NU vs. IU rankings

DC Cats

Redshirt
Aug 1, 2012
108
37
0
I've noticed a few NU fans in random forums pointing out that our wins are more impressive than IU's this past week, and how their ranking seems too high (compared to ours) as a result.

As much as I really hate the bias towards blue chips in preseason rankings, "the eye test", poll inertia, and everything else that goes with it, I really think we should try to be gracious and let IU have this one. If this were basketball it would be different, but their football fans have suffered for a long time. Just let them enjoy the week.

They're inevitably going to be ranked well above us tomorrow, and that's okay. We're (probably) going to play Wisconsin and they're (probably) going to play OSU, and it'll all sort itself out.

Hell of a win today! GO CATS!
 
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Fanaticat98

Senior
May 29, 2001
9,074
688
113
IU seems to clearly be more dominant in their wins. Despite PSU and Mich being really awful by their historical standards, the polls are going to recognize those wins as better than ours even though the teams we beat are higher in the B1G standings than the teams IU beat. From what I’ve seen of them (and remembering last year’s game), they would probably be favored at least -7 over us.
 

ParisCat_rivals

Freshman
Feb 5, 2002
1,341
56
32
IU has looked good but their opponents have been terrible. They beat a bad Penn State team by an inch, then beat three more really bad teams: Rutgers, Michigan, MSU. If the CFP committee rankings came out this week, they would put NU ahead of IU or at least they should. Maybe we’ll see them in Indy.
 

hoosboot

All-American
Nov 7, 2001
26,893
6,534
0
IU has looked good but their opponents have been terrible. They beat a bad Penn State team by an inch, then beat three more really bad teams: Rutgers, Michigan, MSU. If the CFP committee rankings came out this week, they would put NU ahead of IU or at least they should. Maybe we’ll see them in Indy.

Yeah, I think IU's opponents' record outside of playing them was something like 3-9 while NU's was around 7-5. IMHO, IU is a little overranked while NU is a little underranked. Regardless, it will all work out playing the games.
 

PURPLE Book Cat

Redshirt
Sep 2, 2007
2,465
39
0
IU has looked good but their opponents have been terrible. They beat a bad Penn State team by an inch, then beat three more really bad teams: Rutgers, Michigan, MSU. If the CFP committee rankings came out this week, they would put NU ahead of IU or at least they should. Maybe we’ll see them in Indy.
Ohio State may beat Indiana by 50.
 

ParisCat_rivals

Freshman
Feb 5, 2002
1,341
56
32
Aaaaaand.... SI’s Pat Forde today ranks NU #9, IU #10, and Wisconsin just outside of his top ten, based on caliber of wins to date. Let’s make him look like a genius on Saturday afternoon.
 

Titanium999

Redshirt
Jan 16, 2014
4,573
0
0
Aaaaaand.... SI’s Pat Forde today ranks NU #9, IU #10, and Wisconsin just outside of his top ten, based on caliber of wins to date. Let’s make him look like a genius on Saturday afternoon.
Cool! We got the home field advantage against Wisconsin
 

Styre

Senior
Oct 14, 2004
7,772
463
83
IU seems to clearly be more dominant in their wins. Despite PSU and Mich being really awful by their historical standards, the polls are going to recognize those wins as better than ours even though the teams we beat are higher in the B1G standings than the teams IU beat. From what I’ve seen of them (and remembering last year’s game), they would probably be favored at least -7 over us.

It's also when the wins happened. Indiana was ranked #52 to start the year, but Penn State was ranked #7 when Indiana beat them in the opener, so the Hoosiers catapulted up the rankings to #19. Two weeks later, Michigan was still ranked #25, so Indiana flew into the top 10 after beating them. If their wins had come in a different order - Rutgers, then MSU, then PSU, then UM - they'd be ranked but they wouldn't be in the top 10.
 

BigNUFan51

Freshman
Nov 29, 2015
1,188
78
0
If you switched PSU and UM with Purdue and Maryland the rankings would be flip flopped.

Brand names matter in college football
 

Katatonic

Sophomore
Oct 23, 2004
86,854
134
0
Also, pollsters seem to be more impressed by high scoring offenses than dominating defenses (just like for Heisman voting).
 

NURoseBowl

Junior
Jun 16, 2009
8,150
325
58
C'mon. Hyperbole much?

dOSU didn't even beat Rutgers by 50.
Yep. I'd guess OSU by around 10-14 points or so. Not a blowout, but not quite a nail biter either. That said, who wouldn't LOVE to see Indiana knock them off? Looking forward to watching that one.