For the first time in its program history, Indiana football will head into a new college football season as the hunted, the reigning national champions.
The Hoosiers, however, will not enter the new campaign as the top-ranked team in the country — at least in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
Advertisement
Curt Cignetti’s squad came in at No. 6 in Aug. 4’s preseason top 25 reveal, making the Hoosiers the third-highest-ranked Big Ten team in the poll and the second defending national champion in the past 15 years to start the next season outside the top 5 in the Coaches Poll.
SCHEDULING: Indiana football talks a big game, but Hoosiers won’t play a big name
The Hoosiers’ placement at No. 6 in the poll has caused a bit of a reaction around the college football world, from social media to discussion boards and everything in between, on how the Hoosiers may look this season and how the defending national champion ranks outside the top 5.
Though Indiana received 14 first-place votes, the Hoosiers received a combined 30 votes for Nos. 5 and 6 in the poll. There was one particularly surprising outlier among the voters, with one ballot ranking Indiana at No. 14
Advertisement
Indiana, picked to finish third in the Big Ten by USA TODAY Network writers, brings back Charlie Becker among offensive weapons, will look to TCU transfer Josh Hoover to pick up where Fernando Mendoza left off at quarterback, and recently received Stephen Daley back on the defensive line due to the recent preliminary injunction granted to all class of 2022 student-athletes by a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado.
Breaking down Indiana football preseason US LBM Coaches Poll ballots
Below is a breakdown of where Indiana received votes in the poll:
Note: These votes do not include the name of the AFCA voters that cast ballots for the US LBM Coaches Poll
Advertisement
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How is Indiana at No. 6 in Coaches Poll? Breaking down Hoosiers’ ballots
