Ohio State tops USA TODAY NCAA Re-Rank after Indiana win, but trails Miami in polls
The Buckeyes lead USA TODAY Sports’ latest ranking after a road win at Indiana. Miami remains No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls.
Ohio State rose to No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports’ NCAA Re-Rank published October 19 after beating Indiana on the road, a result that strengthened the Buckeyes’ résumé amid losses by several other leading teams. The ranking is USA TODAY’s assessment of all 138 teams; Ohio State is No. 2 in the Week 8 Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the AP Poll.
USA TODAY Sports placed Miami second and BYU third, citing Ohio State’s tougher schedule and stronger résumé. The Buckeyes lost to Texas in September, but followed that with road wins against Iowa and Indiana in successive weeks. USA TODAY ranked Iowa No. 12 and Indiana No. 6 in its latest list.
How Ohio State beat Indiana
Ohio State won 19-15 at Indiana, ending the Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss under coach Curt Cignetti, according to 247Sports. Indiana appeared to take the lead with 1:02 remaining, but receiver Nick Marsh stepped out of bounds before making a fourth-down catch. Ohio State took possession and closed out the game.
Quarterback Julian Sayin left the game with a shoulder injury. Before departing, he completed 15 of 29 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, 247Sports reported. FanSided reported that Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after the game Sayin would miss several weeks.
Why the rankings differ
Miami leads both the Coaches and AP polls, 247Sports reported. Ohio State is second and BYU third in the Coaches Poll; the AP Poll reverses those two teams, putting BYU second and Ohio State third. The distinction matters for readers seeing Ohio State described as No. 1: that position belongs to the USA TODAY Re-Rank, while voters in both polls kept Miami first.
BYU climbed 10 places in USA TODAY’s ranking after beating Notre Dame. USA TODAY called that victory one of the season’s best, even as it put Ohio State ahead of the Cougars. Georgia and Notre Dame fell three places each, to fourth and fifth. Georgia’s 27-24 home loss to Auburn helped Auburn rise 12 places to No. 26.
Alabama and Texas each fell 10 places in the USA TODAY Re-Rank after suffering their second losses of the season. Their drops were part of a reshuffle that also left Northern Illinois last among the 138 teams after a heavy defeat to Wyoming.
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Sources and context
- Ohio State back at No. 1 in college football NCAA Re-Rank 1-138 after wild Week 7USA TODAY Sports (bylined Paul Myerberg; Yahoo-hosted)
- Where Ohio State ranks in Week 8 Coaches, AP Polls247Sports
- College football rankings: Projected AP Top 25 after Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas all upset, Ohio State downs IndianaFanSided (Cody Williams; Yahoo-hosted; text identifies Reuters Connect imagery, not Reuters reporting)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.