Saturday would put it in the driver's seat for a College Football Playoff spot ahead of Notre Dame, even if the Irish win out and finish 10-2.

Beating No. 9 Illinois on Saturday night would mean Indiana has a top ten win to its name, something Notre Dame is almost guaranteed to not have all year, as it sits 0-2 and only has one game remaining against a team that is currently ranked (Oct. 18 vs. No. 25 USC).

Indiana's Remaining Schedule:

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Coaches hate looking ahead and understandably so. However, we're not coaches here, and can look ahead without getting punished for it.

Of its nine remaining games, Indiana figures to be favored in seven. Only trips to Oregon and Penn State would appear to make the Hoosiers underdogs at this point.

College football rarely goes as we expect it to far out, but what happens if Indiana simply beats the teams, it should, with Saturday's game against Illinois included in that?

Indiana would finish 10-2 and feature a top ten win. The best Notre Dame could currently do is run the table and finish 10-2, but that would almost certainly come without a win over a top 15 team, let alone a top 10 one.

College Football Playoff Outlook:

Would the College Football Playoff committee agree? It can say it doesn't favor brands over resumes all it wants, but sometimes the evidence is too strong against that. Notre Dame losing its two games by a combined four points only would be part of its case, but should margin of defeat even matter in CFP cases?

Indiana didn't even play Saturday night but depending how the rest of the regular season goes, it may have just been the biggest winner in all of college football Saturday night, short of Texas A&M.