Josh Hoover will take over at quarterback for Indiana. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on Google I doubt that North Texas knew what it was signing up for when it agreed to play Indiana in Week 1 of the 2026 college football campaign.
These non-conference games are usually scheduled years in advance, so the Mean Green probably fancied this as an opportunity to upset a Power 4 program.
Indiana is now the defending champion, while North Texas is completely starting over after putting together the best campaign in its history. The Mean Green won 12 games in 2025 and essentially led the country in every offensive category.
Unfortunately, North Texas’ success was Oklahoma State’s gain. Head coach Eric Morris and quarterback Drew Mestemaker bolted for Stillwater, leaving former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown to pick up the pieces.
It’s a brutal act for Brown to follow, and his first game coming against the juggernaut Hoosiers seems especially cruel.
That is reflected in the odds, as Indiana is a 40.5-point favorite over the Mean Green.
Catch up on The Post’s college football betting predictions and previews for the 2026 season
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect That number may seem lofty considering that Fernando Mendoza is now in the NFL after rewriting the record book at Indiana, but Curt Cignetti replaced him with a quarterback who looks ready-made to pick up where the 2025 Heisman winner left off.
Josh Hoover was superb during his three years at TCU, and should be able to get this Indiana offense right back on track against a defense that features almost no returning experience.
Perhaps Indiana lets off the gas pedal in the second half, but I think Cignetti will value the opportunity to get his new quarterback as many reps as possible before the schedule stiffens up. Plus, Indiana didn’t seem to mind running up the score when they got the chance to do so last year.
Back the Hoosiers to get off to a rollicking start against a rebuilding opponent.
The Play: Indiana -40.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
