The Indiana Hoosiers are off to a 3-0 start after picking up lopsided wins over North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky in the non-conference slate. They've looked impressive in the process, winning those games by a combined score of 145-16 and posting back-to-back shutouts in Weeks 2 and 3.
Coming off a 16-0 season and National Championship, the Indiana entered the 2026 season ranked as the No. 6 team in the country via the AP Top-25 preseason poll. The Cream and Crimson quickly moved up to No. 5 in the Week 1 poll and climbed again to No. 4 in the Week 2 poll. But after Week 3, the AP voters pushed the Hoosiers back a bit.
Indiana falls one spot in the AP Top-25 Poll
Indiana's non-conference slate didn't feature a gauntlet of opponents, but the Hoosiers did what they were supposed to do. They won each game in convincing fashion, winning by margins of 36, 55, and 38. Sure there are things to work on, but overall it's hard to be disappointed in the performance the Hoosiers put forth in the non-conference schedule.
The Week 3 AP Top-25 Poll was released on Sunday afternoon, and the Hoosiers now own the No. 5 spot. Indiana dropped from No. 4 to No. 5, with the Ole Miss Rebels now claiming the No. 4 spot following their thrilling victory over Lane Kiffin and LSU on Saturday night in Oxford.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/rYOmnsZFh3 pic.twitter.com/73tiPpJfKr
— On3 (@On3) September 20, 2026
The Texas Longhorns are still in the top spot, with Georgia and Notre Dame ranked No. 2 and 3 respectively. Indiana is still the highest-ranked Big Ten team, and received four first-place votes which was second only to Texas' 58.
Hoosier fans shouldn't be concerned with Indiana's AP poll drop
Ole Miss jumping Indiana shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Rebels have already defeated a pair of ranked opponents in Louisville and LSU. The season is still young, and the Hoosiers have plenty of opportunities to move up in the rankings as the season moves along.
Indiana’s win over Western Kentucky had 2 clear catalysts stand above the rest
The bottom line is that wins over North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky aren't going to woo the AP voters. Indiana is still one spot ahead of where it was when the season began, and with matchups against No. 7 Ohio State, No. 18 Michigan, and No. 12 USC in the coming weeks, the Hoosiers will have plenty of chances to further impress the AP voters and show that they can handle tougher competition in league play.
Speaking of league play, Indiana's Big Ten opener is set for this Friday, September 25 against Northwestern at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The Wildcats have played just two games so far this season, but have looked impressive in both. David Braun's team defeated South Dakota State 34-18 and dominated Colorado to a score of 41-7 this past weekend. With new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel, the Hoosiers have to be ready for whatever the Northwestern offense tries to throw at them. Kick-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. ET.
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