Indiana achieved its highest ever ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, climbing to third following its 30-20 win over Oregon.
The Hoosiers made the biggest statement in Week 7, traveling to Eugene, Oregon, and silencing the Autzen Stadium crowd. The result also solidified Curt Cignetti’s squad as a serious challenger to Ohio State for the Big Ten crown.
The Ducks retained a Top-10 place but slipped five spots to No. 8.
Further down the poll, the trio of Texas, USC and Utah all staked a claim on a Top 25 spot after upsetting ranked foes.
Last year, a 38-15 loss to No. 2 Ohio State spoiled Indiana’s 10-0 start. While the game wasn’t a blowout, it served as a reality check for the Hoosiers, who finished with just 153 yards of offense.
It was a much different story Saturday.
IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza went 20-of-31 for 215 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black combined for 101 yards on the ground.
The defense, meanwhile, put a serious dent in Dante Moore’s Heisman Trophy campaign. The Ducks quarterback had 186 passing yards and two interceptions to one touchdown.
Still, Cignetti doesn’t want Indiana to get too ahead of itself.
“Well, it depends on what we do with it from here,” he told reporters about the significance of beating Oregon. “This is a great win against the No. 2-ranked team in the country, who had an 18-game home winning streak. It puts us in position if we can continue to be successful which means we have to show up to work on Monday as a team, humble, hungry, and ready to go against Michigan State. We know the challenges that this team is going to have this week. But this is a great win.”
Wait and see is also the right approach with the SEC, where Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama all remain unbeaten within the conference.
The Rebels are coming off an uninspiring 24-21 win over Washington State, though, while the Crimson Tide continued building momentum by hitting the road and taking down No. 14 Missouri 27-24. As bumpy as the Kalen DeBoer era has been in Tuscaloosa, the program might be back to the top of the SEC by the end of Year 2.
The door is wide open for somebody with Oklahoma getting outclassed by Texas. Sooners quarterback John Mateer worked incredibly hard to return from hand surgery, but his final numbers against the Longhorns (20-of-38 for 202 yards and three interceptions) are a worrying sign for the rest of the year.
Likewise, neither Georgia nor LSU dispelled their general concerns in Week 7.
The Bulldogs fell behind to Auburn by 10 points in the first half, and they nearly watched the deficit grow to 17 points. If the referees originally rule that Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold crossed the goal line, then the call probably stands and it becomes a 17-0 game less than two minutes before halftime.
Although Georgia reeled off 20 unanswered points, a three-score deficit might’ve been too much for an offense that didn’t perform well Saturday night.
For LSU, a 20-10 victory over South Carolina was a good response following an upset to Ole Miss to close out September, but few will have come away thinking Brian Kelly’s team is the best in the SEC. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier now has four interceptions through four conference games.
Week 8 might bring a little more clarity for LSU and the SEC as a whole. The Tigers play Vanderbilt on the road in Nashville. Georgia hosts Ole Miss. Alabama has another Top 25 battle on tap with No. 11 Tennessee. An away trip to Lexington is a prime opportunity for Texas to have a letdown game after the emotional high from Red River.
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