The Indiana Hoosiers are off and running in 2026. After an emphatic 52-16 win over North Texas in Week 1, Indiana rolled to a 55-0 victory over Howard in Week 2. The Hoosiers were expecting to dominate both matchups, and that's exactly what they did. While there is certainly room for improvements, it's hard not to be excited about how the Hoosiers have looked through two games.
Grant Wilson is living up to Curt Cignetti’s praise as Indiana’s best team player
With two games now in the books, there has already been more than enough action for AP voters to consider when making their rankings selections. To the delight of Hoosier fans, the voters continue to show Indiana plenty of love.
Indiana climbs AP Poll yet again after monster win in Week 2
The Hoosiers entered their title-defending season ranked as the No. 6 team in the country via the AP Top-25 preseason poll. Coming off a perfect 16-0 season an historic National Championship, that ranking seemed a bit low. However, the fast start from Curt Cignetti's squad seems to be changing the minds of AP voters. The Hoosiers moved up to No. 5 after their Week 1 win over North Texas, and now they are moving up again.
On Sunday afternoon, the Week 2 AP Top-25 poll was released. Indiana moved up from No. 5 last week to No. 4 this week. It's the 14th consecutive week in which the Hoosiers have been ranked in the national AP Top-10, which continues a school record. Indiana also received three first-place votes.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/VY7Xt0iRq1 pic.twitter.com/5WNv1rtd72
— On3 (@On3) September 13, 2026
The Hoosiers moved up thanks to Ohio State dropping from No. 1 to No. 6 following their loss to Texas on Saturday night. Ohio State held a 23-3 lead late in the 3rd quarter but would watch that slip away in what was a momentous victory for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. With the win, Texas now claims the No. 1 spot after being ranked No. 4 last week.
No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame sit just in front of Indiana, with Miami (FL) rounding out the Top-5.
Year 3 of the Curt Cignetti era is off to a hot start
Indiana has won its first two games by a combined score of 107-16. Yes, those wins have come against lesser opponents with the Hoosiers favored by massive margins. But still, Indiana has put forth a pair of impressive outings that give IU fans plenty to be fired up about.
Josh Hoover has been extremely efficient, and it's clear that he has great chemistry with Charlie Becker. That should serve the Hoosier offense well, as Becker already has 5 touchdown catches on the season. It will be exciting to see what this QB/WR combo can do this season.
The Hoosier defense struggled a bit in Week 1, but put forth an emphatic performance in Week 2. Indiana allowed just 57 total yards and 4 first downs while recording 5 sacks against Howard. Moving forward, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has the Hoosier defense in great shape.
Indiana’s momentum has built quickly early on this season, and that should be expected to continue next week against Western Kentucky. Indiana is massively favored once again, and will be looking to find a convincing win while cleaning things up as much as possible before conference play begins against Northwestern on September 25.
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