‘Real and spectacular’: Indiana football has favorable chances of making College Football Playoff

Indiana football (7-0) is ranked No. 13 nationally by both the coaches and the media.

How many teams make the College Football Playoff? 12.

The Hoosiers are rolling after their nationally televised blowout win over Nebraska, and the hype is growing. ESPN’s “College GameDay” is coming to Bloomington next weekend, when IU hosts Washington.

This game will bring a challenge the Hoosiers haven’t faced: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is out with a thumb injury, putting Tayven Jackson in the spotlight on IU’s biggest stage since … who knows when.

Plenty of national observers remain bullish on the Hoosiers.

We’ve got options: Who should be guest picker on ‘College GameDay’?

Will Indiana football make the College Football Playoff?

Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic

The Hoosiers are real, and they are spectacular. Coach Curt Cignetti’s crew overwhelmed Nebraska 56-7 to improve to 7-0 and have to be taken seriously in the Big Ten race as a team with double-digit win potential.

The Hoosiers’ fast start has been built on weak competition. Nebraska was viewed as something of a step up. Maybe not that big of a step up, but still. The Huskers came in with the sixth-best defense in the country, allowing 4.37 yards per play.

The Athletic’s Austin Mock’s projections place the Hoosiers 10th, with a 61% chance of making the field.

ESPN: Kyle Bonagura projects IU 8th; Mark Schlabach projects IU 10th

Bonagura: “The biggest mover this week was Indiana, which left no doubt in a 56-7 win against Nebraska. The Hoosiers still haven’t beaten a ranked opponent, but they’ve won decisively each week. The only ranked team left on their schedule is Ohio State, so while it’s still too early to feel overly confident about Indiana’s postseason chances, it feels as if we’ve reached more-likely-than-not territory. “

R.J. Young, Fox Sports: 12th

The Hoosiers are one of…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/real-spectacular-indiana-football-favorable-082018739.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2024-10-21 08:20:18

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