Indiana’s place in the first College Football Playoff rankings says plenty about how the committee views Curt Cignetti’s team, even with the Hoosiers grinding through a rough patch.
On Tuesday, the CFP rankings replaced the AP Poll as the measuring stick that matters most, and Indiana landed at No. 4.
That’s a strong show of faith in an 8-1 team whose only loss came by four points to then-No. 4 Ohio State.
Miami (FL) checked in at No. 1, followed by Georgia and Utah, with Alabama right behind Indiana at No. 5.
If the playoff field were set today, Indiana would be in line for a first-round bye. The Hoosiers would then face the winner of No.
5 Alabama and No. 12 Boise State.
Here’s the full Top 25 from the committee’s first release:
- Miami (FL)
- Georgia
- Utah
- Indiana
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Texas
- UCLA
- BYU
- Ole Miss
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Wake Forest
- Houston
- Missouri
- Iowa
- USC
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- Oregon
- Florida
- Boise State
Indiana’s résumé has been built on surviving, not dominating, over the last month and a half. The Hoosiers beat Northwestern 29-23, Nebraska 20-17, Michigan 13-6 in overtime and Minnesota 23-16 in overtime. The offense has struggled during that stretch, but Indiana has kept finding the one play it needed late.
The lone setback came in Week 7 against Ohio State, a 19-15 loss in a game where points were tough to come by.
This version of Indiana hasn’t looked as overpowering as last year’s group, but the committee clearly valued the results. The Hoosiers are still stacking wins, and that was enough to put them in a prime spot for another run at a national title.
Before any of that can really take shape, though, Indiana has to finish the regular season. The final three games are against No.
20 USC on November 14, Washington, and Purdue. With the Big Ten race tightening, those matchups give the Hoosiers a chance to build momentum at the right time.
In Other News...
Indiana Backcourt Depth Already Facing A Troubling Early Setback
Indianas backcourt depth took an early hit in practice when freshman guard Prince-Alexander Moody suffered a knee injury and is expected to miss an extended period while he undergoes further evaluation. Coach Darian DeVries said Moody will be out for quite some time, a tough development for a player who was expected to help stabilize the guard rotation this season.
For a Hoosiers team trying to build out its perimeter options, the timing makes the setback sting even more. Moody was one of the freshmen penciled in to supply depth and energy in the backcourt, and now Indiana has to wait for a clearer picture before it knows how much of that plan will need to be adjusted. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Playoff Push Suddenly Centers On One Troubling Josh Hoover Question
Curt Cignettis decision to replace Josh Hoover at halftime in an overtime win over Minnesota added a new layer to Indianas playoff push, because the Hoosiers have been leaning on a quarterback whose recent play has not looked quite as sharp as it did earlier in the season. Hoover has been dealing with an unspecified injury, and the dip in his passing accuracy over the last few games has become hard to ignore as Indiana tries to keep its momentum rolling.
The concern now is less about one rough stretch than what it might mean for the stretch run ahead. Former college quarterbacks Danny Kanell and Joel Klatt both weighed in on Hoovers physical condition and confidence, and their comments only sharpened the sense that something is off. For Indiana, the bigger question is whether Hoover can get back to full form in time to keep the Hoosiers on track. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Could Leave Alabama For A Job That Changes Two Programs
Philip Rivers has surfaced as a leading candidate to replace Dave Doeren at NC State, a development that would send the former NFL quarterback from a high school sideline in Alabama to one of the more intriguing openings in the ACC. Rivers, the former NC State standout, is currently coaching at St. Michael Catholic High School, where his son Gunner Rivers plays quarterback and has already committed to the Wolfpack.
The appeal is obvious even with the obvious leap of faith. Rivers has no college coaching experience, but some around the sport see the move as the kind of bold swing worth taking for a program looking to reset quickly. For NC State, it would be a homecoming with immediate recruiting implications, and for Rivers, it would mean leaving a familiar setup in Alabama for a job that could reshape both his coaching path and his sons next stop. [Read more 🡒]