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Indiana football claimed the school’s first national championship earlier this week. The Hoosiers’ surprising rise has raised questions about which program could be next.
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, and says the Scarlet Knights are in 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 records and can somehow rise from the ashes to become national champions,” Meyer said on “3 and Out,” a podcast Meyer co-hosts with 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 led Indiana to its first playoff appearance.
Indiana was defeated in the first round by Notre Dame, last year’s eventual national runner-up. But the last edition of the playoffs was a very different story. Indiana dominated Alabama in the Rose Bowl before convincingly defeating Oregon in the semifinals.
The Hoosiers then topped Miami in last Monday’s title game to secure a 16-0 record and claim the national championship trophy.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football helmets sit on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on October 7, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports)
Meyer worked under Rutgers coach Greg Schiano at Ohio State, and the current Rutgers head coach served as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. In addition to the Scarlet Knights, Meyer also named Rice and Wake Forest as programs that could go from the worst teams to the best.
INDIANA CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: A HISTORIC CAREER IN NUMBERS
“I have no idea about Rice, no idea about Wake, but I’m going to rule them out because if Indiana can, they can,” Meyer added. “But I’ll say Rutgers because Greg Schiano, who I’m partial to; he’s a great friend and a great football coach, had it in the top five in the country at one point (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/Image Images)
Rutgers got off to a 9-0 start to the 2006 season and rose to No. 7 in the AP Top 25. After winning the Texas Bowl, the Scarlet Knights finished the season in 12th place.
Rutgers finished its most recent season with a 5-7 record. The school’s 708 losses currently rank third on college football’s all-time list. Despite recent success, Indiana still leads college football’s all-time loss list. Rutgers is scheduled to play Indiana in 2026.
” he said on Wednesday’s edition of his Triple Option podcast.
