Indiana football is still sitting pretty at No. 2 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings - and for the fifth straight week, no less. That consistency has been a hallmark of the Hoosiers’ unbeaten season, but with the final CFP rankings set to drop this Sunday, the real question is whether they can hold that top-four spot and lock in a first-round bye in the 12-team playoff format.
The updated rankings, unveiled Tuesday night on ESPN, didn’t shake much up at the top. Ohio State remains No. 1, followed by Indiana, Georgia, and Texas Tech rounding out the current top four. If those standings hold, those are your teams getting a bye straight into the quarterfinals.
But the real drama is still ahead.
Indiana’s path to the playoff - and potentially even the No. 1 seed - runs through Indianapolis this weekend. That’s where the Hoosiers (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) will face off against top-ranked Ohio State (12-0, 9-0) in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday night. It’s a heavyweight clash between two undefeated powerhouses, and the winner could very well walk into the playoff with the No. 1 overall seed.
For Indiana, there’s more than just playoff positioning on the line. This is a program that’s been knocking on the door in recent years, but now they’re in the thick of the national title conversation. A win over Ohio State would be a statement - not just to the CFP Committee, but to the entire college football world.
As it stands, Indiana is projected to face the winner of No. 10 Notre Dame vs.
No. 7 Texas A&M in the quarterfinals, thanks to that potential first-round bye.
Under the new 12-team format, the top four teams in the final rankings get to skip the first round entirely. Seeds 5 through 8 will host seeds 9 through 12 in on-campus matchups, adding a whole new layer of intensity to the early rounds.
Also representing the Big Ten in the current playoff picture is No. 5 Oregon, who just missed the top-four cut and would host a first-round game if the rankings hold. The Ducks are still in the mix, and depending on how conference championship weekend shakes out, they could slide into a bye spot if one of the top four slips.
Here’s a look at the current top 12:
- Ohio State (12-0)
- Indiana (12-0)
- Georgia (11-1)
- Texas Tech (11-1)
- Oregon (11-1)
- Ole Miss (11-1)
- Texas A&M (11-1)
- Oklahoma (10-2)
- Alabama (10-2)
- Notre Dame (10-2)
- BYU (11-1)
- Miami (10-2)
The final rankings will be revealed Sunday, December 7 at noon ET, shortly after the dust settles from conference championship weekend. That’s when the full playoff bracket will be locked in, and we’ll know who’s playing who - and where.
A quick refresher on how the new CFP format works: the 12-team field includes the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams overall. The bracket is seeded based on the final CFP rankings, with the top four earning byes. If any of the top five conference champs fall outside the top 12, they still get in - and get bumped up to the No. 12, 11, etc., seeds accordingly.
From there, it’s on to the first round, which will be hosted by the higher-seeded teams in the 5-8 range. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate among the New Year’s Six bowl games - including the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton, and Peach Bowls - before the national title game on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
But before we get there, all eyes are on Saturday night in Indianapolis. Indiana vs.
Ohio State. No. 2 vs.
No. 1.
Winner takes the Big Ten - and maybe more.
The Hoosiers have been flawless so far. But now comes the biggest test yet.