Indiana football gets first No. 1 ranking, learns CFP path starting with Rose Bowl

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football made it easy on the College Football Playoff committee this year as the last undefeated team standing.

The No. 1 Hoosiers (13-0) earned the top seed by beating Ohio State, 13-10, in the Big Ten title game on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. They earned the top overall seed in the CFP's 12-team playoff bracket and a first-round bye to the Rose Bowl as the league's top-ranked team.

It's a fitting destination for an Indiana team that hasn't gone to the postseason game since last winning the Big Ten title in 1967.

"It's was a dream come true, honestly," Indiana corner D'Angelo Ponds said after the game. "It didn't feel real."

With little drama over IU's destination, fans were clamoring to find out who the program's potential opponents would be in Pasadena. The Hoosiers await the winner of first-round matchup between No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama in the quarterfinals.

Indiana is on the same side of the bracket as No. 4 Texas Tech, which will face the winner of No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison.

The Hoosiers would have to make it through the semifinals in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET to reach the CFP finals.

2025-2026 College Football Playoff bracket

First Round (and related quarterfinal matchups)

  • No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 (TNT)
    • Winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in the quarterfinals, noon Jan. 1 (ESPN) in Orange Bowl
  • No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, 8 p.m. Dec. 19 (ESPN/ABC)
    • Winner vs. No. 1 Indiana in the quarterfinals, 4 p.m. Jan. 1 (ESPN) in Rose Bowl
  • No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 20 (TNT)
    • Winner vs. No. 3 Georgia in the quarterfinals, 8 p.m. Jan. 1 (ESPN) in Sugar Bowl
  • No. 10 Miami (Florida) at No. 7 Texas A&M, noon Dec. 20 (ESPN/ABC)
    • Winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State in the quarterfinals, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31 (ESPN) in Cotton Bowl

Semifinals

  • Winner of Orange Bowl vs. winner of Rose Bowl, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 (ESPN) in Peach Bowl
  • Winner of Sugar Bowl vs. winner of Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8 (ESPN) in Fiesta Bowl

CFP national championship game, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 (ESPN)

How does the College Football Playoff work? 

The 12-team field features the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked schools. The four highest-ranked schools are seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. 

The remaining schools will be seeded 5-12 based on their final ranking. If any of the five highest-ranked conference champions are outside the top 12, they will be seeded at the bottom of the bracket. 

Those eight schools will play in the CFP first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds on campus (or a designated site picked by the higher-seeded team). The committee doesn’t modify the bracket to avoid rematches and there is no re-seeding. 

The top four seeds will be assigned to the quarterfinals hosted by the bowls, in accordance with historic bowl relationships. The Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl are hosting the quarterfinals this season. 

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football in CFP rankings, bracket, seeds, Rose Bowl, opponents

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos