Indiana (15-0) is playing in their first CFP championship game in program history, with a win, the Hoosiers lay claim to two major milestones.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Indiana Hoosiers are on the verge of history as they compete for a College Football Playoff national championship.
With a perfect 15-0 record, Indiana will play Miami (13-2) in Hard Rock Stadium for the chance to become the most recent undefeated football national champion. However, Indiana already has that title, just not for football.
If the Hoosiers defeat the Hurricanes on Monday night, they will have had the most recent undefeated football championship team along with the most recent undefeated men’s basketball team.
The 1975-76 Hoosiers, under legendary coach Bob Knight, finished the season with a perfect 32-0 record after defeating Michigan in the national championship. Led by Scott May and Quinn Buckner, the Hoosiers were unstoppable from the opening tip of the first game, entering the year as the preseason No. 1.
The last two NCAA Men’s basketball teams who came close to perfection were the 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats, who went undefeated in the regular season. Kentucky eventually lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four.
The 2020-21 Gonzaga Bulldogs were perfect all the way up until the national championship, where they were routed by Baylor.
College football has seen a surplus in undefeated champions in the last 10 years. 2018 Clemson, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama, 2022 Georgia, and 2023 Michigan have laid claim to that title.
Each team finished 15-0, with the exception of Alabama, who’s season was limited due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Indiana is already 15-0, but due to the College Football Playoff expanding from four teams to 12, they get one extra game. A 16-0 season has never been achieved in the modern era of college football, with the last team to achieve the milestone being the 1894 Yale Bulldogs, a 132 year gap.
Indiana plays Miami on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.