Defending national champion Indiana narrowly defeated Northwestern 29-23 in the 2026 Big Ten Conference opener on Friday night, despite being favoured by nearly three touchdowns. The Hoosiers struggled throughout the match, with Northwestern closing the gap to 22-20 in the fourth quarter before Indiana ultimately prevailed. The performance was unimpressive for a team that won the national title last season and was heavily favoured for this fixture.

The contest featured an unusually low score early on, with Indiana leading 2-0 at one point in the first quarter. The Hoosiers held various advantages (2-0, 5-0, 12-0 and 12-7) but found Northwestern difficult to shake off. Head coach Curt Cignetti, known for his quotable remarks, commented that the team had been "Pearl Harbored" after early penalties and a turnover on downs at the goal line opened the game poorly. More challenging conference matchups against Michigan and Ohio State await in October.