Indiana football opened the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings at No. 4, putting the Hoosiers in prime position for a first-round bye if they can stay at No. 4 or better.
The CFP Committee unveiled the initial rankings Tuesday night on ESPN, and Indiana landed as the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the field. Under the bracket released with the rankings, the Hoosiers would face the winner of Alabama and Boise State in the quarterfinals.
Indiana is 8-1 heading into its next game, a Nov. 14 matchup with USC. The Trojans checked in at No. 20 in the first CFP rankings.
The Big Ten also placed UCLA at No. 8 in the opening bracket. Ohio State came in at No. 12, but was pushed out by the requirement to include a Group of Six conference team.
Here’s the initial CFP top 25 and bracket:
- Miami 8-0
- Georgia 7-1
- Utah 8-0
- Indiana 8-1
- Alabama 6-2
- Kentucky 7-1
- Texas 6-2
- UCLA 8-0
- BYU 7-1
- Ole Miss 6-2
- Notre Dame 7-1
- Ohio State 6-2
- Tennessee 6-2
- LSU 6-2
- Texas Tech 7-1
- Wake Forest 7-1
- Houston 6-2
- Missouri 6-2
- Iowa 6-2
- Southern California 7-2
- South Carolina 5-3
- Arizona 6-2
- Oregon 5-3
- Florida 5-3
- Boise State 7-1
In Other News...
Indiana Fan Who Missed $1 Million Kick Had A Wild Next Move
Jackson Stallings turned a rough moment on ESPNs College GameDay into something very Indiana in a hurry. The student was on the spot for two 33-yard field goals that carried a $1 million prize, and both kicks sailed wide before the Hoosiers game against Minnesota. With Pat McAfee involved in the scene and the spotlight fixed squarely on campus, it was the kind of public miss that can linger for a while.
Instead, Stallings took the attention and pushed it somewhere unexpected, posting a viral LinkedIn message that framed the experience through business lessons. For a fan base used to seeing the football program under a microscope, it was a reminder that the days most memorable moment did not end with the kicks themselves. The bigger curiosity now is how far that post travels, and whether the miss ends up being remembered more for the money left on the table or the way Stallings handled it afterward. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem It Cant Ignore
Josh Hoovers early exit against Minnesota turned a routine injury update into something more complicated for Indiana. The backup, Grant Wilson, stepped in and helped guide the Hoosiers to a win after Hoover did not return for the second half, giving the staff a live look at how the offense might function if the depth chart has to change.
Curt Cignetti said the possibility of a quarterback switch was discussed, which only adds to the pressure around Hoovers status moving forward. Indiana stuck with him for now, but with injury concerns and uneven play both in the picture, the Hoosiers are suddenly facing a decision they cant put off for long. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas New-Look Rotation Just Raised A Bigger Question For Next Week
Indianas second game of the season offered a clearer look at how much this roster can change from night to night, and the early returns were encouraging. In a 92-69 win over Bellarmine, Duke transfer Darren Harris delivered a career-high 23 points, while Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay added 15 points and four assists off the bench, giving the Hoosiers a burst of scoring and playmaking from two newcomers who are already carving out roles.
Even with the offense rolling, coach Darian DeVries spent part of the night pointing to defensive lapses that still need cleaning up before the schedule stiffens. Indiana has enough depth to keep experimenting with lineups and roles, but next week will offer a better test of whether this new-look rotation can hold up when the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]