published a tiered ranking of all 138 FBS teams, and Indiana landed at No. 1 after a rise that would have sounded far-fetched not long ago. Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have gone 27-2, and the ranking reflects just how quickly a program can change in an era shaped by the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing.
The bigger takeaway is not only that Indiana finished first in the list, but that the gap between established powers and the rest of the sport continues to narrow. As Mike Elko put it, the floor is rising in college football, while the ceiling is dropping as well. That makes preseason evaluation harder than ever, especially with roster turnover, wildly different schedules and financial disparities all influencing how teams are judged before the games start.
Why Indiana is ranked at the top
The simplest answer is results. Indiana went 27-2 under Cignetti, and in 2024 its only two losses came against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. That kind of résumé makes a strong case in any ranking, but it stands out even more when a program as recently as 2023 was, in the article’s description, about as relevant as a MySpace page.
That is the context behind Indiana’s jump. The Hoosiers have not just improved; they have become one of the clearest examples of how quickly a school can move up when the roster is upgraded and the fit is right. The ranking is also a reminder that old assumptions about which programs should sit near the top do not carry the same weight they once did.
A new era for college football evaluation
Lane Kiffin said he still looks at things trying to build an Alabama team like when he was there, or like Georgia was four or five years ago. He added that every year he is still wanting that, but probably no one is ever going to do that again because no one will ever have a roster like that again.
That point helps explain why rankings like ’s have become more complicated. In the 2010s, Alabama teams had stockpiled talent in a way that separated them from the rest of the sport. Now, with the transfer portal, NIL, revenue sharing and a better understanding of how money equates to wins, the playing field is more balanced and the old hierarchies are easier to disrupt.
That is why Indiana at No. 1 feels notable beyond one preseason list. It is not just a vote of confidence in Curt Cignetti’s program. It is also evidence that college football’s balance of power has shifted enough that a team can rise from obscurity to the top of a 138-team ranking in a very short time.
