Joel Klatt names program that will finish undefeated, earn No. 1 College Football Playoff seed

Joel Klatt predicts Indiana will go unbeaten and secure the top College Football Playoff seed after its Oregon win.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt believes this Big Ten program will finish the regular season undefeated and earn the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana’s season took on new meaning after its 30-20 win over Oregon, a victory that reset national expectations and redefined the Hoosiers’ place in the Big Ten race. That performance, dominant on both lines of scrimmage and complete in all phases, caught the attention of Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt. On his Monday episode of The Joel Klatt Show, he declared that Curt Cignetti’s program is not only for real but likely to finish the regular season at 12-0 and claim the No. 1 seed in this year’s College Football Playoff.

Klatt described Indiana’s win in Eugene as a statement game, calling it one of the most impressive road victories of the season. He said Indiana “beat Oregon up,” emphasizing how the Hoosiers won the line of scrimmage and controlled tempo. The game wasn’t close, in his eyes. “Indiana, in all likelihood, unless something drastic happens, is going to be 12-0 playing in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship and the right for the No. 1 overall seed in the country in the College Football Playoff,” Klatt said. “We better wrap our heads around it because that performance was absolutely outstanding. Curt Cignetti has done a marvelous job, better than marvelous job, an outstanding job.”

The victory not only kept Indiana undefeated but also positioned it as one of only two unbeaten Big Ten programs alongside Ohio State. For a team that entered the matchup 1-72 all-time against top five opponents, the breakthrough represented a moment decades in the making.

Joel Klatt Says Indiana Is a Legitimate National Title Contender

Klatt admitted he had been slow to believe in the Hoosiers, acknowledging that he left them out of his October playoff bracket. After watching Indiana dismantle Oregon, he reversed course. “Guilty as charged,” he said. “I think that their team is good enough to win a national championship. Point blank, Indiana is a legitimate national championship contender this year.”

He highlighted the complete nature of Indiana’s performance, from Fernando Mendoza’s efficient passing to the defense’s relentless pressure on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. Klatt praised the Hoosiers’ ability to adapt midgame, noting their offensive flexibility: “When you’ve got a light run box, they run it. When you load the box, they throw it. They do it with great execution and tremendous fundamentals.”

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) has completed 71.2% of his passes for 1,423 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Klatt also drew historical comparisons to landmark turnarounds, invoking Bill Snyder’s rebuild at Kansas State and Gary Barnett’s rise at Northwestern. But he said Cignetti’s second-year transformation stands apart. “He’s taking them to the top of college football in a year and a half,” Klatt said. “We have never seen in the history of our sport a turnaround this dramatic and this quick.”

Cignetti echoed that focus on mindset, crediting his team’s belief and resilience. “The most important thing to me was our mindset going into this game that we believed, expected, prepared to make it happen, and could handle the ups and downs of the game without flinching,” Cignetti said. “We passed that test.”

Curt Cignetti Credits His Team’s Resilience After Oregon Win

Cignetti described the 30-20 win as the most significant of his tenure, praising his players’ poise after adversity. When Mendoza’s fourth-quarter interception tied the game, Indiana responded with a 12-play drive ending in a touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt. “That’s resilience right there,” Cignetti said. “You don’t want to be like the crystal chandelier when you drop it, it breaks in a million pieces. You want to be like a rubber ball right back in your hand. That’s what he did.”

Indiana’s defense sealed the outcome, forcing two interceptions on Oregon’s final drives. The Hoosiers recorded six sacks and limited an Oregon offense that had averaged nearly 40 points per game to one touchdown. “Our defense really took it to them in the second half,” Cignetti said. “Run game and pass game put pressure on the quarterback, and the offense made the plays when they needed to.”

Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti is at the top of the national college football conversation after the Hoosiers' 30-20 road win over Oregon. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Cignetti emphasized that the work continues, calling the victory only as meaningful as what follows. “It’s a great win against the number two-ranked team in the country on the road,” he said. “It puts us in a position if we can continue to be successful, which means we have to show up to work on Monday as a team and hungry and ready to go against Michigan State.”

The Indiana Hoosiers will host the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.