The best victory to this point in the season now belongs to Indiana.
The Hoosiers’ 30-20 win at Oregon on Saturday snapped the Ducks’ 23-game, regular-season winning streak as well as their 18-game home winning streak. Oregon hadn’t lost at Autzen Stadium since Nov. 12, 2022 against Washington.
For that, Indiana is all the way up to No. 3 on my AP Top 25 ballot this week. This is the third straight year I’m a voter for the AP Top 25 and each week throughout the season I’ll post my vote in addition to some thoughts about how I settled on it. First, here is my ballot:
1. Miami (5-0)
2. Ohio State (6-0)
3. Indiana (6-0)
4. Texas A&M (6-0)
5. Ole Miss (6-0)
6. Texas Tech (6-0)
7. Alabama (5-1)
8. Oregon (5-1)
9. LSU (5-1)
10. Georgia Tech (6-0)
11. Georgia (5-1)
12. Oklahoma (5-1)
13. Notre Dame (4-2)
14. Vanderbilt (5-1)
15. Tennessee (5-1)
16. South Florida (5-1)
17. Virginia (5-1)
18. Nebraska (5-1)
19. Cincinnati (5-1)
20. BYU (6-0)
21. Missouri (5-1)
22. Memphis (6-0)
23. Utah (5-1)
24. USC (5-1)
25. Tulane (5-1)
— Let’s start with Indiana, and the way the Hoosiers closed out the Ducks to win by double digits.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza didn’t let Oregon defensive back Brandon Finney Jr.’s game-tying, 35-yard interception return for a touchdown derail the rest of the afternoon. Mendoza and the Hoosiers’ offense, instead, bounced back with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that finished with Mendoza’s go-ahead, 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Elijah Sarratt.
For Indiana to show the poise necessary to overcome what could’ve been a game-changing play in Oregon’s favor by Finney, revealed the confidence and fortitude second-year coach Curt Cignetti has instilled in his program.
The combination of Mendoza and Sarratt is becoming one of the better quarterback-receiver pairings in the country. Sarratt followed Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, and for the second straight game, Sarratt caught a go-ahead scoring grab in the fourth quarter to lift the Hoosiers to victory.
He has 39 catches for 533 yards and seven touchdown receptions this season. Mendoza, a Cal transfer, is in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.
Indiana’s defense is a championship-level unit as well. The Hoosiers sacked Ducks quarterback Dante Moore six times.
— Texas Tech was also a big-mover on my ballot this week after throttling Kansas, 42-17.
Running back Cameron Dickey ran for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
The Red Raiders keep bludgeoning their opponents, and that has to matter. Their average margin of victory is 35.3 points per game.
I pushed them up to No. 6 this week.
— Nebraska has responded since losing to Michigan late last month. The Cornhuskers knocked off Michigan State and won at Maryland in their two games since. On Saturday against the Terrapins, Nebraska showed its finding its form offensively under OC Dana Holgorsen.
They piled up 453 yards of total offense, and quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for four touchdowns.
They’re at No. 18 on my ballot, and their season-opening win over Cincinnati is looking better and better each week because the Bearcats keep winning.
Cincinnati’s win over UCF was its fifth straight. Cincinnati is at No. 19 on my vote.
Greg Madia
gmadia@dailyprogress.com
@GregMadia on X
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Greg Madia
UVa Sports Reporter
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