As the second release of this season’s College Football Playoff rankings came out on Tuesday, the Indiana Hoosiers slid down five spots from No. 4 to No. 9 despite not playing a game in Week 10 because of their open week.

As the Hoosiers (8-1) were pushed down, SEC teams like the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2), the No. 6 Texas Longhorns (7-2) and the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (7-2) were ranked ahead despite worse overall records. The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, despite the same record as the Hoosiers and a loss to unranked Auburn, lead the playoff rankings. Both of the Texas Longhorns’ losses came against unranked teams.

While Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti has been vocal about what he perceives as the CFP selection committee’s bias for SEC teams, he again took a dig at the body on Thursday, questioning the latest playoff rankings.

“Bad losses don’t count anymore? 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Are first downs still 10 yards?🤡🤡🤡,” Cignetti wrote on X.

Cignetti’s X post garnered a barrage of reactions from fans online, with many pointing out Indiana’s relatively easy schedule as the reason for its decline in rankings.

“This is what I would be tweeting out too if my teams best win is a nail-biter to Northwestern. Your schedule is pathetic. You’ve played one good team, and you lost (at home),” a fan wrote on X.

The Indiana Hoosiers’ only loss of the season came against the No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-3) in Week 7. The Buckeyes’ AP Top 25 Poll ranking at the time was No. 4.

Why Were Indiana Hoosiers Ranked No. 9 In Second CFP Release?

While on the surface Indiana’s latest College Football Playoff ranking of No. 9 might seem harsh, especially when the team did not play in Week 10, the committee’s growing emphasis on schedule strength, as pointed out by some fans, could be the reason.

The best team that the Indiana Hoosiers have beaten this season is the Northwestern Wildcats, who sit ninth in the Big Ten with an overall record of 6-3 and a conference record of 3-3. Moreover, the Hoosiers’ loss to Ohio State didn’t help their case for a higher rank.

While the Indiana Hoosiers’ best win might appear paler than those of some of the other teams ranked higher, all of their Big Ten opponents that they beat this season — the Northwestern Wildcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Michigan Wolverines and Minnesota Golden Gophers — lost in Week 10.