Coming off a 30-20 upset win at Oregon, Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) is ranked No. 3 in both The Associated Press poll and USA Today Coaches' Poll. Indiana jumped up four spots after previously being ranked No. 7 in both polls.
This is the highest ranking ever for the Hoosiers, whose previous high was No. 4 in 1945 and 1967. Indiana is ranked for the 20th consecutive week, dating back to Week 6 of 2024. That is the longest streak in program history. Curt Cignetti -- who's 17-2 in two seasons as Indiana's coach -- has turned Indiana into a national championship contender.
"We're not just a one-hit wonder," Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza said after the Hoosiers beat Oregon. "And it shows that we can go through some stuff in the game, we can handle adversity. We're a gritty team, and we really band together and we have each other's back.
Led by Mendoza, a Heisman trophy candidate, Indiana appears to be even better than it was when it went 11-2 and made its first College Football Playoff in 2024. This team appears to be even more talented, and it showed in the impressive road win over the Ducks.
Indiana will return home for the first time in four weeks when it hosts Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Hoosiers are yet to lose a home game with Cignetti at the helm.