Cignetti Questions Indiana’s Drop in CFP Rankings

Indiana dropped from fourth to ninth in the latest College Football Playoff rankings despite not playing during the weekend. Coach Curt Cignetti responded on X with a post that appeared to criticize the committee’s treatment of losses, asking whether “bad losses don’t count anymore?” The post included six laughing emojis and seemed to refer to Texas, ranked sixth.

Texas is 7-2, with losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida. Indiana is 8-1, with its only defeat coming against Ohio State, which is ranked No. 20. The Hoosiers are the defending national champions and have lost once since the start of the 2025 season.

Committee chair Hunter Yurachek said Indiana’s bye came as several teams near it in the rankings earned significant wins. He also pointed to six losses by Big Ten teams Indiana had faced, saying those results hurt the Hoosiers’ strength of record and strength of schedule.

Cignetti said on his radio show on November 11 that the break helped Indiana refresh and regain energy. The Hoosiers next face No. 18 USC at home. They have three regular-season games remaining, followed by the Big Ten Championship; winning all four would put them in a strong position for the playoff.