Indiana Falls to No. 9 as Cignetti Questions CFP Rankings

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti questioned the College Football Playoff committee’s ranking standards after the Hoosiers fell five places to No. 9 during their bye week, leaving them outside the top four in the latest rankings. Indiana is 8-1, with its only loss coming against Ohio State.

Cignetti posted on X: “Bad losses dont count anymore? Are first downs still 10 yards?” The post included laughing and clown emojis. His message followed the committee’s release of rankings that moved Indiana down despite the team not playing that week.

Committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said Indiana may have been affected by the timing of its bye. He also pointed to other teams’ performances and six losses that, in his account, weighed on Indiana’s strength-of-record and strength-of-schedule metrics. That explanation was reported in one account of his remarks; the committee’s underlying deliberations were not detailed.

Indiana’s ranking has drawn attention to its résumé as the regular season continues. The Hoosiers have not beaten a team currently ranked in the top 25, according to one report, and their only defeat was a narrow loss to Ohio State. Several of their Big Ten wins have been close,...