BLOOMINGTON — College football postseason positioning officially got underway Tuesday night as two Indiana programs earned spots in the initial College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee rankings of the season.
The defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers debuted in the top tier at No. 4, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish landed at No. 11 in the committee’s first 12-team ranking release.
The No. 4 Hoosiers enter an idle week following a hard-fought 7-point overtime victory against unranked Minnesota last Saturday.
Indiana continues to monitor the health of starting quarterback Josh Hoover, who is dealing with a shoulder injury sustained during the team’s earlier loss to Ohio State. Backup quarterback Grant Wilson stepped in after halftime against Minnesota, guiding the Hoosiers to the overtime win to preserve their top-four ranking.
Fighting Irish Positioned at No. 11
Joining Indiana in the initial rankings, Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame squad came in at No. 11.
The Fighting Irish hold a 7-1 record on the season, bouncing back after a top-10 loss to BYU two weeks ago. Notre Dame is aiming to secure a spot in the field after narrowly missing the 12-team playoff bracket last season.
This season’s 12-team field may mark the final iteration of the current playoff format. The NCAA is actively considering expanding the College Football Playoff postseason to a 24-team field, a change that could take effect as early as next season.
