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Indiana football started the season 8-1 and was ranked No. 4 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. But in the second rankings released Tuesday, the Hoosiers fell five spots to No. 9, even though they did not play in Week 10 due to a bye.
CFP selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek said Indiana was hurt by the timing of its bye week. He explained that the Hoosiers had no chance to improve their resume while other teams around them posted impressive wins. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic reported Yurachek's comments: "Hunter Yurachek says Indiana was a victim of having a bye week at the wrong time bc of so many teams right around them getting big wins (UCLA, ND), and also notes that all 6 of the Big Ten teams theyve played lost over the weekend."
Indiana's only loss this season came against Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes dropped from No. 12 to No. 20 after a 41-28 loss to Oregon, which also diminished the value of what had been one of Indiana's most significant games. In addition, several teams that Indiana had previously beaten lost over the weekend, further weakening the strength of the Hoosiers' earlier victories and giving the committee fewer reasons to keep them at No. 4.
Key Analysis
The Hoosiers remain firmly in the playoff hunt under head coach Curt Cignetti. Indiana's next game is against USC, followed by a road trip to Washington and a home finale against rival Purdue. With those three games remaining, Indiana still has opportunities to improve its standing before the final rankings are released.
Originally reported by yahoo.