Idle Indiana Falls to No. 9 in College Football Playoff Rankings

Indiana fell five places to No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings released on November 11, although the 8-1 Hoosiers did not play. The shift underscores that a team can lose ground even without taking a loss, as other contenders strengthen their cases.

Three two-loss teams now rank ahead of Indiana: Alabama at No. 3, Texas at No. 6 and Tennessee at No. 8. One-loss Texas Tech is No. 12, while one-loss Wake Forest is No. 13.

The committee evaluates teams on their full body of work. Its comparison factors include schedule strength, direct matchups and play versus shared foes plus further pertinent factors, such as player or coach availability. Indiana’s ranking change shows the result of that comparison, but does not reveal the precise weight given to each factor.

Notre Dame rose from No. 11 to No. 5 after beating Miami, adding a prominent win while Indiana had no new game to bolster its case. November results can quickly reorder teams that already have playoff-caliber records.

The cutoff remains complicated by automatic bids. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC titleholders qualify, along with the best-placed squad among the remaining six conferences. Teams receiving automatic bids but ranked below No. 12 occupy the final spots in the playoff bracket, so Texas Tech’s No. 12 spot alone does not guarantee a berth. Teams near the boundary still need wins and will be affected by conference title results and how the committee compares their résumés.