Indiana’s Championship: Could Rutgers Be Next?
Indiana University’s football team recently secured its first national championship, marking a historic moment for the program that has long been known as one of college football’s perennial underdogs. This remarkable achievement has sparked discussions about which historically struggling program might follow in the Hoosiers’ footsteps. Among the most notable voices weighing in on this conversation is Urban Meyer, the former Florida and Ohio State head coach who led both programs to national championships. In his podcast “3 and Out,” co-hosted with Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone, Meyer identified Rutgers as the program most likely to become “the next Indiana” – a team that could rise from decades of struggle to national prominence.
The Hoosiers’ journey from college football’s most loss-laden program to national champions began last season when Coach Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington. Under his leadership, Indiana made its first playoff appearance, though they fell to Notre Dame in the first round. This season proved to be transformative as the Hoosiers dominated their competition, defeating Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Oregon in the semifinals before overcoming Miami in the championship game to complete a perfect 16-0 season. This dramatic turnaround represents one of the most remarkable stories in recent college football history, as Indiana overcame its status as the program with the most all-time losses to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Meyer’s confidence in Rutgers stems largely from his personal connection to the program’s head coach, Greg Schiano. The two worked together at Ohio State, where Schiano served as defensive coordinator for three seasons under Meyer. “I will say Rutgers because Greg Schiano—who I’m biased; he’s a great friend and a great football coach—he had them in the top five in the country at one point in 2006,” Meyer explained. That 2006 season remains a high-water mark for the Scarlet Knights, who started 9-0 and climbed to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 before finishing the season ranked No. 12 after winning the Texas Bowl. This historical precedent suggests that Rutgers has shown the potential for elite-level success under Schiano’s leadership.
While Rutgers was Meyer’s primary pick, he also mentioned Rice and Wake Forest as programs that could potentially follow Indiana’s blueprint for success. “I have no idea about Rice, no idea about Wake, but I’m going to throw them out there because if Indiana can, they can,” Meyer added with a touch of whimsy, acknowledging that Indiana’s success has expanded the realm of possibility for historically struggling programs. The comparison is particularly apt given that Rutgers currently ranks third on college football’s all-time losses list, trailing only Indiana and Northwestern in that unfortunate statistical category.
The Scarlet Knights finished their most recent season with a modest 5-7 record, indicating there’s still considerable ground to cover before they can realistically contend for national honors. However, Indiana’s transformation serves as a powerful reminder that with the right coaching, recruitment strategies, and institutional commitment, historical trends can be overcome. The parallel between the programs extends beyond their records of struggle – both schools compete in the challenging Big Ten conference, where they’ve traditionally been overshadowed by more established football powerhouses like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.
The possibility of Rutgers following Indiana’s path will be put to a direct test in 2026 when the two programs are scheduled to face each other. This matchup will provide an interesting measuring stick for how far the Scarlet Knights have progressed in their own rebuilding journey. Meanwhile, Indiana’s championship serves as an inspiration for struggling programs everywhere, demonstrating that with patience, vision, and the right leadership, even the most historically unsuccessful programs can climb to the summit of college football. As Meyer’s comments suggest, the landscape of college football continues to evolve, opening doors for programs like Rutgers to potentially write their own underdog success stories in the years to come.
