In the biggest game of the season in the Big Ten this far, Ohio State went into Bloomington, led the game at halftime and then held on for a victory after a last-second Indiana touchdown wound up just inches out of bounds.
It was the second straight classic between these two heavyweights, and it played out much the same as the 2025 Big Ten title game — save for the final outcome. Still, it wouldn't surprise anybody if these two teams were back at it again, either in Indy or in the College Football Playoff. It's clear these are two legitimate title contenders.
Which means there's one big question to ask after a 19-15 Buckeyes win: Where will these teams move in the next AP poll on Sunday afternoon?
College football rankings: Where will Ohio State rank in next AP poll after win over Indiana?
Georgia came into this week having secured 66 of the 70 available first-place votes, and it's unlikely that Ohio State can overtake the Bulldogs without an unlikely loss at home against Auburn. But, with this victory over Indiana, the Buckeyes will be able to potentially jump both Notre Dame and Miami — which received just one and two first place votes, respectively, in last week's AP poll.
Texas had the best win in the country with their victory over Ohio State in Week 2. With the dive the Longhorns have taken in the past two weeks, though, this road win by Ryan Day's team becomes the biggest win for anyone left in the top five of the rankings.
Although the Buckeyes received zero first place votes last week, they just notched a top-10 win on the road. With a closer then expected win by either Miami (at home against Florida State) or Notre Dame (at BYU), their votes could go to Ohio State, and it is certain that some of the votes for Georgia last week will also go to the Buckeyes. They should finish with 10-12 votes when all is said and done, adding about 50 points to their total.
The Buckeyes are currently 122 points behind Notre Dame, which is in second place at 1,630 points. If BYU can make a game out of the showdown with the Irish on Saturday night, the Ohio State win will do more then the Notre Dame close win against a BYU squad that doesn't have quite as much equity with the voters.
With many voters not finding much value in the Big 12 conference and with Florida State being the lackluster opponent for Miami, look for Ohio State to be No. 2 in the AP poll after Sunday's updates.
Predicted new rank: No. 2
College football rankings: How far will Indiana fall in AP poll after Ohio State heartbreak?
The only thing we can say for certain about Indiana's ranking next week is that they will remain higher than Texas, which lost their second game in a row to Florida.
The Indiana defense remained strong on Saturday, and safety Amare Ferrell played great while limiting big plays from Jeremiah Smith in the first half. But it only took one, and Smith was eventually able to make an impact in the second half, catching an amazing 38-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to secure the points needed for Ohio State to defeat the Hoosiers on their home field at Memorial Stadium.
Indiana attempted to mount a comeback and almost completed it with a Josh Hoover pass to the end zone. But after review, the left foot of wide receiver Nick Marsh came off the ground before he controlled the football completely. This led to a turnover on downs and Ohio State came out victorious.
Indiana will get some benefit from having been the national champions last season and losing in such a close manner to a top-five team. On the other hand, we have seen some teams drop significantly after a loss, so there is a little nervousness about the voters and how much football they watch.
This said, Indiana should not drop out of the top 10. When Ohio State lost a close game, 24-23 to Texas on the road, the Buckeyes dropped from No. 1 to No. 6. But, with Ohio State coming into this game as 3.5-point favorites over Indiana, rather than the 1.5-point favorites they were against Texas, the Hoosiers slide will be just shy.
Predicted new rank: No. 9
Add us as a preferred source on Google