Indiana ranked 9th in second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana University was ranked ninth in the second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday.

The playoff will expand from four to 12 teams this season. The final 12 teams will be selected for the playoff field on Dec. 8. There are about 18 teams vying for 12 spots in the first-of-its-kind playoff that begins Dec. 20.

Oregon, the only undefeated team in the country, was ranked No. 1. The Ducks stayed No. 1 for the fifth straight week and head into Saturday's Big Ten title game against Penn State.

The top 25 teams in the most recent rankings were:

No. 1 - Oregon (12-0)
No. 2 - Texas (11-1)
No. 3 - Penn State (11-1)
No. 4 - Notre Dame (11-1)
No. 5 - Georgia (10-2)
No. 6 - Ohio State (10-2)
No. 7 - Tennessee (10-2)
No. 8 - SMU (11-1)
No. 9 - Indiana (11-1)
No. 10 - Boise State (11-1)
No. 11 - Alabama (9-3)
No. 12 - Miami (10-2)
No. 13 - Ole Miss (9-3)
No. 14 - South Carolina (9-3)
No. 15 - Arizona State (10-2)
No. 16 - Iowa State (10-2)
No. 17 - Clemson (9-3)
No. 18 - BYU (10-2)
No. 19 - Missouri (9-3)
No. 20 - UNLV (10-2)
No. 21 - Illinois (9-3)
No. 22 - Syracuse (9-3)
No. 23 - Colorado (9-3)
No. 24 - Army (10-1)
No. 25 - Memphis (10-2)

Curt Cignetti was named Big Ten Coach of the Year on Tuesday after Indiana finished third in the Big Ten, ahead of Ohio State. Indiana (11-1) finished the regular season with a 66-0 win over Purdue

Indiana finished just 3-9 last season and 4-8 the year before. The eight-game improvement ties the second-best mark in college football for the past 28 years, and the Hoosiers might not be finished.

Indiana’s 11 wins represent a record number for a program that had never recorded double-digit wins in its history. The Hoosiers’ eight Big Ten wins also are a program record.

Miami’s playoff hopes took a potentially fatal nosedive while Alabama’s got a boost in the last rankings before the College Football Playoff bracket is set next weekend. The Hurricanes moved down six spots to No. 12 after suffering their second loss of the season.

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Indiana ranked 9th in second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings