The clock may have just struck midnight on Indiana’s Cinderella story. The Hoosiers’ (10-1) unbeaten run came to a crashing halt at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The result was largely expected and one Indy would’ve lived with. However, the 15-38 loss was resounding. HC Curt Cignetti pointed to the “nightmare” that turned their dream season upside down, but is there any hope for them to reach the B1G championship game?

Was their lofty position in the standings a mirage? You’d be forgiven for thinking so if you look at their way out of this predicament. The official handle of the B1G on Instagram posted a set of circumstances that will have to ensue in order for Indiana to make the conference championship game.

The road is so narrow it may as well be called an alleyway. The Hoosiers do not control their destiny to make the short trip from Bloomington to Indianapolis. Indiana will need both Ohio State and Penn State to lose their respective games and come out on top in their clash against bottom-of-the-table Purdue. 

While the Hoosiers can be expected to see off Purdue, the other half of the equation appears difficult. OSU is second and plays a beleaguered Michigan side next. Penn State is behind Indiana in the standings but hosts strugglers Maryland, who are just one place better off than Purdue.

All 3 schools are tied at 7-1 in conference play. However, the latter two hold the tiebreakers over Indy, which means wins for them will see one of them progress at the expense of the Hoosiers. Miracles can happen in the CFB realm, and Indiana has been at the epicenter of a few this season. However, this seems like a stretch too far for Curt Cignetti and Co.

Despite a stellar season, Curt Cignetti’s team could very well find themselves looking from the outside when the B1G Championship game gets underway. They could’ve made a huge stride in their championship hopes with a win over OSU but were let down by mistakes after a good start.

Curt Cignetti’s team began the game with pomp. An 11-play drive in the first quarter culminated in a touchdown and an unlikely lead for the Hoosiers in Columbus. From there on, things fizzled out quicker than the fans could fathom. Punt return TDs, special team turnovers. You name it. The usual ingredients for a CFB capitulation. They fell to a  31-0 Buckeyes run in less than 30 minutes of game action.

After the game, Cignetti talked about what led to his team’s failure against OSU. “We couldn’t protect the quarterback. Every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened. … It was like a nightmare,” he told ESPN. The stats made for an even more grim picture.

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke was sacked five times and finished the game with just 68 yards passing, completing just 8 of his 18 attempts. Indiana was restricted to just 2 yards per carry in the game. In total, Indiana was limited to just 151 total yards in the game, and only 53 in the 1st half, the Hoosiers’ lowest 1st half total in ten years. Did the occasion get to the Hoosiers? Cignetti thinks so.

He said, “We didn’t handle the noise very well. We didn’t play our best game today. But I think a big part of that was because of them.” OSU were backed by most of the 105,000 fans in attendance in Columbus. It is easy to see why Indiana players might have been overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Dan Lanning and his Oregon Ducks (11-0, 8-0 in the B1G) have officially secured a spot in the championship game. After Indiana’s peril on the weekend, the Ducks are now the only unbeaten team left in the country. If Ohio State takes care of Michigan in Columbus next weekend, they will line up against them for B1G supremacy.

As for Indiana, their B1G hopes might be over, but their season may still have some life left.

Cignetti and Indiana aided by the shortcomings of those around them

While their conference championship fate is pretty much sealed, Indiana is still alive this season. Yes, the loss was damaging to their standing within the committee. However, it would appear the Hoosiers will just about sneak into the playoffs.

Entering the weekend, the theme of the discourse was a potential SEC teams’ exclusion in favor of Indiana. People were concerned that a 10-2 team would be left out despite their more challenging traversal schedule-wise. That hypothetical scenario has been nipped in the bud. The untimely losses of Ole Miss and Alabama are a blessing for Cignetti. 

As it stands, ESPN gives Indiana a 98% chance to make it to the CFP. It would appear they would also be required to win their final game at home against Purdue (1-10). No prizes for guessing that Indiana is a massive favorite heading in. So, while the conference crown is not up for grabs, there is still a pulse to the Indiana Hoosiers’ season.