Indiana Football Climbs in Latest AP Poll - But Should the Hoosiers be Ranked Higher?

All of the college football world just loves to attack Indiana’s light non-conference schedule. And it’s kind of a fair point. The Hoosiers haven’t proven themselves against the best of the best just yet, but they have all of Big Ten play do exactly that.

And that continues to clearly be the sticking point for AP voters, as Indiana, which was No. 22 in last week’s poll, only slid up a few spots in Sunday’s new AP poll.

Indiana creeps up to No. 19

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Jonathan Brady (0) catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Hoosiers worked themselves up to No. 19 in the country, but it appears to have nothing to do with their own performance, and more to do with the shortcomings of other squads across the nation.

Indiana jumped South Carolina, USF, Clemson and Notre Dame – all of which, aside from the Fighting Irish, dropped out of the top-25 entirely – but was leapfrogged by Georgia Tech.

Is No. 19 fair?

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti watches his team warm up prior to the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

We get it. Indiana hasn’t even played a Power Four team yet. But there’s certainly something to be said for taking care of business – and Indiana has done just that. The only even eyebrow-raising piece of work on the Hoosiers’ resume is their opener against Old Dominion.

Sure, a 27-14 win over a non-high major foe isn’t exactly a promising performance, but then there’s this: Old Dominion just steamrolled Virginia Tech on the road by a score of 45-26. So, perhaps that Week One victory isn’t a feather in Indiana’s cap, but it certainly doesn’t tarnish its resume.

Then there was the 56-9 blasting of Kennesaw State in which the Hoosiers fully displayed that multi-talented, versatile offensive attack on the ground (313 yards and three scores on 8.0 yards per carry) and through the air (280 yards and five scores total).

And then this past Saturday, which was a performance that sent a clear message: Indiana is one of the best teams in the country on both sides of the football.

Indiana State may be an FCS squad, but holding any Division One team, let alone an at-the-time undefeated team, to just 77 total yards, while gaining 680 of your own, is an unbelievably dominant performance.

No déjà vu here, @TheOmarCooper finds the end zone yet again. #IUFB | 📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/WOztMAYFOD
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) September 13, 2025

The metrics support the narrative (ESPN’s SP+ has Indiana at No. 13 and FPI has it at No. 16), but the AP voters and College Football Playoff committee won’t believe it until the Hoosiers prove it on the biggest stage.

Fortunately, with No. 9 Illinois making the trek to Bloomington next weekend, Indiana finally has its long-awaited opportunity to show the country that 2024 wasn’t a mistake and the Hoosiers are here to stay.