RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 19: Head Coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers walks the sidelines during the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As per tradition, our annual 30 Day Countdown to the season here on UWDP features a few days where we look ahead and try to preview our schedule and the opponents we’ll face this season. Today, we’ll be looking at the schedule to circle which opponent might have the best offense that we’ll face. In my opinion, there’s really only a few that stand out from an otherwise middling group of offenses on our 2026 slate.
As a refresher for those who might not have committed our schedule to memory, here’s our 2026 opponents:
2026 schedule is set 🔒 ☔ ➡️ Lock in your Season Tickets now 🎟️: https://t.co/tRW3tsXjrB pic.twitter.com/S0iSTK43pl
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) January 27, 2026
Generally speaking, our non-conference opponents don’t really wow me when it comes to offensive firepower. Wazzu has a solid offensive mind at the helm in Kirby Moore, and transfer QB Caden Pinnick finished last season as one of the top QBs in FCS. However, the Cougs are rebuilding from scratch for the second year in a row under a new staff, and UW’s defense made Pinnick a non-factor last year when UC Davis came to Montlake, so it’s unlikely that they will be among the best offenses we’ll face.
Utah State might be a bit frisky on offense under Bronco Mendenhall and OC Robert Anae. Anae, a long time Mendenhall assistant across various stops including BYU and Virginia, is a well-respected offensive mind. His offenses often feature dynamic dual threat QBs and a diverse run game that has long-served as an equalizer against more talented opponents, but I’m still not sold on them being among the best overall offenses we’ll face.
USC Trojans
USC has always been talented, and they’ve been particularly dangerous on offense under Lincoln Riley. However, this season might be different for the Trojans. Their roster-building strategy took a noticeable shift over the last 18 months, culminating in a 42-man, #1 ranked 2026 class. At first glance, the sheer volume of incoming players stand out, but a deeper dive points to a wholesale shift in how they want to build this roster and why there’s so much turnover heading into year 6. The Trojans want to reload the trenches.
Riley’s always kept the offensive skill positions well-stocked during his time in LA, but the missing pieces that have proven to be the difference between his playoff teams at Oklahoma and the underwhelming squads at USC were up front. With starters up front in Elijah Paige, Tobias Raymond, Alani Noa, and Justin Tauanuu, plus a slew of blue chip 1st and 2nd year options competing for playing time, the Trojans are feeling good about a high-floor, high-ceiling group. They’d be feeling a little better had it not been for a training camp injury to starting center Killian O’Connor that appears to be season ending, but the mood is still optimistic for the group.
A reloaded offensive line will surely be a welcome development for the proven vets in the backfield. QB Jayden Maiava returns as Riley’s first returning starter at the position since Caleb Williams, and the 5th year QB looks to build on his 3700 yard passing performance from last year. Even if his box score stats take hit with a WR corps that is no longer anchored by now-NFL WRs Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, the Trojans return one of the strongest RB duos in the Big Ten. Waymond Jordan was one of the top RBs in the country through the first half of last season until an injury sidelined him after just 6 games. In his place, former walk-on King Miller stepped up with nearly 1000 yards and 8 TDs in just 7 starts through the rest of the season. With both now healthy, the Trojans seem to have an embarrassment of riches in the backfield. A Lincoln Riley passing attack paired with a strong run game like his Oklahoma teams might be a strong contender for top offense in the league this year.
Indiana Hoosiers
At this point, it might not be a good idea to doubt Curt Cignetti’s ability to field elite units in all three phases of the game through sheer force of will. Now, I am expecting some amount of regression after losing Heisman-winning QB and #1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza, as well as #1 WR Omar Cooper Jr, #2 WR Elijah Sarratt, #1 RB Roman Hemby, and #2 RB Kaelon Black. However, the Hoosiers might have the right mix of key returners up front and high-end Portal talent to capture lightning in a bottle for the 3rd straight year.
For the Hoosiers, it all starts up front. LT Carter Smith brings back 41 consecutive starts, LG Drew Evans brings back 21 career starts, RG Bray Lynch brings back 29 career starts, and transfer OL Joe Brunner brings over 24 career starts from Wisconsin. Those guys up front bring back proven performance and veteran experience that are hallmarks of Cignetti’s teams, and they provide the building blocks for everything else.
Incoming TCU transfer QB Josh Hoover is the 3rd straight transfer QB to start under Cignetti, and while it’d be unfair to expect a Heisman-caliber season from him, he does boast the best resume of any QB that Cignetti’s brought in. He has nearly triple the career passing yardage that Mendoza brought to Bloomington, and is a 5th year QB with 3 years of starting experience. He’ll likely be passing to the most talented WR corps he’s played with, headlined by marquee Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker, and supported by a run game that shouldn’t miss a beat with BC transfer Turbo Richard leading a committee that also includes Khobie Martin and Lee Beebe.
The Hoosiers continue to level up their talent, and that just compounds the problems Cignetti’s balan...
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