Indiana Football Bowl Projections Include College Football Playoffs Following 7-0 Start
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana making the 12-team College Football Playoffs may have seemed unlikely before the season, but now it's a real possibility.
In coach Curt Cignetti's first season, Indiana improved to 7-0 on Saturday with a 56-7 win over Nebraska inside a sold-out Memorial Stadium. That win propelled the Hoosiers to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 poll and kept them atop the Big Ten standings with a 4-0 conference record.
Indiana leads the nation in scoring at 48.7 points per game, and it also ranks seventh in points allowed per game at 13.7. That's good for a plus-245 scoring margin, which is the best of any team through seven games since 2020 – ahead of the last three national champions and the 2022 Ohio State team, per ESPN.
Indiana became bowl eligible after its win at Northwestern on Oct. 5, and now it's just a matter of which bowl game – or playoff game – it will make.
Here's a list of recent projections.
ESPN – College Football Playoff: No. 10 Indiana vs. No 7 Texas on Dec. 20 or 21 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.
USA Today – Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Indiana vs. Alabama on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Sports Illustrated – Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Indiana vs. Texas A&M on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
247Sports – College Football Playoff: No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Miami on Dec. 20 or 21 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Action Network – Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Indiana vs. Alabama on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
CBS Sports – Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Indiana vs. Missouri on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Bleacher Report – College Football Playoff: No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Penn State on Dec. 20 or 21 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa.
College Football News – Duke's Mayo Bowl: Indiana vs. Syracuse on Jan. 3 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Related stories on Indiana football
- HOW DOES ROURKE'S INJURY AFFECT IU?: Indiana is fortunate after quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s injury to have a backup like Tayven Jackson, a well-balanced roster and quarterback-friendly coaching staff. CLICK HERE
- GAMEDAY IS COMING TO BLOOMINGTON: ESPN announced on Sunday morning that its College GameDay program will be at Indiana next Saturday. CLICK HERE.
- E.J. WILLIAMS NO LONGER WITH IU: Williams posted a statement Tuesday morning on social media about why he is no longer with the Indiana football program. CLICK HERE
- WHAT CIGNETTI SAID: Read all of Curt Cignetti's comments from his Washington game week press conference. CLICK HERE.
- REMAINING GAMES SOLD OUT: Indiana has announced that its three remaining home football games are sold out. CLICK HERE.