Indiana, the defending national champion, is No. 4 in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first ranking of the season. At that spot, the 8-1 Hoosiers would receive the last of the four first-round byes.
The committee placed Indiana two spots higher than this week’s AP poll, which has the Hoosiers sixth.
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Indiana lost 19-15 at home to Ohio State on Oct. 17. Its last three wins were by seven points or fewer: 20-17 at Nebraska on Oct. 10, then 13-6 at Michigan and 23-16 against Minnesota, both in overtime.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach called Indiana a surprising choice for the top four. The Hoosiers have not beaten a team in the committee’s top 25, and their nonconference opponents were North Texas, FCS member Howard and Western Kentucky.
In a bracket built from Tuesday’s ranking, Indiana would face the winner of Boise State at Alabama in a quarterfinal.
Indiana won last season’s national championship by beating Miami 27-21, after a 38-3 win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal and a 56-22 win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal.
The Hoosiers are off this week. They host No. 20 USC on Nov. 14, play at Washington on Nov. 21 and finish at home against Purdue on Nov. 28. Ohio State, No. 12, hosts No. 23 Oregon on Saturday.
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