USA Today released its first coaches poll of the 2026 season, with the defending National Champion Indiana Hoosiers coming in at No. 6. Curt Cignetti’s group is the third of three Big Ten teams in the top ten, behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Oregon.
Coming off a national championship, Indiana received 14 first-place votes, but both Ohio State and Oregon are returning their quarterbacks from last season while Cignetti is tasked with replacing the program’s first Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza.
The poll came out before the news broke that Stephen Daley will be returning for another year, giving Bryant Haines’ defense a big boost. The Hoosiers also brought in a top transfer class, with elite prospects like Nick Marsh joining to help replace Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr.
Besides Ohio State, Indiana will see three other ranked teams in the regular season this year, with USC coming in at 14, Michigan at 16, and Washington at 19. The Hoosiers play two of those three games on the road, making up for a relatively easier non-conference slate.
The Buckeyes will be the first ranked matchup, unless another team climbs the polls, but could very well be a top-five matchup by the time that game rolls around. Ohio State was the only team that received more first-place votes than Indiana in the preseason poll.
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