Indiana’s climb to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 has turned next Saturday into a heavyweight showdown.
The Hoosiers moved up two spots in the Week 7 poll, picking up one first-place vote and 1,461 total points. They entered the season at No. 6, sat at No. 7 a week ago, and now find themselves in the top five for a matchup with No. 4 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
That kind of ranking is familiar territory for Indiana at this point. The Hoosiers have now spent 19 straight weeks in the AP Top 10, the longest run in program history.
Saturday’s escape in Lincoln helped keep that momentum rolling. Indiana trailed Nebraska before rallying from an 11-point hole in the fourth quarter to win 20-17 and improve to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play.
The comeback came through the air and came fast. After Nebraska had built its lead, Indiana answered with 14 straight points in the fourth quarter, and wide receiver Nick Marsh delivered the biggest punches. Josh Hoover connected with Marsh on a 75-yard touchdown with 11:51 left, then went back to him for a 44-yard score with 7:13 remaining.
Indiana didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet on offense, but it did enough when it mattered. The Hoosiers finished with 328 total yards, converted just 1 of 10 third downs and managed only 65 rushing yards on 22 carries. Lee Beebe Jr. led the ground game with 31 yards.
Hoover was sharp enough to make the comeback work, completing 12 of 22 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Marsh was the clear standout in the receiving corps, piling up six catches for 187 yards and those two touchdowns. Charlie Becker added three receptions for 52 yards.
On the other side, Indiana had to deal with Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea doing damage as both a passer and runner. Colandrea finished 25 of 43 for 263 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing 17 times for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Indiana’s defense made its presence felt anyway, recording five sacks, eight tackles for loss, five pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
Now the focus shifts to a top-five clash that already has a postseason feel attached to it. Indiana will host Ohio State next Saturday in what is listed as a rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game. Kickoff is set for Noon ET on FOX.
The full AP Top 25 was led by Georgia at No. 1, followed by Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana. Alabama, Texas, BYU, Ole Miss and Texas Tech rounded out the top 10.
Others receiving votes included Wisconsin with 92, Oregon 86, Arizona 82, Nebraska 65, Oklahoma 44, James Madison 29, Florida 9, Duke 5, New Mexico 3 and Oregon State 1.
In Other News...
Curt Cignetti Revealed Where Indianas Winning Touchdown Came From
Indianas 20-17 win over Nebraska turned on a 44-yard touchdown from Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh, a strike that gave the Hoosiers the edge in a tight game that never really let either side relax. Afterward, Curt Cignetti pointed to an outside source for the design behind the decisive play, crediting the offensive creativity Kansas showed during Andy Kotelnickis time running that attack.
Cignetti said the concept came from that Kansas era and specifically from a fourth-and-1 idea that had become one of the calling cards of Kotelnickis record-setting offense. For Indiana, it was a reminder that big moments can come from borrowed ideas as much as bold execution, and the larger question now is how often the Hoosiers can keep turning that kind of creativity into game-changing touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces The Game That Could Change Everything Nationally
Indianas unbeaten run has set up a November-style spotlight in Bloomington a little earlier than expected, with Memorial Stadium now getting the kind of stage that can reshape a season in a hurry. The Hoosiers enter at 6-0 and ranked inside the top five, and the visit from Ohio State brings a familiar heavyweight into a building that has not often hosted a game with this much national pull.
Ohio State arrives with one loss and a top-five ranking of its own, which is what makes this matchup feel less like a milestone and more like a measuring stick. Between the history of the programs, the coaching matchup, the betting line and a full game day buildup around Bloomington, Indiana gets a chance to prove the opening surge is more than a hot start and maybe more than that if it can handle the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Showed Real Promise In One Area Fans Still Cant Ignore
Indianas exhibition win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse offered a useful early look at what this group can already do well. The Hoosiers controlled the boards, with Aiden Sherrell pulling down nine rebounds, and they also showed some promising perimeter touch in a 96-68 victory that gave plenty of reasons for optimism before the games start counting.
Still, the same outing also reminded everyone of a familiar concern. Multiple players found themselves in foul trouble, and that kind of issue can quickly limit rotations and disrupt rhythm once the competition tightens, even as Indianas shooting from deep and contributions from Darren Harris and Markus Burton point to a team with more offensive balance than it has had in recent years. [Read more 🡒]