Indiana leaps 8 spots in AP Poll following dominant 53 point win over No. 9 Illinois

The Indiana Hoosiers rose eight spots in the latest Associated Press’ Top 25 Poll released Sunday to No. 11, eight spots ahead of last week’s No. 19 ranking.

After Indiana's dismantling of former No. 9 Illinois 63-10, the Hoosiers debut at their highest ranking since they finished at No. 10 in the final edition of 2024’s AP poll. The Illinois Fighting Illini fell to No. 23 in the poll following the loss.

Redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 21 of his 23 pass attempts with 267 passing yards and five touchdowns.

Indian ran the ball for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns, led by running back Khobi Martin who had (12 carries, 107 yards, 2 TDs) and Kaelon Black (10 carries, 89 yards, 1 touchdown.

The Fighting Illini had just two total yards on the ground, while the Hoosiers registered 10 tackles-for-loss and a season-high seven sacks. 

While Illinois quarterback, Luke Altmyer was sacked six times and never got into rhythm. He finished 14-for-22 for 146 yards and one TD, a 59-yard bomb to Collin Dixon in the first quarter.

 As far as the other Big Ten teams in the conference, Penn State dropped one spot to No. 3 during its bye week, as Oregon at No. 6 despite a blowout victory over in state rivals Oregon State, 41-7. The defending national champions Ohio State remain at No. 1 after its bye week. No. 3 Penn State host No. 6 Oregon in a major showdown on Saturday night at 7:30pm on NBC.

Michigan and USC moved up in the rankings. The Wolverines jumped two spots to No. 19 after a 30-27 win against Nebraska, and the USC Trojans who have the No. 1 offense in the conference jumped four spots to No. 21.  

No. 11 Indiana now faces its first road contest of the season, as they travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for a matchup against Iowa. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Kinnick Stadium. 

Week 5 rankings: AP Top 25

1. Ohio State
2. Miami (Fla.)
3. Penn State
4. LSU
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida State
9. Texas A&M
10. Texas
11. Indiana
12. Texas Tech
13. Ole Miss
14. Iowa State
15. Tennessee
16. Georgia Tech
17. Alabama
18. Vanderbilt
19. Michigan
20. Missouri
21. USC
22. Notre Dame
23. Illinois
24. TCU
25. BYU

Week 5 rankings: Coaches Poll

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (1667)
2. Penn State Nittany Lions (1552)
3. Georgia Bulldogs (1497)
4. LSU Tigers (1458)
5. Oregon Ducks (1442)
6. Miami Hurricanes (1399)
7. Texas Longhorns (1209)
8. Florida State Seminoles (1100)
9. Texas A&M Aggies (1043)
10. Oklahoma Sooners (1024)
11. Ole Miss Rebels (996)
12. Indiana Hoosiers (915)
13. Iowa State Cyclones (870)
14. Texas Tech Red Raiders (807)
15. Tennessee Volunteers (715)
16. Alabama Crimson Tide (649)
17. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (558)
18. Michigan Wolverines (469)
19. Missouri Tigers (433)
20. Vanderbilt Commodores (417)
21. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (261)
22. USC Trojans (249)
23. Illinois Fighting Illini (214)
24. BYU Cougars (185)
25. TCU Horned Frogs (112)