Essentially, since both the University of Indiana and Notre Dame have existed, despite being in the same state, the team schools have never really forged a rivalry. It’s not hard to figure out why, for most of the two teams’ existence, the Hoosiers have been an also-ran in football, and that’s what’s most important to Fighting Irish fans. But Curt Cignetti has not only turned things around in Bloomington but also brought the town a national title before Marcus Freeman could do the same for South Bend.
With Indiana coming off that national title, it’s painful to admit, but 100% correct that the Irish are now looking up at Cignetti’s squad. Even having logged the victory the last time the two teams faced each other in the 2024 College Football Playoff, the Irish are still the terrier nipping at the Hoosier’s heels until Freeman gets his own title.
The good news is that in 2026, the terrier might have a bigger bark and bite. Even Indiana analysts are noticing that. The latest sign of that is that Notre Dame was named one of three teams Hoosier State of Mind’s Conner Gruitenhous believes could stand in the way of a repeat title.
The Irish join Ohio State and Texas as the three teams that Gruitenhous believes could derail the Hoosiers’ run to another championship. It’s not hard to imagine why considering most people believe that Freeman’s squad is one of the best in the country, however the writer nails down why specifically ND could get in the way of Cignetti’s latest goals.
Notre Dame football hype has Indiana analyst circling Marcus Freeman’s Irish
“Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were left out of the CFP field last season, and they are coming back with a vengeance in 2026-27. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are both off to the NFL, but Aneyas Williams is more than capable of leading a successful Fighting Irish rushing attack. The rising junior averaged 9.3 yards per rush last season, and he has all the tools to be an effective playmaker.
Quarterback CJ Carr is coming off a freshman season in which he racked up 2,741 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also added 3 rushing touchdowns. After such a sensational rookie campaign, Carr should be even better this fall. Notre Dame also returns 9 of its top 10 tacklers from last season, which puts the Fighting Irish defensive core in a great spot.”
Over the last few years, the rivalry between the Hoosiers and the Fighting Irish has finally begun to grow and develop. Especially with Notre Dame being the only team at the moment that has ever beaten Cignetti in the College Football Playoff.
The two teams don’t play each other in the regular season, and considering both teams are expected to be highly ranked at the end of the season, they likely won’t face each other until late in the playoffs. If they do finally meet, it’s worth noting that Indiana experts believe Notre Dame is scary good enough to knock them off.
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