The end of the college football regular season is just around the corner, and the Big 10 conference is sitting in the catbird seat. With just a few weeks of football left, it seems the road to the College Football Playoff is smooth sailing for this powerhouse conference—or is it? ESPN analyst Matt Barrie is here to drop a bombshell prediction, and Indiana Hoosiers fans might want to take a deep breath here.

On November 17th, ESPN analyst Matt Barrie made a bold but reasonable prediction on his show. Barrie laid it all out: “Penn State, they’re going to be 11-1. They’re in the barn, they’re going to make the College Football Playoff because they’re high enough. Ohio State, they beat Indiana, they beat Michigan, they’re in the Big Ten Championship.” But here’s the twist: even though Indiana Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti are undefeated at 10-0, this ESPN analyst called for them to lose against the big scary Ohio State Buckeyes led by Ryan Day this weekend. The kicker? Cignetti’s Hoosiers could still make the playoffs, even if they miss out on the Big 10 Championship. It’s a wild set-up, to be honest. But Barrie insists, “Indiana, one-loss team, if that’s only to Ohio State, they’re in. They’re too high not to be [playoffs].”

For Hoosier fans, the idea of losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes might sting, but the silver lining isn’t too bad, probably. Indiana would likely lose their place in the Big 10 conference title game but still secure a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Ohio State just has to survive the one last final stretch. “Ohio State needs to be careful,” Barrie cautioned. “They beat Indiana, they beat Michigan, they’re in.” It’s a high-stakes game for both teams; Ohio State can’t afford to lose this one, which would potentially drop them out of the playoff picture and definitely the Big 10 title game. It all comes to this weekend of football.

Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers vs. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes prediction

Ohio State and Ryan Day, sitting at 9-1, are not messing around this season. Their offense has put the lights out on many teams, with quarterback Will Howard posting 24 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions. His go-to receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, always have his back, especially in those deep throws. And don’t sleep on the Buckeyes defense. Denzel Burke and his crew have been locking down opponents all season, apart from that one… Week 7: Oregon Ducks, 32-31, on a last-second 17-yard field goal. The Buckeyes fans still call this game a fluke, but aside from that one-slip up, Ohio State bullied their way through Week 12.

Now, let’s talk about the Indiana Hoosiers. Head coach Curt Cignetti has transformed this team in just one season. He came in, took a 3-9 team, and turned around; now the Hoosiers are 10-0. Indiana has a reputation for winning close games, and their quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been cool under pressure, throwing 21 touchdowns and only 4 picks through the season. But for not fully battle-tested Indiana to pull off this upset, their defense needs to be airtight. Ohio State’s “scary hour” offense is no joke, and the College Football nation knows it. According to some analysts, Ohio State has a 73% chance of victory at Ohio Stadium.

The Buckeyes are riding high like Ohio Sky, but if Indiana’s defense holds its ground strong and plays its heart out, they might just flip the script. Either way, this game will be the ultimate Big 1o showdown and will clarify who’s playing who in the conference title game.