Despite a historic defensive masterclass and a 38-0 rout, Indiana slipped in the rankings as a marquee Ole Miss victory reshaped the top five ahead of Big Ten play.
The Associated Press Top 25 poll featured a surprising shift for Indiana football fans on Sunday. Indiana slipped down one spot to Number 5 in the latest rankings, despite rolling to a commanding 38 to 0 shutout victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
The Hoosiers, who entered the weekend sitting at Number 4 in the country, did everything requested of them on the field. Head coach Curt Cignetti led his group to back to back shutout wins for the first time in over thirty years, stifling the Hilltoppers and controlling the game from start to finish. Transfer quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Lee Beebe Jr added two scores on the ground to push Indiana to a clean 3 and 0 start to the 2026 season.
Yet, dominant play inside Memorial Stadium was not quite enough to prevent a minor tumble in the national rankings.
The main driver behind Indiana dipping one spot was dynamic action elsewhere in college football. Ole Miss made a massive leap forward after earning an emotional marquee victory against LSU on Saturday night. That high profile win propelled the Rebels ahead of the Hoosiers in the minds of many AP voters. Texas now holds the top spot, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, and Ole Miss, leaving Indiana sitting at Number 5.
Despite dropping one slot, Indiana still earned four first place votes in the AP poll, showing that plenty of voters still view Bloomington as top tier territory. In the US LBM Coaches Poll, the program held firm at Number 4 overall, reinforcing that national evaluators consider the Hoosiers legitimate national championship contenders. Furthermore, voters clearly recognize that Indiana possesses one of the premier roster foundations in the entire country under Cignetti.
For local supporters, falling back after a thirty eight point shutout victory might feel slightly absurd, but the bigger picture remains bright. Indiana continues its historical run of national relevance, marking 31 consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 dating back to 2024.
The focus now turns to Big Ten action. Indiana hosts Northwestern under the Friday night lights at Memorial Stadium to begin conference play. With an elite defense that has not surrendered a single point in two full weeks, Cignetti and his squad have all the tools needed to climb right back up the poll as the schedule toughens.
