Coaches Poll top 25: Indiana up to No. 5 with Ohio State next; Tennessee drops in college football rankings

Indiana’s incredible ascent continues, as the Hoosiers climbed up to No. 5 in the the Week 13 Coaches Poll released Sunday ahead of arguably the most important game in program history against Ohio State, which stayed at No. 2 after a 31-7 win against Northwestern. Indiana had a bye in Week 12 to prepare for the Buckeyes. 

The Hoosiers have been dominant when on the field, though. Each of their first nine wins came by two possessions and they didn’t face their first real test until Week 11, a 20-15 win against reigning national champion Michigan. Curt Cignetti’s squad currently leads the Big Ten in scoring offense with 43.9 points per game and ranks third in scoring defense while allowing 13.8 points per game. 

That being said, Ohio State will be the first ranked team that Indiana has played all season. The Hoosiers’ move into the top five was aided, in part, by Tennessee’s blowout loss to Georgia, which jumped two spots to No. 8 after downing the Vols 31-17. 

The Week 12 Coaches Poll was higher than the consensus on Tennessee, placing the Vols at No. 4. But after suffering an eighth straight defeat against the Bulldogs, the Volunteers are 8-2 and plummeted to 11th. 

In a more positive light, No. 20 Tulane and No. 22 Arizona State make their 2024 Coaches Poll debuts near the bottom of the rankings. The Green Wave’s inclusion, and Memphis and UNLV’s return, mean that five Group of Five teams are ranked with just two weeks left in the regular season. 

Here’s a look at the full Week 13 Coaches Poll with first-place votes in parentheses. 

Week 13 Coaches Poll 

1. Oregon (55)
2. Ohio State 
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Indiana 
6. Notre Dame 
7. Alabama 
8. Georgia 
9. Ole Miss
10. Miami (FL) 
11. Tennessee 
12. SMU
13. Boise State
14. Texas A&M 
15. BYU
16. Clemson
17. Army 
18. Colorado 
19. South Carolina
20. Tulane 
21. Iowa State 
22. Arizona State
23. UNLV 
24. Memphis 
25. Kansas State

Schools that dropped out: No. 18 Washington State; No. 21 Missouri; No. 22 LSU; No. 24 Louisville 

Others receiving votes: Washington State 65; Illinois 56; Missouri 44; Syracuse 18; James Madison 11; Duke 9; Pittsburgh 7; Louisiana 5; Louisville 2; Vanderbilt 1; Sam Houston 1; LSU 1; Colorado State 1