It’s time to sit your children down and have a serious conversation with them about the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers being a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. No, I didn’t say the NCAA Tournament. Indiana may return there in March after missing it last season, but for once, it’s the middle of October and the thoughts of Hoosier fans across the country aren’t on the upcoming basketball season.
They’re on the Peppermint Juggernaut ripping through the Big Ten on the football field.
Saturday’s game against Nebraska was meant to be the first true test of the Hoosiers amid a 6-0 start. It turns out that some tests are easier than expected; the Hoosiers smoked the Cornhuskers 56-7 the same way they beat everybody else in the “easy” portion of their schedule. It was a performance that reminded us it’s never so much about who you play but how you play.
And how Indiana has played through seven games has this team in the conversation for a College Football Playoff berth and not in the “Oh, wouldn’t it be neat if Indiana kept winning?” type of way. In fact, the conversation shouldn’t be restricted to a possible at-large spot.
The rate things are going, Indiana could find itself a few hours up the road in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game.
Saturday’s win over Nebraska moves the Hoosiers to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in the Big Ten. A look at the rest of the schedule gives one the sense Indiana isn’t going to lose many games. Not because the schedule is easy, but because the Hoosiers are legitimately better than most of the teams remaining on the docket.
Indiana’s potential CFP future
Outside of a road game against Ohio State on Nov. 23, the Hoosiers should be favored in their remaining five games. Yes, even against Michigan.
Should the Hoosiers win each of the games in which they’re favored, they’ll be 11-1 and 8-1 in the Big Ten. Depending on how things shake out elsewhere, that could be good enough to get them to Indianapolis. Of course, if they lose to Ohio State, they’d need the Buckeyes to lose another game or else Ohio State would have the tiebreaker.
Regardless of the possible permutations, this is also a team that could get an at-large berth if it falls short of a Big Ten title. If Indiana finishes 11-1 with its sole loss coming on the road to Ohio State and is left out of the Big Ten title game, it’d be a near lock for an at-large spot. If it reaches Indianapolis and loses again to either Ohio State, Oregon or Penn State, it’d be a 10-2 team with two stellar losses.
The only knock against the team would be the lack of a “signature win.” You know, the thing people say about teams who aren’t expected to be there in the first place.
Now, obviously, there’s a lot of football left to be played between now and the time the final College Football Playoff Rankings are released in December. But the fact we’re able to talk like this about Indiana football and not have it be pure fan fiction is a testament to the job Curt Cignetti and his players have done this season.
Basketball season can wait a few more months.
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