Indiana football is ranked No. 2 in the first 2025 College Football Playoff rankings revealed Tuesday night on ESPN.
This initial seeding projects the Hoosiers to receive a first-round bye and take on the winner of the matchup between the University of Notre Dame and Brigham Young University in the quarterfinals.
Last season marked the start of the 12-team playoff. In the first iteration of this format, the four highest ranked conference champions received a first-round bye. But the seeding process underwent changes in the offseason.
While the five highest ranked conference champions are still guaranteed a spot in the playoffs this season, the top four seeds will instead go to the four highest ranked teams, regardless of conference titles. These top four teams will receive a first round bye, as determined by the CFP selection committee in its final top 25 rankings.
Indiana slotted in at No. 8 in the initial playoff rankings last season. It took on Notre Dame in the first round as a 10-seed on Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend, Indiana –– the first CFP appearance in school history. The Hoosiers lost 27-17 to the Fighting Irish.
Now, the Hoosiers eye a top-four seed and a first-round bye amid another historic season under second-year head coach Curt Cignetti. Indiana currently owns a 9-0 record and sits in first place in the Big Ten with a 6-0 mark in conference play. The Hoosiers notched their first road victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent in program history against then-No. 3 Oregon on Oct. 11.
The Hoosiers’ undefeated record has propelled them to a program-high No. 2 ranking in The Associated Press’ Top 25 Poll, and 11 No. 1 votes entering Week 11.
Indiana has three games remaining in its regular season, before a potential Big Ten Championship game appearance Dec. 6. None of Indiana’s final three regular season games come against a team with a winning record, setting the Hoosiers up for a potential strong finish to conference play.
The Hoosiers’ quest for a top-four seed continues Saturday on the road against Penn State. The game is scheduled to kick off at noon and will be televised on FOX.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
