The CFB sphere is a bit of an echo chamber. One opinion often reverberates across all corners. Especially if the epicenter of said opinion is a member of the national media. A take, perhaps fallacious and smeared with disregard, has cropped up on the airwaves yet again. It’s the notion that Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers are not deserving of their playoff status.

Analyst Paul Finebaum has often been criticized for SEC bias and homerism. Well, he’s not thwarting that criticism any time soon. Amidst the discourse around the trifecta of 3-loss SEC teams missing out on the CFP, the team on the inside being side-eyed has been SMU. However, Finebaum thinks it’s Indiana who’s disposition should be under the lens. 

In an appearance on The Matt Barrie Show on ESPN, Paul Finebaum said, “I mean, if we were really sitting here objectively..the debate today really shouldn’t be about SMU. It should be about Indiana. They did absolutely nothing to earn a ticket into this field. They don’t even have a good win, I don’t think…[and] they have a terrible loss, but they’re America’s favorite team this year. So they got the benefit of the doubt. Just like on Saturday night, SMU became America’s darling.”

No matter your persuasion or rooting interest, one facet of Indiana’s season is quite inarguable. Even the most ardent IU fan would agree their schedule has been kind. That said, you can only beat what’s in front of you. As laboured and cliched as that sounds, it’s true after all. Plus, the Hoosiers haven’t just beaten who they’ve faced- they’ve mauled them. IU head coach Curt Cignetti laid bare the facts himself. In an interview with CBS ahead of the Big 10 Championship Game, Cignetti made it conspicuous that despite their playoff status, Indiana are still being largely overlooked 

“Here’s my question. There’s six 1-loss teams in the country, right? We lost to the 2nd ranked team on the road. Penn State lost to the 4th ranked team at home. Texas lost to the 5th ranked team at home. Boise lost to the 7th-ranked team. Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois, and SMU lost to an unranked team at the time they played. So how are we not, right now, seeded for a home game? That’s what I want to know. We’ve got the largest margin of victory in the country. Take out the FCS and the G5, right, Power 4 only. We’re out-scoring people 40 to 17, 2nd in the country. So because our name is Indiana and not Michigan [we’re not getting talked about]”, he said.

Whether Paul Finebaum agrees with the committee’s decree or not, it is now settled. The inclusion and seeding of Indiana has spawned a fascinating round 1 matchup.

Indiana takes on a foe that’s close in proximity but far in expectation

Less than 200 miles separate 10th seed IU and their hosts for round 1 of the CFP, 7th seed Notre Dame. Despite this proximity, these two schools have only played each other once in a whopping 66 years. The Hoosiers fell 27-49 in South Bend back in 1991. As Curt Cignetti’s iteration prepares to make the short trip from Bloomington, they’ll hope they can continue their fairytale run.

If you offered an Indiana fan, or even Cignetti for that matter, a ticket to the CFP back in August. They’d have cut your hand off for it. Indiana’s season has unequivocally been a roaring success already. They’re almost playing with house money at this point. That makes them more dangerous, as a team with nothing to lose. 

The Fighting Irish, on the other hand, can’t be as relaxed. HC Marcus Freeman can’t rest on his laurels just yet. A program of Notre Dame’s stature yearns for playoff glory. This is an opportunity for a run at the Natty for Notre Dame. Freeman even outwardly said he wished a team from the SEC perhaps was drawn to travel to freezing, mid-December South Bend. The game will be a watershed moment for both coaches as their first foray into the playoffs. The one who comes out on top shall earn a shot at Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in round 2.