Episode Details

Indiana football enters the 2026 season as the defending national champion — but can Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers do it again?

On this Locked On College Crossover, Jacob Goins of Locked On Hoosiers is joined by Brian Smith of The Portal Podcast to break down Indiana's loaded transfer portal class and whether the Hoosiers have built another championship-caliber roster.

Josh Hoover takes over at quarterback, Turbo Richard joins a deep Indiana backfield, Nick Marsh adds another major weapon at wide receiver and the Hoosiers have reinforced the roster on both sides of the football.

Could Turbo Richard become one of the best players in college football? Can Josh Hoover cut down the turnovers that followed him at TCU? And does Indiana have enough talent and depth to make another College Football Playoff run?

Jacob and Brian also break down Indiana's difficult 2026 schedule, what would qualify as a successful season after winning the national championship, and whether a 10-2 Indiana team would be safely inside the College Football Playoff.

Plus, the guys discuss the major eligibility changes across college football and why the Big Ten's decision to prevent former professional players from returning to college could set an important precedent.

It's officially game week. Indiana's title defense starts now.

• 00:00 — Indiana Title Defense
• 01:27 — Portal Success Discussion
• 02:47 — Roster Depth & Rotation
• 03:44 — Portal Additions Impact
• 05:10 — Offensive Line Strength
• 06:04 — Nick Marsh Transfer
• 07:47 — Expectations & Predictions
• 10:04 — Schedule Analysis
• 12:08 — Hoover at QB
• 13:06 — Game Strategy Breakdown
• 14:03 — Playoff Scenarios
• 16:12 — Home vs Away Games
• 18:39 — Big Ten Rule Change
• 20:55 — Pro Player Ban
• 23:23 — Big Ten Leads Reform
• 25:12 — Eligibility Year Issues
• 26:58 — Legal Challenges & Future

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