PFF Preseason Top 25 ranked Indiana inside top 15 nationally

Pro Football Focus (PFF) provides various team rankings based on their proprietary grading system, advanced metrics, and analysis of team units and overall roster strength.

PFF is always against the grid and does things way different than the masses, with their grading scales and rankings it's always fun to see where Pro Football Focus lands with their weekly team rankings.

Key for PFF's 2025 rankings:

PFF rankings: the relative quality of each team as defined by point spread team ratings.

Strength of schedule: The relative difficulty of each team's schedule based on point spread team ratings of opponents — 1 is hardest, 131 is easiest.

Projections: probabilities based on 10,000 season simulations given team point spread ratings, strength of schedule and team records.

The Indiana Hoosiers come in ranked higher than they do in most of the preseason polls at No. 12 overall nationally. Here is PFF's Max Chadwick case for the Hoosiers this season.

12.  (2024 Record: 11-2, Lost CFP First Round)

"Indiana was college football’s Cinderella story in 2024. In Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach, the Hoosiers won 11 games and made the College Football Playoff. That was two wins more than Indiana’s previous program record. The Hoosiers went just 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti took over."

"Indiana is well-positioned for another run at the College Football Playoff, thanks to the return of multiple key players from last year’s squad. Star quarterback Kurtis Rourke is now in the NFL, but California transfer Fernando Mendoza is already generating serious buzz for the 2026 NFL Draft."

Indiana was college football’s Cinderella story in 2024. In Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach, the Hoosiers won 11 games and reached the College Football Playoff, making it the best season in Hoosiers football history.

With multiple All-Americans and key players returning, Indiana is well-positioned for another playoff run. They return All-Americans linebacker Aiden Fisher, cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, defensive end Mikial Kamara along with key players Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper, Amare Ferrell and Carter Smith.

With the additions of those stars to go along with incoming transfers Fernando Mendoza, Roman Hemby, Khalil Benson and Pat Coogan, watch out for the Hoosiers to make another CFB Playoff berth possible in 2025-26.