Where IU football stands in CFP, bowl projections after 5-0 start

Photos of IU football vs. Illinois football at Memorial Stadium on September 20, 2025.

IU football is 5-0 and No. 8 in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll released on Sunday afternoon.

The first College Football Playoff rankings won’t be released until early November, but various national outlets updated their CFP and bowl projections following week five.

Here’s where the Hoosiers stand after Saturday’s 20-15 win against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium:

ESPN.com – Heather Dinich

Dinich has the Hoosiers at No. 10 in her updated CFP projections below one-loss teams like Florida State, Alabama and Georgia.

Why they could be here: The Hoosiers escaped Saturday with a 20-15 win at Iowa, a notoriously difficult place to play. A close win is better than a loss, just ask fellow contenders LSU and Florida State, which dropped road games this week. It was the fewest points IU had scored this season, but Indiana now has back-to-back Big Ten wins and its first road victory. It also helped IU that Illinois beat USC, further legitimizing the Hoosiers’ 63-10 beatdown of the Illini.

ESPN.com – Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach

Bonagura and Schlach are higher than Dinich on the Hoosiers, placing them at No. 8 in their updated projections.

CBSSports.com – Brad Crawford

Indiana checks in at No. 9 in the CFP projections at CBSSports.com, below SEC programs Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M.

9. Indiana: Curt Cignetti warned all who would listen, and he was right. Iowa imposed a much tougher game on his Hoosiers compared to their previous opponent, but Indiana came through in the fourth quarter on Fernando Mendoza’s 49-yard strike to Elijah Sarratt. It was a road win in the Big Ten with the “survive and advance” mentality on full display for the Hoosiers on a day where several other top 15 teams went down.

Sports Illustrated – Bryan Fischer

Fischer also has the Hoosiers at No. 9 in his CFP projections after week five:

The Hoosiers survived the trip to Iowa City, but credit Curt Cignetti for telling the truth when he remarked that the Hawkeyes would be a much stiffer test than what they faced last week. Suddenly, that trip to Oregon after a bye might end up being the type of game that could determine how high Indiana rises in the CFP rankings.

Sports Illustrated – Pat Forde

Forde slots the Hoosiers at No. 6 after Saturday’s win at Iowa, the highest of any of the projections we surveyed today.

USA Today – Matt Hayes

The Hoosiers check in at No. 8 in the latest CFP projections from Hayes through week five:

8. Indiana: Welcome to playing a real schedule, Hoosiers. There’s no room for a letdown, especially against the most underrated assistant coach in college football (Iowa DC Norm Parker). Up next: bye week.

On3.com – Brett McMurphy

McMurphy has the Hoosiers out of the CFP and projects the Hoosiers to make the ReliaQuest Bowl against Tennessee in Tampa, Florida, on New Year’s Eve.

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