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Indiana football won the school’s first-ever national championship earlier this week. The Hoosiers’ meteoric rise has sparked questions about the next program.
Urban Meyer, who coached Florida and Ohio State to national championships, made his choice. The college football studio analyst believes Rutgers could be the next program to take the sport by storm, saying the Scarlet Knights are in a prime position to become the “next Indiana.”
“Give me three programs that could be the next Indiana, meaning teams that are used to losing, have really bad results and can somehow rise from the ashes to become national champions,” Meyer said on “3 and Out,” a podcast that Meyer co-hosts alongside Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone.
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Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) reacts with the trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The Hoosiers’ rise from college football’s most losing program to dominance began last season, when Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington and coached Indiana to its first playoff appearance.
Indiana was beaten in the first round by Notre Dame, last year’s eventual national runner-up. But the last edition of the playoffs was a completely different story. Indiana dominated Alabama in the Rose Bowl before defeating Oregon in the semifinals.
The Hoosiers then outlasted Miami in last Monday’s title game to go 16-0 and win the national championship trophy.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football helmets sit on the field during warmups before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on October 7, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports)
Meyer worked with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano at Ohio State, with the current Rutgers head coach serving as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. In addition to the Scarlet Knights, Meyer also cited Rice and Wake Forest as programs that could move from worst teams to best.
INDIANA CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: A HISTORIC RACE IN NUMBERS
“I have no idea for Rice, no idea for Wake, but I’m going to throw them out there because if Indiana can do it, they can do it,” Meyer added. “But I’ll say Rutgers because Greg Schiano — who I’m biased about; he’s a great friend and a great football coach — he had it in the top five in the country at one point in (2006).”
Urban Meyer on the sidelines before the 2025 Peach Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 9, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)
Rutgers got off to a 9-0 start in the 2006 season and rose to No. 7 in the AP Top 25. After winning the Texas Bowl, the Scarlet Knights finished the season ranked 12th.
Rutgers finished its final season with a 5-7 record. The school’s 708 losses currently rank third on college football’s all-time list. Despite its recent success, Indiana still leads college football’s all-time losing list. Rutgers is scheduled to play Indiana in 2026.
” he said on Wednesday’s edition of his Triple Option podcast.
