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BLOOMINGTON – Tuesday’s might have been the most important pre-Selection Sunday College Football Playoff rankings from Indiana’s perspective. And the Hoosiers appear to have gotten good news in batches.
IU jumped three spots, from No. 8 to No. 5, in the committee’s latest top 25. Were the season to end today, that would position Indiana to host a first-round game in mid-December in Bloomington. Former IU offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama would, based on Tuesday’s reveal, be the projected visitor.
Why were these the most important rankings, other than the only ones that truly matter? And what do they mean for Curt Cignetti’s team? Well …
The most basic functional answer to the first question is the most important one: The committee said Tuesday night that wins matter.
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Four of the top five teams in its latest top 25 were Big Ten teams (in order, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana). Texas was sandwiched directly in the middle of that foursome at No. 3, but in a season when the SEC is bound to put up a whole bunch of two-loss teams — and the committee doesn’t seem in a mood to give the ACC or Big 12 extra credit — wins appear to matter most.
That’s important because, if you assume that last point about the lesser two Power Four conferences, then this field is ultimately the end point of a collision course between the SEC and Big Ten.
It will probably be that way most of the time, in this modern era. But this year, that debate presents stark contrasts.
At present, there are nine SEC teams in the committee’s top 25, compared to just four Big Ten schools. Of those nine SEC teams, two have one loss, two have three and a whopping five have…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/latest-cfp-rankings-great-news-031752416.html
Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-11-13 03:17:52
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