Columbus, Ohio — Curt Cignetti cocked his head back in shock and possibly contempt, his lips pursed, and his eyebrows sunk.
Does Indiana have a chance to qualify for the College Football Playoffs?
“Is that really a question?” Following his team’s 23-point defeat against No. 2 Ohio State, the Indiana coach blasted at a curious reporter. “I won’t even respond to that. The solution is so clear.
Cignetti did respond a few seconds later with a nod of his head and a “well, of course, dude” look.
After all, it’s lobbying season for the playoffs. Even though Cignetti avoided answering the initial playoff query on Saturday, he couldn’t help but make a remark.
However, Indiana’s candidacy is not as clear to many people nationwide, particularly those who live in a specific region of our wonderful country (the South, to be exact). And following their 38–15 loss to the Buckeyes, it became even more evident to them.
In fact, this reporter got a few messages from those people down south while writing this story, high above Ohio Stadium.
They haven’t defeated anyone.
The quest shouldn’t include them.
Yes, that time of year is upon us.
But on Saturday afternoon, the SEC’s strongest defense of five teams—yes, five—to enter the 12-team field most certainly collapsed. Florida defeated Ole Miss, a bubble playoff club whose defeat probably opens the door for the Hoosiers — and Tennessee as well — to enter the field, just minutes after Ohio State defeated Indiana.
Or does it?
Any Big 12 or ACC runner-up appeared to be positioned behind those programs in the College Football Playoff committee rankings from last week. But when the committee announces its ranks on Tuesday night, we’ll know more.
Let the politicking go on for the time being.
With the postseason shadow hanging over them, Cignetti and the players addressed reporters inside Ohio Stadium following Saturday’s game.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher claims the Hoosiers, a team with 20 Group of Five transfers, displayed their physicality against what is perhaps the most gifted squad in college football, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke is aiming for a “rematch” versus Ohio State in the tournament.
“Can this Group of Five team hold up?” many question. “Watch the movie,” Fisher said sarcastically.
In a sense, he is correct. Cignetti’s group didn’t have a particularly bad performance. The Buckeyes gained 14 points on Hoosiers special teams errors, and Ohio State scored in the closing seconds to increase their advantage from 16 to 23. Ryan Day’s team gained seven more points after Indiana fumbled a punt snap after star Caleb Downs returned a punt for 79 yards.
Actually, only 316 yards were given up by IU’s defense.
However, it is an infraction, my brother. The Hoosiers had 151 yards, more than 300 yards below their average, and scored 15 points, 30 points below their average.
Following its 70-yard touchdown drive to start the game, Indiana amassed 81 yards in 48 plays. It averaged 2.6 yards per play, completed only eight passes, and allowed five sacks.
According to Cignetti, “every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened.”
Cignetti attributed the offensive performance to two things: Ohio State’s skill and the loudness.
He claimed that the Buckeyes are “loaded” and that the Hoosiers had to turn to a silent count due to the noise, which shook the team and caused misunderstandings among the O-line.
Cignetti remarked, “I didn’t think we played our best game today.”
However, was it good enough to qualify for the playoffs?
In response, Cignetti said, “I don’t make those decisions.” Now that I’m concentrating on the upcoming game, it’s more crucial. fierce rival [Purdue]. Everyone must be focused on that.
The schedule of Indiana, which was rated 106th out of 137 FBS teams going into Saturday, was, is, and will continue to be the main emphasis for the general public. The combined record of their opponents is 10 games below.500. Ohio State is the only rated team they have faced. They had only defeated one program with a winning record prior to Saturday (Washington at 6-5).
The drawbacks are those. There are advantages as well. Indiana finished in the top five in the nation for both offense and defense, defeated nine out of ten opponents by double digits, and stayed with the Buckeyes for at least a quarter and a half.
In an interview with ESPN prior to kickoff on Saturday, Cignetti expressed his thoughts in a brazen and arrogant manner.
“You do realize that we have the biggest margin of victory in college football?” he asked. “There is a story out there that has given us another chip. They can put that story up their you-know-what.
Many other bubble teams also have their own issues.
Arkansas defeated against Tennessee by a score of five. There will probably be at least two losses for any ACC or Big 12 champion. In addition to the season-opening thrashing of Georgia in Atlanta, Clemson fell at home to Louisville, while SEC clubs Ole Miss and South Carolina have suffered three losses.
Two-loss even Georgia labored for three quarters against UMass (the Bulldogs gave up a staggering 226 yards rushing) despite playing the nation’s most difficult schedule.
Each squad has one, two, three, or four warts. A miserable job for committee members and the poor sap (Michigan AD Warde Manuel) who the CFP needlessly trots out every week to explain the rankings, it’s nearly impossible to separate the group of prospective at-large squads.
Maybe that’s why there isn’t a committee in professional football. No teams that are at-large. There should be no absurd metrics or data-driven choices used to divide up playoff teams.
With postseason berths dependent on division and conference results, the NFL is practically decided on the field.
For this sport, some people want that model. One of them, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who suggested such a concept to CFP officials during discussions in the spring, was there on Saturday. Three or four automatic qualifiers for the SEC and Big Ten, two for the ACC and Big 12, one G5 auto bid, and three to five at-large berths in a newly expanded 14- or 16-team field would all be part of the plan.
Will that be the future?
Perhaps.
Let the lobbying, the pointless measurements, and the pointless arguments go on for the time being.
