The Big Lead

Which 2025 College Football Playoff fan bases would a national title be most meaningful for?

By Sam Westmoreland

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players at the end of the game against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players at the end of the game against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
facebooktwitter
Prev
7 of 13
Next

7. INDIANA

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are the Cinderella story of this tournament.
Nov 23, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti runs with his team before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Look, here's the thing about Indiana: no one expected them to be anywhere near here this season. Or ever. The Hoosiers are the doormats of college football, the low-level tin can every boxer has to beat to get their career started. You can't call the fan base woebegone or moribund, because both of those have the implication that the fan base had any expectation of success.

Indiana fans are delirious enough at this stage, and getting a title would send them to unprecedented levels of hysteria. But they're so happy to be here that at the end of the day, even if they get stomped by Notre Dame, they're not going to be heartbroken. That knocks the meaning of a title down a couple pegs. If you're going to enjoy the ride, win or lose, it's hard to crack the top half of the bracket, given what's to come.

Home/CFB