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Warde Manuel explains Indiana’s ranking in initial CFP rankings
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Warde Manuel spoke about Indiana’s placement in the initial CFP selection committee rankings, which were revealed on Tuesday night.
The Hoosiers ranked No. 8 in the initial rankings. It’s a somewhat controversial ranking for Indiana, who has won every game it has played so far this season by double digits. However, IU’s strength-of-schedule ranks outside the top-100, per ESPN — leading some to question Indiana’s placement ahead of an undefeated BYU team.
Manuel, who is serving as the CFP selection committee chair in 2024, broke down how the selection committee balanced those 2 factors when evaluating Curt Cignetti’s undefeated Indiana team.
“Their strength of schedule was not very high in comparison to some others,” Manuel said on a teleconference on Tuesday evening. “But the way that they have played in those games and the dominance that they have shown in those games, winning by an average of 33 points a game, has been really impressive to the committee. So we couldn’t ignore that.
“As it related to where they are ranked and how we saw them, even though strength of schedule is important, we also have watched those games. The only game they’ve been behind was last week against Michigan State by 10, and they came back and I believe went on a 47-point run to win that game. Very impressive team, well-coached by Curt Cignetti. They are just a formidable opponent. That’s what we saw.”
While IU is ahead of another undefeated team like BYU, it trails in the rankings to 1-loss programs like Ohio State, Georgia, Penn State and Tennessee.
Indiana will likely be favored in each of its remaining games with 1 notable exception: against Ohio State in Week 13. But even if the Hoosiers lose that weekend in Columbus, they could still earn a CFP bid with an 11-1 record.
IU will be looking to clinch its first-ever 10-win season this weekend against Michigan.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.