The Indiana Hoosiers have been a plethora of energy throughout the season. Not a single loss till week 13, played teams like the Michigan Wolverines. Suddenly, a 15-38 loss to Ohio State put them under much stress. It has created a buzz in the college football world regarding their playoff hopes. Although head coach Curt Cignetti is chilling and not minding all the rumors about their possible snub, he went serious when he was asked about it. “Is that a serious question?” Cignetti said, refusing to answer the humiliating question about their playoff chances.

Now, putting an end to all those rumors and stuff going on currently, college football analyst Joel Klatt put a stamp on Indiana’s playoff spot. Yeah, he said this in bold words. “Indiana is firmly in the college football playoff. There’s not a doubt in my mind, and there’s likely not a doubt in the committee’s mind. You might have had a doubt at the time the game ended on Saturday, but by the time the day ended college football, everything had broken the Hoosiers way that needed to break the Hoosiers way. And so, as we sit here now, you’re listening to this on a Monday, maybe even Tuesday. Indiana is firmly in the playoff; all they need to do is go out and take care of business against Purdue, and they’re going to be and should be in.”

What Klatt said was really obvious, as the fifth-ranked Hoosiers had been one of the best teams in the country before going to Columbus. Now at 10-1, Indiana even grabbed the double-digit record for the first time in the program’s history under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. Now, they only need one victory over Purdue in the week 14 game to land a spot in the playoff, as suggested by Klatt.

However, things looked somewhat bleak after they fell to the Buckeyes in the Big Noon Kickoff. What changed then? Did something happen to other Big 10 teams? Well, no. Big 10 is more of the same, with Ohio State gaining over the Hoosiers. However, the SEC top dogs couldn’t go past Week 13 with a win. Ole Miss went to Gainsville and fell to Florida Gators. While Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama was humiliated by Oklahoma Sooners. The two-loss teams that could have had an edge over the Hoosiers due to their strength of schedule are now three-loss teams.

The committee would not be that mad, even if we consider all the SEC bias, to give preference to three-loss teams over a one-loss team. However, nothing is confirmed. We are still waiting for this Tuesday’s update to the rankings. While Hoosiers are set to see a drop, they may still be in the Top 12, with Bama and Ole Miss certainly seeing bigger drops. Can you recall what the Ohio vs. Indiana game looked like on Saturday?

What does the CFP committee say about Curt Cignetti & the Hoosiers playoff picture?

It was the game that crushed Indiana’s fairytale in just one night. The Buckeyes smashed 31 points right after Indiana took an early lead with an early touchdown and they held on to the grip till the final moments. However, IU rocked a last-moment touchdown and a two-point conversion but they ran a little late for the night. However, it closed the game with a slightly better score, resulting in losing by 23 points rather than 31. Well, win or lose, Indiana has already gained the trust of the playoff committee and now they’re assuring the Hoosiers fans not to worry.

For weeks, the CFP committee has been dropping hints like breadcrumbs. They believe in the wins compared to the strength of the schedule. And how do they picture Indiana? The Hoosiers have been crushing their opponents with an average of 30 points per game. Next week’s game against Purdue will be easy peasy for Cignetti’s crew.

Now college football playoff chairperson Warde Manual put it out as, “Watching teams, watching the games, carries the day for most of us.” What does that mean? Indians are good, so they’re in. We can’t deny Ohio State exposed Indiana’s flaws, but that doesn’t indicate they’re not the SEC crusher. Under the first-year coach, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are shining like a star.