{
  "id": 19433825,
  "title": "Where did Indiana football land in CFP rankings ahead of USC matchup",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/where-did-indiana-football-land-in-cfp-rankings-ahead-of-usc-matchup",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-11T02:53:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-did-indiana-football-land-025308288.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indiana football suffered ranking setbacks after an off week, dropping five spots to No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday. Their strength of schedule took a significant hit as the Big Ten teams they faced during the season went 0-6 last weekend, pushing Indiana's strength of schedule to No. 42 in the FBS, according to ESPN. If Indiana does not secure a top four ranking by Selection Sunday, it will face a first-round game instead of a bye to the quarterfinals. The Hoosiers would likely face No. 8 Tennessee in the opening round. Indiana could secure another quality win this weekend against No. 18 USC (7-2, 4-2), but the Trojans could still claim a spot in the Big Ten title game by winning their remaining three regular season games, including a matchup against No. 4 UCLA. Indiana's all-time record against USC stands at 0-4, and the two teams have not faced each other since 1982.",
  "summary": "Where is Indiana football in the second set of CFP rankings?",
  "key_points": [
    "Indiana football dropped five spots to No. 9 in CFP rankings.",
    "Big Ten opponents' record: 0-6 last weekend, pushing Indiana's strength of schedule to No. 42.",
    "Indiana could face No. 8 Tennessee in first-round matchup if not in top four."
  ],
  "editors_take": "A weakened strength of schedule threatens Indiana's postseason advantage, forcing the Hoosiers to win critical matchups to avoid losing their guaranteed bye in the College Football Playoff.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}