National championship favorite suffers key injury ahead of College Football Playoff

The loss of a key defensive contributor could have major implications on how the College Football Playoff race turns out in the weeks to come.

USA Today Sports | Imagn

One of the teams favorites to win the national championship just received critical injury news about one of the most dominant defensive players in the country in the days leading up to the College Football Playoff kicking off.

Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Stephen Daley may not be available for the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury following a freak accident as he walked around the stadium celebrating with fans after winning the Big Ten championship.

Really hope Indiana’s Stephen Daley is ok…

Hate to see this pic.twitter.com/6syXpNCQWe

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 9, 2025

The bad news

“I can confirm that he did sustain an injury. Stephen Daley did sustain a serious injury that will probably make him not available for the remainder of the season,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said.

Daley was seen heading towards the injury tent with a noticeable limp after what appeared to be a serious injury he sustained as he was giving high-fives to Hoosier fans after defeating Ohio State to win the conference title.

Indiana held out hope

Cignetti said the team was waiting on a more detailed prognosis from doctors before knowing the exact nature of what happened.

“Sunday was still sort of waiting a little bit on images to come back, that sort of thing. So when I had my press conference, there was a little more information that still had to come in,” he said.

“I was still processing the whole thing because it was sort of unbelievable when I heard about it, and I think that is why I said we had nobody hurt in the game, during the game.”

How it affects the College Football Playoff

Going without him could have a major impact on the course of the College Football Playoff, given Daley has emerged as one of the most disruptive defensive players in the country this season.

Daley ranked second nationally with 19 tackles for loss, a number that is also good for the most in the Big Ten this year.

The lineman also accrued 38 total tackles while adding 5.5 sacks, notching 5 quarterback hurries, and forcing a pair of fumbles.

He took a more prominent place in the Indiana defense following the season-ending injury suffered by edge rusher Kelley Wyatt, at the time one of the Big Ten’s most productive players on the defensive side of the ball.

Where Indiana goes now

Heading into the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten champion and No. 1 overall seed Hoosiers boast the No. 6 total defense, the No. 2 scoring defense, and the No. 3 rushing defense in the country, but Daley’s absence could cut into that production.

Mikail Kamara and Daniel Ndukwe are expected to be two players Indiana leans more on for production in the front of its defensive formation going forward.

Mario Landino has 6 tackles for loss and 5 sacks this season, and will likewise be featured at more positions along the defensive line.

Indiana has a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, and will host the winner of the Alabama-Oklahoma game in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal on New Year’s Day.

Indiana sits in second place with +300 odds to win the national championship behind Ohio State (+200), according to FanDuel Sportsbook.