Let’s Be Honest: Indiana is Overrated at No. 6 in the AP Top 25

It took 2-plus years of the Curt Cignetti era for it to happen, but Indiana did something on Sunday that all elite programs do at one point or another.

They got ranked based on reputation and not on who they’ve been between the lines.

It’s a stunning turn of events for a program who, prior to Cignetti, was never going to even think about being in the “overrated” group in the AP Top 25. Yet in the post-Week 4 AP Top 25, the Hoosiers came in at No. 6 and are now being ranked more on past success than on-the-field results in 2026.

Yes, I understand it’s a 20-game winning streak

That should be celebrated. It was lost in the shuffle of Friday night’s nail-biter win against Northwestern that the Hoosiers clinched their 20th consecutive victory, which is the longest active win streak in the sport.

But we’re about to enter October. You can’t play the “20-game win streak” card to justify a ranking when you consider that 80% of that feat was from last year’s team.

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As for this year’s team, well, it stymied a few non-Power Conference offenses and then was on its heels throughout the second half at home against the first Power Conference offense it faced in 2026.

With all due respect to a Northwestern team that’s improving, it had a regular-season over/under of 5.5 wins. The fact that the Wildcats had a chance to win late – and possibly could’ve if not for an untimely face-mask penalty that bailed out the Hoosiers on a failed third-and-long – in IU’s first Power Conference game of the season is indeed a demerit for a top-10 team like IU.

IU made the decision to schedule a cupcake non-conference slate while plenty of others have gotten to 4-0 by going a different route.

Among the 4-0 Power Conference teams, IU and Texas Tech are the lone teams with just one victory against a Power Conference foe. Texas Tech is appropriately ranked No. 12, though that lone Power Conference win came vs. No. 22 Houston, who is still in the AP Top 25 at No. 20.

Teams like No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Florida,…

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Publish date : 2026-09-29 04:25:00

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