How Indiana’s 23-point loss to Ohio State impacts Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff chances

Indiana’s special season ran into a brick wall Saturday afternoon as the fifth-ranked Hoosiers fell 38-15 on the road against No. 2 Ohio State. All week, questions about Indiana’s legitimacy as a Big Ten power and a College Football Playoff competitor swirled. 

Curt Cignetti’s squad needed a statement answer. It leaves Columbus with a whimper after managing just 151 yards of total offense — the fewest that Ohio State has allowed against a ranked opponent in 17 years — 75 of which came in garbage time during its final touchdown drive. This result also gave Ohio State its largest win against a top-five opponent since 2000.

The loss, it says here, does not at all erase what Indiana has achieved this season. It entered Saturday’s slate with the No. 6 strength of record, per ESPN’s FPI metric, which is a résumé befitting a College Football Playoff competitor. The Hoosiers have been largely dominant while playing in one of college football’s premiere conference. Their first 10 wins came by an average of 30.1 points. 

But none of those wins were against ranked opponents. Indiana still has just one victory against an FBS opponent with a winning record. 

The Hoosiers have largely excelled against the schedule they were given. In the one game where they really needed to look competitive, though, they weren’t. Now they’ve left their College Football Playoff fate up to the whims of the selection committee. 

So what does Indiana need to do to make the field at this point? 

Finishing the year 11-1 is a good start. An 11-1 Big Ten team will always have a strong claim for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, no matter what else is happening around the nation. 

All Indiana needs to do to get to 11 wins is beat in-state rival Purdue….

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/how-indianas-23-point-loss-to-ohio-state-impacts-hoosiers-college-football-playoff-chances/

Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-11-24 06:26:00

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