You know, it wasn’t too long ago when we pointed out that Curt Cignetti‘s dynasty would be in trouble when they finally crossed paths with the Buckeyes. Since then, a lot has changed. With that 20-15 win over the Wolverines, Curt Cignetti and Co. have solidified themselves as the next true kings of college football. These guys, along with a senior QB, Kurtis Rourke, managed to change the fate of Hoosiers football. It is truly hard to imagine that this is the same team that was 3-9 last year. Right now, Curt Cignetti and his boys are standing tall in the 5th spot on the CFP rankings. However, the table has flipped, and it is Ohio State that should be worried about next weekend’s showdown.

And Steve Coughlin from ESPN SVPod agrees. “No matter who you talk to, Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, Uh, this Indiana-Ohio State game is what everybody has been asking for….. And everyone I talk to, haven’t met one person that gives Indiana a chance, and everybody thinks Ohio State’s going to blow them out, and I’m not done on the tape, but I be careful there,” Coughlin mentioned. See, this is the thing: Ryan Day and Chip Kelly cannot go into this game thinking they have got it. No matter what you say, you have to agree that whatever Cignetti has managed to cook with his offense and defense, it is working out well.

In almost every single game, the Hoosiers have managed to average 40+ points. The only outlier is the Wolverines game, but there you can argue that Sherrone Moore and Co. put up one of their best defensive showcases. Still, even if we look past that, the Buckeyes, on the other hand, have done what?

Around 30 points average? And 2 struggle wins against Penn State and Nebraska? Day and Co. barely managed to break through the Huskers’ defense. They were trailing behind Matt Rhule and Co. till the 4th quarter of the game. Hoosiers, on the other hand? They pulled off one of their best showdowns against the Huskers and mopped the floor with a 50+ pointer game.

You can argue that Day has the “roster” advantage with that entire $20 million NIL thing but will it be enough to stop Cignetti and Co? And even if we assume they do manage to win against Indiana, what CFP fate would follow both teams?

What the future holds for Buckeyes and Hoosiers

Let’s see the first scenario: Buckeyes come out with a W. See, Day and Co. are on the 2nd spot on the CFP ranking list. With a win over Hoosiers, they won’t crack it to the No.1 because the Ducks have already occupied it, and it doesn’t look like they will let it go. What this win will do is solidify the Buckeyes’ roster as one of the best for being able to put a dent in an unbeatable run.

However, on the other end of the spectrum, if Cignetti wins this and if the committee doesn’t pull up the same bias they do with Big 10 teams, it would mean an easy ticket to the top 4 seeds in the playoffs. That translates to a bye-week and direct semi-final tickets. From there, if we are lucky, we might end up seeing a rematch if the Buckeyes fall on the ranking list or Cignetti will face off against Texas or Bulldogs.