Reported Analysis · AP Football · Week 8
How Indiana Passed Notre Dame Despite a 45–25 Ballot Split
The Irish gained points during their bye week. Indiana's wider leads on fewer ballots put the Hoosiers fourth.
By Poll Behavior · October 25, 2026
Indiana followed its 13–6 overtime win at Michigan with a move to No. 4 in the October 25 AP poll. The 7–1 Hoosiers lead Notre Dame by a single point, 1,459–1,458, even though 45 of the 70 voters rank the Irish higher.
The other 25 put Indiana ahead. All 70 ranked both teams, so no omissions complicate this comparison. The difference comes from how far apart voters placed them.
Wider Gaps Offset Fewer Ballots
AP scoring awards 25 points for first, 24 for second and so on through one point for 25th. Each place between two teams is therefore worth one point of difference. The final order depends on the total of those points across every ballot.
The 25 ballots with Indiana higher gave the Hoosiers a combined 82-point advantage over Notre Dame. The 45 ballots with Notre Dame higher gave the Irish an 81-point advantage. Subtract one group's total from the other's and Indiana finishes one point ahead.
| Team Ranked Higher | Ballots | Combined Advantage | Average Ranking Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 25 | 82 points | 3.28 places |
| Notre Dame | 45 | 81 points | 1.80 places |
Indiana's favorable ballots placed it more than three spots above Notre Dame on average. Notre Dame's placed it fewer than two spots above Indiana. That difference in spacing was enough to overcome the Irish's larger count.
Notre Dame Gained Support and Fell a Place
In the October 18 poll, Notre Dame led 1,395–1,370 and was higher on 44 ballots to Indiana's 26. This week, eight voters switched their order to put Notre Dame higher; seven switched to Indiana. Notre Dame's edge in that count grew by one.
The Irish also moved up on 47 ballots and gained 63 points during their bye week. Indiana gained 89. Those extra 26 points erased the Hoosiers' previous 25-point deficit, taking Indiana from sixth to fourth while Notre Dame dropped from fourth to fifth.
Indiana hosts Minnesota October 31. Notre Dame returns against Navy at Gillette Stadium that day before hosting Miami November 7.
Indiana's advantage on its favorable ballots grew by 24 points, while Notre Dame's shrank by two. Together, those changes account for the full 26-point reversal. Indiana gained enough separation on its favorable ballots to move ahead even as the number of voters placing it higher slipped by one.
Sources & Methodology
Ballot figures were independently recomputed from the complete October 18 and October 25 AP editions. Both contain the same 70 voter IDs, and every ballot includes both teams. Favorable gaps sum the difference between the teams' actual ranks on ballots placing that team higher; each ranking place equals one AP point. Average gaps divide those sums by the relevant 25 or 45 ballots.
Michigan's official game center and Indiana's season statistics confirm the October 24 result and Indiana's 7–1 record. The Indiana schedule, Notre Dame schedule and Gillette Stadium event page supply the bye, upcoming opponents, dates and venue.
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How Indiana Passed Notre Dame Despite a 45–25 Ballot Split
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