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The outcome of Monday’s college football national championship marked a historic night for the sport, but no one expected it would be the Indiana Hoosiers to make it happen.
The Hoosiers became the first college football team to go 16-0, when Curt Cignetti’s team defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 27-21, at Hard Rock Stadium. When Jamari Sharpe read Carson Beck’s deep pass with 44 seconds left on the clock and intercepted it, that knee on the ground cemented one of the great stories in college sports.
But as great as this season has been for the Hoosiers, some are wondering if this is sustainable. Can Indiana continue its dominance like it did in 2025, securing the first overall seed in the CFP and winning a national title?
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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)
One of his players has no doubt.
“I was talking to one of the guys and he was saying, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if Indiana comes back next year,'” Hoosiers cornerback D’Angelo Ponds told Pak Gazette Digital before his celebratory “turn” alongside Sharpe and receiver Elijah Sarrat at Raising Cane’s in Bloomington on Thursday.
Ponds told reporters that his plan is to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, finishing his college career on the highest possible note as a national champion, but the main reason behind his thinking about a possible college dynasty lies in his belief in his head coach.
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Ponds was with Cignetti during his freshman year at James Madison University, and when “Coach Cig” moved to the Hoosiers’ program, the 5-foot-9, 173-pound cornerback went to Bloomington with him.
Cignetti went viral during his introductory press conference in Indiana for his response after a reporter said what his pitch would be for recruiting players to a program that had gone a combined 9-27 in its final three seasons before his arrival.
Cignetti, who is coming off a 19-4 career at JMU, including an 11-1 campaign in 2023, was direct with his response.
“It’s pretty simple. I win. Google me,” he said.
Elijah Sarratt, Jamari Sharpe and D’Angelo Ponds are seen as college football national champions D’Angelo Ponds, Elijah Sarratt and Jamari Sharpe work the celebratory “Shift” at Raising Cane’s at Raising Cane’s on January 22, 2026, in Bloomington, Illinois. (Jeff Schear/Getty Images)
The proof is now in the hardware.
“I felt like no one expected us to do this, especially us coming from JMU,” Ponds added. “But I trusted Coach Cig and his process, and I knew we were going to be successful. He just believed in himself and the guys he brought with him, and we brought the standard to Indiana and made history.”
Sharpe was already in Indiana when Cignetti took over and quickly learned what his new coach was all about. After a 3-9 season in 2023, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to the CFP with an 11-2 record, followed by a perfect season this year.
“This year has taught me a lot: brotherhood,” he said. “It was a long year and I stuck together with my teammates to be able to go 16-0 and win the national championship. It was a good season for us and I’m glad we were able to do it.”
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti raises the George P. Crumbley Trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 9, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
So why can Indiana do it again in 2026 and beyond?
“Just because of Coach Cig and his process – he’s a process-oriented guy. He doesn’t dwell on the past. He’ll get back to work and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get back to it,” Ponds responded.
