There wasn’t much betting optimism that Indiana would be better in 2025 than it was in 2024.
The Hoosiers made the College Football Playoff a season ago in what was then the best season in school history. Indiana only lost to Ohio State in the regular season before losing to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish for the national title.
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But thanks to some key holdovers and transfer portal additions for coach Curt Cignetti’s season, Indiana is even better. And is a game away from giving speculative bettors a handsome payout.
A win in Monday’s national championship game will make Indiana the first school to go 16-0 in a college football season since Yale in 1897. Indiana will also be the first undefeated national champion in three seasons after three straight schools won the national title without a loss from 2018 through 2020.
The Hoosiers opened the season at +10000 to win the national championship at BetMGM. That’s $1,000 profit on a $10 bet before the season began. If you wanted to bet Indiana to win the national title now, the Hoosiers’ odds are -350.
Twenty-two teams had better odds than the Hoosiers did to win the national title. Some of those, like Texas, Ohio State and Notre Dame are among the usual suspects at the top of the preseason odds lists. Others may surprise you. Here are a few of the teams who had better or equal odds to win the national championship when BetMGM opened up betting for this season’s national title.
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Tennessee (+2000)
The Vols made the playoff a season ago and returned QB Nico Iamaleava … for a few months, anyway. Iamaleava transferred to UCLA in the spring and former App State QB Joey Aguilar came to Knoxville after a short stint with the Bruins. Though Tennessee averaged 40 points a game in 2025, a defense that was one of the best in college football in 2024 took a huge step back in 2025. Tennessee gave up nearly 29 points per game as it went 8-5 after a Music City Bowl loss to Illinois.
Miami (+3500)
It’s easy to see why the Hurricanes had considerably better odds than the Hoosiers did at the start of the season. Miami added Carson Beck and returned stellar offensive and defensive lines. The Canes also barely missed the playoff a season ago.
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This year, Miami barely made it into the playoff. And now it’s in the title game against the Hoosiers, though Indiana is an 8.5-point favorite.
South Carolina (+4000)
It was a disaster of a season for the Gamecocks. South Carolina ended the 2024 regular season on a six-game win streak before a Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois. The return of QB LaNorris Sellers provided optimism for 2025, but Sellers couldn’t make up for a defense that lost a ton of talent and an offensive line that was overrun at various points in the season.
South Carolina went 4-8 and lost its last six games against power conference opponents as the Gamecocks had just a brutal schedule. Six of South Carolina’s eight SEC opponents were ranked at the time of their game.
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Auburn (+6000)
The Tigers had markedly better odds despite entering the 2025 season on a five-year streak of failing to have more than six wins in a season. That streak is now six, after Auburn went 5-7 in 2025. Hugh Freeze was fired nine games into the season as an excellent defense couldn’t make up for an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way at times.
Louisville (+8000)
Like Indiana, the Cardinals added a quarterback from California in the transfer portal. We can safely say that the addition of Fernando Mendoza was much better for Indiana than the addition of Miller Moss was for the Cardinals.
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Louisville started the season 7-1 and took down Miami on the road. However, the Cardinals quickly fell out of ACC contention with a three-game losing streak that included close home losses to Cal and Clemson and a blowout road loss to SMU.
Florida State (+10000)
Hey, FSU fans had every right to be optimistic after the Seminoles’ Week 1 takedown of Alabama. That optimism quickly faded, however. Florida State’s next win over a power conference team came in November when the team beat Wake Forest at home to snap a four-game losing streak. FSU added a win at home over Virginia Tech, but lost its last two games of the season to finish 5-7 and out of bowl contention.
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Nebraska (+10000)
The Huskers were a sleeper pick in the Big Ten thanks to a very manageable schedule. And Nebraska started the season 5-1 with that lone loss coming in a three-point home defeat to Michigan.
But after a win at Maryland put Nebraska in the AP Top 25, the Huskers were embarrassed on the road at Minnesota and didn’t sniff the top 25 the rest of the season. Nebraska ended up losing four of its last five games of the season as QB Dylan Raiola suffered a season-ending injury. Raiola entered the transfer portal at the end of the season and is set to back up Dante Moore at Oregon in 2026.
Missouri (+10000)
The Tigers started off 5-0 but lost 27-24 at home to Alabama on Oct. 11. That loss was a sign of the struggles Mizzou would have against good teams in 2025. Missouri went 8-0 against unranked opponents but 0-5 against teams in the top 25. In addition to Alabama, Mizzouo lost to Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and then Virginia in the Gator Bowl.
