Brett McMurphy, now with On3 after his time at the Action Network, has released his first full set of bowl projections and College Football Playoff predictions for the 2025 season.
McMurphy projects the Hoosiers will miss the College Football Playoff, instead matching up with South Carolina in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
The Hoosiers enjoyed a magical 2024 season under head coach Curt Cignetti in his first year at Indiana. Despite making their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, many critics called the run a fluke—arguing that the Hoosiers didn’t face stiff enough competition and didn’t truly deserve their spot.
Still, Indiana silenced some doubters, finishing as the No. 10 team in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll for 2024.
Heading into 2025, expectations are even higher. The Hoosiers return three All-Americans on defense, maintain nearly their entire coaching staff—minus quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri—and have reloaded offensively. New arrivals include quarterback Fernando Mendoza, running back Roman Hemby, and offensive lineman Pat Coogan. They’ll join returning standouts like wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt.
The ceiling is high for Indiana in Year 2 of the Cignetti era.
In his first full set of bowl projections and College Football Playoff predictions for the 2025 season, On3’s Brett McMurphy doesn’t have Indiana returning to the playoff. Instead, he projects a ReliaQuest Bowl matchup against South Carolina in Tampa, Florida.
It’s a marquee bowl game—last year’s ReliaQuest Bowl featured Michigan pulling off an upset over Alabama. This year, both Indiana and South Carolina enter the season as dark horse playoff contenders. South Carolina finished 9-4 in 2024, while Indiana posted an 11-2 record, ultimately falling to Notre Dame in the first round of the CFP.
Indiana kicks off the 2025 campaign on August 30 at home against Old Dominion.
Here’s McMurphy’s projected College Football Playoff bracket for 2025:
First Round (Dec. 19–20):
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No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Texas
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No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 LSU
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No. 11 Utah at No. 6 Clemson
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No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Alabama
Top Seeds (awaiting winners):
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No. 1 Notre Dame
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No. 2 Penn State
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No. 3 Georgia
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No. 4 Ohio State
McMurphy predicts the Georgia Bulldogs will ultimately take home the national championship for the 2025–26 season.
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