Indiana’s historical winning streak proves that a new coach, a revamped roster, and a robust Name, Image, and Likeness Collective (NIL Collective) can have a transformative effect on any Power 4 program. While their competition hasn’t been particularly strong, Indiana has convincingly defeated all their opponents. As the weeks progress, the team appears closer to a national title than being the Cinderella story of the season.
The latest top 25 rankings after the 11th week of the college football season show Oregon maintaining their top slot after defeating Maryland 39-18. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel set a new record for career touchdowns at 179, breaking a record held since 2011. Ohio state, with an 8-1 win-loss, came second after shutting out Purdue 45-0.
Occupying the third spot is Texas after defeating Florida 49-17, followed by Indiana with a historic 10-game win for the first time in their history. BYU and Tennessee secured the fifth and sixth spots respectively after close games against Utah and Mississippi State.
The seventh to tenth spots are filled by Penn State, Notre Dame, Alabama, and SMU. Ole Miss, Georgia, Miami, LSU, and Army complete the top 15. The bottom 10, from 16th to 25th spots, house Texas A&M, Colorado, Boise State, Washington State, Clemson, Missouri, Kansas State, Iowa State, South Carolina, and Tulane.
Indiana’s success story is showing everyone what the much-praised Power 4 programs are capable of achieving. This is all thanks to a revamped roster, dedicated coach, and robust NIL Collective. This has pushed the team to have one foot in the door of winning their first national title, demonstrating their growth past their underdog status.
Finally, the competition for the spots doesn’t seem to be letting up soon. While Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, and Indiana are currently firmly in the top four, teams like Penn State, Notre Dame, Alabama, and BYU are hot on their tails. As the season progresses, fans and analysts alike wait to see if the underdogs will rise to the top, or if the established top teams will keep their spots.