Where IU football stands in CFP projections following 7-0 start

IU football is 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in the latest Associated Press and US LBM coaches top 25 polls released Sunday.

The initial College Football Playoff rankings won’t be released until Tuesday, November 4, but various national outlets updated their CFP projections following week eight.

Here’s where the Hoosiers stand in the latest CFP projections:

ESPN.com – Heather Dinich

Dinich moved the Hoosiers up to No. 2 after Saturday’s win against Michigan State:

Why they could be here: Indiana moved up one spot after beating Michigan State and as a result of Miami losing to Louisville, but the Hoosiers are here because they won at Oregon on Oct. 11. The double-digit win snapped the Ducks’ 18-game home winning streak and legitimized IU’s playoff hopes. More than that, it put the Hoosiers in contention for a top-four seed and first-round bye. They continued to build upon that Saturday against the Spartans, earning their fourth straight Big Ten win, including two on the road. One of the biggest differences between IU and Ohio State in the eyes of the committee would be the Buckeyes’ nonconference win against Texas, which trumps IU’s wins against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State.

ESPN.com – Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach

Like Dinich, ESPN colleagues Bonagura and Schlabach also have the Hoosiers as the No. 2 in their CFP projections.

CBSSports.com – Brad Crawford

Crawford projects IU to end up at No. 3 in the CFP:

3. Indiana: The playoff selection committee likely won’t penalize Curt Cignetti’s team much if the Hoosiers enter conference championship weekend unbeaten before falling to Ohio State. At worst, Indiana should be positioned at No. 3 or No. 4, with two signature top-10 wins. The Hoosiers started slow coming off the Oregon game but responded with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns in the final six minutes of the first half against Michigan State to take control.

Sports Illustrated – Bryan Fischer

Fischer also has the Hoosiers as the No. 3 seed when the CFP begins:

Cotton Bowl: No. 3 Indiana

Imagine telling somebody a few weeks ago that UCLA might be the Hoosiers’ best win in the second half of the season. That might be the case as Indiana has a few more weeks of practice to prepare for Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Sports Illustrated – Pat Forde

Forde has the Hoosiers at No. 2 in his CFP projections.

The Athletic – Scott Dochterman

Dochterman has IU as No. 2, facing the winner of Miami and Texas Tech.

USA Today – Matt Hayes

Hayes has the Hoosiers at No. 1 based on its wins against Illinois and Oregon:

1. Indiana: It sounds crazy, but have we already seen the best of the Hoosiers? It can’t get much better than punishing top-10 wins against Illinois and Oregon. Or maybe that’s the appetizer. Next: UCLA.

On3.com – Brett McMurphy

McMurphy, who had the Hoosiers completely out of the playoff just three weeks ago, has the Hoosiers at No. 3 in his latest projections.

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