The Indiana Hoosiers going 16-0 and winning the National Championship should provide a lot of schools hope that they can do the same, and some unrealistic optimism from fans that their school should be
able to do the same.
Let’s put aside NIL and tv revenue for a minute and focus on what Indiana used on the field to win games. This wasn’t the most expensive roster in the country, so what about their style of play can be emulated by Fran Brown and the Orange?
Efficient and Explosive Offense
The Hoosiers ranked 10th in the nation in yards per play (6.79) and that ability to gain solid yardage helped them to be 1st in 3rd down coverstion (56.78). Moving the ball allowed them to wear down opponents, but it wasn’t just about slow, methodical drives.
Indiana was 3rd in the country in plays of 10+ yards, 4th in plays of 20+ yards, and 8th in plays of 30+ yards. When they got in the red zone, they converted those possessions into touchdowns 71% of the time.
Two years ago we saw that Jeff Nixon’s offense could put points on the board and they did it with a mix of long drives and explosive plays. That Syracuse team was 7th in plays of 10+ yards and 5th in plays of 20+ yards. With better quarterback play in 2026, we could see more Orange skill position players streaking down the Dome field.
Extra Possessions
Indiana led the nation in turnover margin at +22. They forced 30 turnovers by their opponents and lost only one fumble all season. Some of that can be attributed to luck, but if you can consistently win the turnover battle, you’ll create more chances to score and win.
The Hoosiers were also effective on special teams as they tied for 4th in kicks blocked. Much like “Beamer Ball”, Curt Cignetti’s focus on all three phases showed itself in the CFP Championship when a blocked punt led to a touchdown.
Syracuse took a big step back last year when it came to creating turnovers finishing with just 10. New defensive coordinator Vince Kehres’ Toledo squad had 21 last year so hopefully his scheme will help in that area.
Defense and Discipline
We spent a lot of time hearing about the offense and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, but the Hoosiers defense was stout. They were 3rd in tackles for loss with 8.06 per game and 8th in opponent third down conversions, holding their opponents to 30.1%.
When it came to penalties, Indiana was 5th in the country with just 3.8 per game. Syracuse averaged 6.2 penalties per game and gave away over 54 yards per game. Playing with more discipline can give the Orange a better chance at turning losses to wins.
Indiana had a veteran team last year and while Syracuse is going to be much younger in 2026, the foundation for future success can start to develop. It’s up to the staff and players to establish the culture to give them the chance to knock off better-funded and higher-rated programs.
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This isn’t to say that Indiana’s formula is easy to replicate, but as Curt Cignetti pointed out, building a program isn’t about rankings and accolades:
“But you get the right group of guys together that combine as a team and they’re good decision-makers, they’re good people, because you’ve got to make decisions on the football field, too, and you’ve got to play with discipline and you’ve got to play with poise and you’ve got to play with confidence and consistency and have day-in/day-out consistency to a high standard and expectation.”
Fran Brown doesn’t have the years of head coaching experience that Cignetti has, but he’s got a philosophy of how he wants to build his program. It seems like last year has only motivated Brown to focus more on getting the right group of guys, but now the question is can he get them to play disciplined and avoid the self-inflicted wounds which Syracuse fans have watched their team make for years.
We might not see the Orange go 16-0 in 2026, but the program can take step forwards if they can borrow from Indiana’s template and execute efficiently during games.
