Indiana is no longer the Big Ten’s top team in the College Football Playoff picture.
The Hoosiers slid to No. 9 in the latest CFP rankings released Tuesday night on ESPN, a week after sitting at No. 4.
That drop leaves IU projected to head to Knoxville for a first-round matchup with No. 8 Tennessee if the bracket holds.
IU’s fall also means UCLA has taken over as the conference’s highest-ranked team. The Bruins jumped all the way to No. 4, matching the spot Indiana occupied last week. No other Big Ten team landed in the Top 12.
Indiana enters the stretch run at 8-1 and gets back on the field Nov. 14 against USC, which checks in at No. 18 in the new rankings. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will air on CBS.
Here’s how the current top 25 looks:
- Georgia, 8-1
- Utah, 9-0
- Alabama, 7-2
- UCLA, 9-0
- Notre Dame, 8-1
- Texas, 7-2
- Miami, 8-1
- Tennessee, 7-2
- Indiana, 8-1
- BYU, 7-2
- Kentucky, 7-2
- Texas Tech, 8-1
- Wake Forest, 8-1
- Houston, 7-2
- Iowa, 7-2
- Oregon, 6-3
- South Carolina, 6-3
- USC, 7-2
- Ole Miss, 6-3
- Ohio State, 6-3
- LSU, 6-3
- Missouri, 6-3
- Arizona, 7-2
- Boise State, 8-1
- Oklahoma State, 6-3
In Other News...
USCs Injury Problems Could Change Everything Against Indiana
USC heads into its Week 11 trip to No. 9 Indiana still trying to sort through injury issues that could reshape the way the Trojans approach one of their biggest games of the season. The situation has opened the door for younger players to matter more than they might have expected this early, with freshman running back Shahn Alston and wide receiver Ethan Feaster among the names drawing attention as USC looks for answers and depth.
For Indiana, the matchup figures to be decided in the trenches as much as anywhere else. The Hoosiers have built a strong defensive line, and that puts extra pressure on USCs running game and its own defensive front seven to hold up on the road. If the Trojans are going to keep pace, they may need those developing pieces to contribute quickly while the injury picture continues to hang over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Gets One Encouraging Sign Before Must Win USC Matchup
Josh Hoover appears set to give Indiana a needed boost heading into a must-win matchup with USC. After being left off the teams initial injury report, the quarterback is expected to be available, and coach Curt Cignetti said he would be in uniform as long as he stays clear of the report. For a Hoosiers team trying to steady itself late in the season, simply having Hoover on hand changes the conversation at the most important position on the field.
The rest of the injury picture is less reassuring. Leading rusher Turbo Richard and defensive end Kellan Wyatt have already been ruled out, while cornerback A.J. Harris and linebacker Rolijah Hardy are listed as questionable. Cignetti has not named a starter, so Indiana still has some decisions to sort through before facing USC, but Hoovers status at least gives the Hoosiers a chance to enter the game with a little more stability than they might have had otherwise. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Just Reignited Indianas CFP Respect Debate
The latest College Football Playoff rankings gave Indiana a jolt even without the Hoosiers taking the field in Week 10, and Urban Meyer wasted little time turning that into a broader discussion about where they really belong. The FOX analyst and former coach pointed to Indianas slide from No. 4 to No. 9, using it as a springboard to question whether the committee had overvalued the Hoosiers in the first place, especially given the quality of their wins and the strength of schedule they have faced.
Meyers comments land at a time when the playoff picture is tightening around the Big Ten and Big 12, with Notre Dame and UCLA also climbing in the latest rankings. For Indiana, the issue is no longer just where it sits in the poll, but whether its early respect was earned or simply a product of a committee that is still sorting out how to weigh unbeaten records against the week-to-week reality of who teams have actually beaten. [Read more 🡒]