Indiana made history on Sunday, rising to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time after completing an unbeaten 13–0 season capped by a narrow 13–10 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game.
The Hoosiers, who secured the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year, became the unanimous No. 1 pick, ending Ohio State’s 14-week streak at the top of the rankings. The achievement marks a remarkable turnaround for a program that held the record for most losses in major college football history before coach Curt Cignetti’s arrival two years ago.
Georgia climbed to No. 2, its highest position this season after a dominant win over Alabama in the SEC title game. Ohio State slipped to No. 3, while Texas Tech surged to No. 4 following a commanding Big 12 championship victory over BYU.
Oregon rounded out the top five, followed by Mississippi, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Miami. Miami’s move back into the top 10 marks its first return since mid-October.
Among Group of Five teams, Tulane jumped four spots to No. 17, its highest ranking in two years, after clinching the American Conference title. James Madison stayed at No. 19 as Sun Belt champion.
The final AP Top 25 will be published on January 20, the day after the national championship.
Poll Notes
— Indiana’s rise capped seven straight weeks at No. 2 before claiming the top spot.
— Georgia trailed Indiana by 100 ballot points, but held only a 12-point edge over Ohio State.
— Virginia saw the largest drop, falling from No. 16 to No. 20 after an overtime loss to Duke in the ACC title game.
Conference Breakdown
SEC (8 teams): Georgia (2), Mississippi (6), Texas A&M (7), Oklahoma (8), Alabama (11), Vanderbilt (13), Texas (14), Missouri (25)
Big Ten (5): Indiana (1), Ohio State (3), Oregon (5), Southern California (16), Michigan (18)
Big 12 (4): Texas Tech (4), BYU (12), Utah (15), Arizona (20)
ACC (3): Miami (10), Virginia (21), Georgia Tech (24)
American (3): Tulane (17), Navy (22), North Texas (23)
Independent (1): Notre Dame (9)
Sun Belt (1): James Madison (19)
