It took 2-plus years of the Curt Cignetti era for it to happen, but Indiana did something on Sunday that all elite programs do at one point or another.
They got ranked based on reputation and not on who they’ve been between the lines.
It’s a stunning turn of events for a program who, prior to Cignetti, was never going to even think about being in the “overrated” group in the AP Top 25. Yet in the post-Week 4 AP Top 25, the Hoosiers came in at No. 6 and are now being ranked more on past success than on-the-field results in 2026.
Yes, I understand it’s a 20-game winning streak
That should be celebrated. It was lost in the shuffle of Friday night’s nail-biter win against Northwestern that the Hoosiers clinched their 20th consecutive victory, which is the longest active win streak in the sport.
But we’re about to enter October. You can’t play the “20-game win streak” card to justify a ranking when you consider that 80% of that feat was from last year’s team.
As for this year’s team, well, it stymied a few non-Power Conference offenses and then was on its heels throughout the second half at home against the first Power Conference offense it faced in 2026.
With all due respect to a Northwestern team that’s improving, it had a regular-season over/under of 5.5 wins. The fact that the Wildcats had a chance to win late — and possibly could’ve if not for an untimely face-mask penalty that bailed out the Hoosiers on a failed third-and-long — in IU’s first Power Conference game of the season is indeed a demerit for a top-10 team like IU.
IU made the decision to schedule a cupcake non-conference slate while plenty of others have gotten to 4-0 by going a different route.
Among the 4-0 Power Conference teams, IU and Texas Tech are the lone teams with just one victory against a Power Conference foe. Texas Tech is appropriately ranked No. 12, though that lone Power Conference win came vs. No. 22 Houston, who is still in the AP Top 25 at No. 20.
Teams like No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Florida, No. 14 Utah, No. 16 Mississippi State and No. 23 UCLA are ranked behind IU even though all three of those teams have multiple Power Conference victories, at least one of which happened in a true road game.
Alabama (and Florida) should absolutely be ranked ahead of Indiana
But wait, what about last year, you ask?
Cool. That was last year.
That logic didn’t apply to Texas being ranked ahead of Georgia, so why should it apply to Indiana and Alabama? After all, the Tide have three double-digit wins against Power Conference foes, including a blowout road win against a Kentucky team that’s now No. 24.
Shoot, Florida has already gone on the road and won, and it just dominated a top-4 team by putting up a 50-burger. You mean to tell me that’s not as impressive than IU fighting for its life against Northwestern? It’s not even close.
It’s simple — IU is getting the benefit of the doubt as the defending champs, and voters don’t quit.
know what to do with them.
Shoot, one voter even ranked IU as the No. 1 team in America (via RedditCFB). In the preseason? I understood that. But doing that with a month’s worth of games makes zero sense, especially with how IU has played so far in meaningful competition.
If I had an AP vote, I’d rank IU at No. 15
I’d rank the likes of Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, Ohio State, BYU, Iowa, LSU, Utah, Texas Tech and Mississippi State all ahead of the Hoosiers.
It’s baffling that of the 70 AP voters, only one had IU outside the top 10 (Jon Wilner). He had the Hoosiers at No. 15 like I would’ve. Call me a hater, or just call me someone who would actually use the month’s worth of data that we have to make such a ranking.
Will a ranking in the last weekend of September define IU’s 2026 season? Of course not. At this time last year, IU was only at No. 8 in the AP Poll even after it throttled a top-10 (but fraudulent) Illinois team.
Things have changed. IU will now be in position to claim top-10 status as it figures out how to actually look the part.
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