Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt has dramatically shifted his perspective on the Indiana Hoosiers under head coach Curt Cignetti. For two years, Cignetti and Indiana have defended their schedule strength against critics who argued the team did not deserve a College Football Playoff spot in 2024 because they had not beaten a ranked opponent.
After starting the 2025-26 season with wins over Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State, those doubts resurfaced. On Saturday, however, Indiana delivered a definitive answer, silencing the critics with a dominant 63-10 victory over then-No. 9 Illinois and proving they belong on the national stage.
Why Did Joel Klatt Change His Take on the Indiana Hoosiers?
On his show, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt praised Indiana’s commanding 63-10 victory over Illinois, calling it, “Domination on every single level. Every single level. That team and that program is really good.” Klatt even suggested the current Hoosiers team could be stronger than the 11-1 squad that reached the College Football Playoff the previous season.
“I really do. I think we in general, and I will put myself at the forefront of this list, keep wanting to dismiss Indiana…Shame on me and shame on any of us if that’s our mindset,” he admitted.
Klatt acknowledged that he had underestimated Indiana’s offense, especially its running game. “There were some things that I had question marks about…Well, turns out I was wrong. I will be the first to raise my hand and tell you when I get something wrong. I was dead wrong about Indiana,” he said.
The analyst specifically highlighted new quarterback Fernando Mendoza as a major reason for the team’s success. “Mendoza is better than Ror. And Ror was really good,” Klatt noted. “Mendoza is like made for this system. Do you see the quick release that he has in that RPO system?”
In the win, Mendoza was exceptional, completing 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and five touchdowns. His performance has been nearly flawless over the past two weeks, as he has completed 40 of 43 passes for 437 yards and 14 touchdowns without an interception. With 16 total touchdowns, he now leads the country and has entered the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Following the decisive victory, Indiana’s performance elevated them eight spots to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25. Linebacker Aiden Fisher said, “A lot of people were saying (Illinois) was a lot more physical than us…When it comes to games like this, the preparation and time we put in really shows, especially on the scoreboard in the dominating fashion we played with on defense.”
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The Hoosiers, now 4-0 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, controlled the game in every phase. The offense rushed for 312 yards, with freshman Khobie Martin securing his second consecutive 100-yard, two-touchdown game.
Meanwhile, the defense pressured Illinois quarterback Luke Altmeyer all day, sacking him seven times and holding the Illini to just two rushing yards and 161 total yards. Indiana also made game-changing plays on special teams, returning a blocked punt for a touchdown and setting up another score with a 27-yard punt return.
The victory marked Indiana’s 12th straight home win, its most lopsided victory over a top-10 opponent, and the most points ever scored by a Big Ten team against a top-10 opponent, surpassing a previous record set by Ohio State.