The latest AP Top 25 brought another small but noticeable hit for Indiana, even after the Hoosiers kept their perfect start and stretched their winning streak to 20 games.
Indiana moved down to No. 6 in the Week 4 poll after a 29-23 win over Northwestern in its Big Ten opener. The Hoosiers are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, and they also picked up a first-place vote, but AP voters still nudged them back a spot for the second straight week.
That drop comes after Indiana was also pushed down following its 38-0 shutout of Western Kentucky. This time, the slip put Miami (FL) and Ohio State ahead of Curt Cignetti’s team.
The Hoosiers have still looked sharp in the early going. They opened with home wins over North Texas, 52-16, Howard, 55-0, and Western Kentucky, outscoring those three opponents 145-16. That stretch showed the same kind of efficiency that powered their 2025 championship run.
Northwestern, though, gave Indiana more of a real fight. The Hoosiers still controlled plenty of the numbers, finishing with a 472-325 edge in total yards and holding the Wildcats to 32 rushing yards.
Lee Beebe Jr. was a major factor, piling up 203 yards on the ground. Even so, the game stayed close late because of eight penalties, missed chances in the passing game and defensive breakdowns in the second half.
From the outside, voters seem to be weighing Indiana against the standard set by last season’s dominant team. Inside the program, the job is simpler: keep winning and keep building. The Hoosiers have now won 19 straight at home and 18 of their last 19 Big Ten games.
In Other News...
Indiana May Have Avoided A Bigger Problem Before Rutgers
Indiana got a little breathing room on the injury front as it turns its attention to Rutgers on Saturday night. Curt Cignetti said running back Turbo Richard and linebacker Rolijah Hardy, both hurt in the win over Northwestern, are expected to be available, easing some concern after both players left the game with injuries and were labeled day-to-day.
Richards lower leg and ankle issue had the potential to become a real complication for an offense that needs its depth intact, while Hardys exit after a tackle attempt briefly raised alarms on the defensive side. For a Hoosiers team heading into a primetime matchup, getting both back in the mix would help keep the rotation steady and prevent one game from turning into a bigger problem. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Defense Has A New Standout And A Secondary Twist
Indianas win over Northwestern came with the kind of defensive backbone the Hoosiers have been looking for, and Stephen Daley was right in the middle of it. In limited snaps, he kept showing up around the ball with multiple pressures, tackles and a forced fumble, giving Indiana a disruptive edge that helped shape the 29-23 result. The broader snap counts and grades painted a fuller picture of a defense that had some strong individual work to lean on even while the unit sorted through a few uneven stretches.
The secondary was the other part worth watching, because the review of the game suggested more than one player made a case for a bigger role moving forward. Indiana got useful contributions across the back end, but the grades also pointed to a few spots where the coverage still has room to tighten up. For a team trying to build on a hard-fought conference win, that mix of emergence and uncertainty is exactly the kind of thing that can define what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces Its First Real Test With Early Momentum On The Line
Indianas perfect start is about to get a different kind of examination. The Hoosiers head to Rutgers for their first road game of the 2026 season, taking a 4-0 record and a No. 5 or No. 6 ranking into SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, where the setting and the opponent should offer a clearer read on where this team really stands.
Rutgers is only 1-3, but Greg Schianos teams have a way of making things uncomfortable, especially in Big Ten play. With a Saturday evening kickoff and ticket information already in circulation, this one has the feel of an early checkpoint for Indiana, a chance to protect momentum before the schedule starts asking even tougher questions. [Read more 🡒]