Indiana was the surprise of the 2024 college football season, and the question entering 2025 was whether the Hoosiers would backslide in Curt Cignetti’s second season.
So far, the answer is a resounding no.
The Hoosiers came off their College Football Playoff appearance by startting 6-0 and, at No. 3 following their 30-20 road win over then-No. 3 Oregon, have their highest AP Top 25 ranking in history. A top-four playoff seed, and an accompanying first-round bye, are real possibilities.
For all that, 10 AP writers who cover the Big Ten made Cignetti the unanimous choice for top coach in the conference at the midway point of the season.
Cignetti is 17-2 since arriving from James Madison, his only losses coming last year against Ohio State and Notre Dame teams that ended up in the CFP championship game.
The Hoosiers returned four starters on offense and four on defense, brought in 23 transfers including quarterback Fernando Mendoza and picked up where they left off.
Most surprising team
Northwestern is 4-2 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten and a winner of three straight, including the 22-21 shocker at Penn State last week. The Wildcats already have matched their 2024 overall and conference win totals and are tracking toward a second bowl appearance in three years under David Braun.
Picked 17th in the 18-team conference in the preseason, they’re in an eight-way tie for fourth and probably will be underdogs in four of their last six games.
Most surprising player
Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, a backup until late last season, is the second-leading rusher in the conference, and seventh in the nation, with 108.3 yards per game and seven touchdowns. He also has caught 24 passes, second on the team, for 130 yards and a TD.
Top offensive player and top
first-year tran
sfer
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza swept the two awards for his prolific production since transferring from California. His 17 touchdown passes lead the conference and are fourth nationally, and he’s averaging an impressive 9.3 yards per attempt. He has the third-highest passer rating in the Big Ten and fourth-highest in the country.
Top defensive player
Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry has been a dependable performer since 2022 but has dramatically ramped up his production this season. He’s the Buckeyes’ third-leading tackler with 31 stops, including 9.5 for loss and six sacks. Pro Football Focus has him listed as the Big Ten’s highest-graded defensive end.
Top first-year freshman
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington gets the nod over Michigan QB Bryce Underwood, who was the 247Sports No. 1 national recruit. Washington, the No. 54 recruit, has outperformed Underwood despite being hamstrung by the least productive ground game in the Big Ten. Washington has attempted a Big Ten-high 220 passes, averaged 251 yards per game and thrown for 10 touchdowns with two interceptions.
Most disappointing team
Penn State was the unanimous choice following its colossal collapse. The Nittany Lions brought back their quarterback and a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, and they were ranked No. 2 in the preseason.
Wins over soft opposition were followed by consecutive losses to Oregon (home), UCLA (away) and Northwestern (home). The Lions were favored by 21-plus points in the last two. James Franklin, who led the Lions to a College Football Playoff semifinal last year, was fired after the Northwestern game.
Hottest seat
Wisconsin fans have been calling for Luke Fickell’s job for weeks as they’ve watched the Badgers get outscored 126-34 over four straight losses. Fickell was 57-18 with a CFP appearance in six seasons at Cincinnati, and he won 13 of his first 21 games at Wisconsin. Since then, the Badgers have lost nine in a row against power-conference opponents. Because of injuries and ineffective play, there have been three starting quarterbacks.
Biggest injury
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar sustained a college career-ending leg injury last week against Northwestern. Allar led the Nittany Lions to a CFP semifinal last year and returned with the hope of making a run at a national championship. Those hopes are gone.
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AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham, Dave Campbell, Larry Lage, Mike Marot, Steve Megargee, Eric Olson, Anne M. Peterson, Joe Reedy, Andrew Seligman and Noah Trister contributed.
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By ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer
