Indiana Isn't National Championship Favorite Despite Earning No. 1 Seed

The College Football Playoff field is set, and to no one's surprise, Indiana received the No. 1 overall seed.

As the nation's second-ranked team on Saturday, the Hoosiers defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 in a dramatic Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Buckeyes had been the top-ranked team since defeating then-No. 1 Texas in Week 1, while the Hoosiers steadily climbed from a preseason No. 20 ranking to the mountain top.

But despite being the unquestioned No. 1 from a rankings standpoint as the nation's only undefeated team remaining, Indiana is still not the favorite to win the national championship, according to the Draft Kings Sportsbook on Tuesday afternoon.

Oddsmakers favor the Buckeyes to repeat as national champions, albeit by a slim margin. They tabbed the Hoosiers second, followed by a noticeable gap until No. 3 Georgia, which is followed closely by No. 5 Oregon and No. 4 Texas Tech.

From the sportsbook's perspective, the next national champion likely comes from that cluster of five teams, as the odds drop significantly before getting to Texas A&M and the rest of the 12-team field. And if you're James Madison or Tulane, just be happy you made it.

2025-26 national championship odds

No. 2 Ohio State +240
No. 1 Indiana +250
No. 3 Georgia +600
No. 5 Oregon +750
No. 4 Texas Tech +800
No. 7 Texas A&M +1800
No. 9 Alabama +2500
No. 6 Ole Miss +2500
No. 10 Miami +2500
No. 8 Oklahoma +5500
No. 12 James Madison +60000
No. 11 Tulane +80000

Why this is a good thing for Indiana

I believe part of Indiana's success stems from being doubted due to the program's poor history, which the current team has no control over but motivates them nonetheless. So even after earning the No. 1 ranking, seeing that they're still doubted will only motivate the Hoosiers even more to keep proving people wrong.

They've done a great job of that for two years now, which brought back memories of a Cignetti quote from the 2024 season, following the Hoosiers' 4-0 start.

“When you win, it's about maintaining your edge and avoiding complacency,” Cignetti said. “And not having the warm fuzzies and not taking the rat poison, right?”

Curt Cignetti Indiana Footbal — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti during the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Hoosiers have every reason to celebrate their Big Ten championship and 13-0 record, and they have plenty of time to do so before their College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on Jan. 1. But at a certain point, Cignetti knows he'll have to refocus his team because there's still a national championship up for grabs.

"I've got three and a half weeks to kind of humble this team again and get them ready for the playoffs," he said Saturday.

After it's success last season, Indiana in 2025 became accustomed to having a target on its back and getting everyone's best shot. There's no question that will continue on a stage like the CFP. But if the Hoosiers put another chip on their shoulder after seeing the national title odds, continue to doubt them at your own risk.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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