After the best start in school history, the Indiana Hoosiers have been ranked eighth in the first edition of the College Football Playoff poll. Ranking ahead of teams like like BYU, Notre Dame, Alabama and Boise State.
Debuting in the poll is just the first step, the Hoosiers will need to earn their spot in the back end of their schedule.
The first CFP bracket projection with the 12-team playoff era has dropped 🏈 pic.twitter.com/HXK3syhbEE
— ESPN (@espn) November 6, 2024
Here is how they can ensure a spot within the top 12 come the final polls.
1. Win out as Big 10 Champions
The only way to remove any subjectivity from the ranking is to control destiny by winning out and earning an auto-bid as a Power Four conference champion.
A tough task for the Hoosiers, but far from unlikely.
Indiana has the remaining schedule:
- Michigan (Nov. 9)
- @ #3 Ohio State (Nov. 23)
- Purdue (Nov. 30)
Hoosiers should be able to take care of both the Wolverines and Purdue, but going into Ohio Stadium for a top-10 matchup is a daunting task.
-
Nov 2, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman Bray Lynch (74) holds up The Old Brass Spittoon after beating Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images
Good thing for the Hoosiers, their motto has remained the same all season — “never daunted.”
The Buckeyes have undoubtedly played a tougher schedule with a 20-13 win over Penn State and a 32-31 loss to number one Oregon.
Despite being conference foes, the two teams will have just two common opponents by the time they play each other: Nebraska and Michigan State.
For the Hoosiers, it was a 56-7 triumph over Nebraska that bolstered their national respect that much more.
Also read: “Huge for Indiana”: Hoosiers excited for Kurtis Rourke
On the other hand, the Buckeyes escaped with a 21-17 win over Nebraska a week after Indiana embarrassed the Cornhuskers. Despite quarterback Will Howard playing one of his better games of the year with an efficient 221 yards and three touchdowns, Ohio State could not buy a yard on the ground as they converted 28 attempts into just 64 yards.
Against Michigan State, it was equal dominations for both squads as the Hoosiers beat the Spartans 47-10 while Ohio State bested them 38-7.
If the Hoosiers get by Ohio State, their next task at hand will likely be the mighty Ducks of Oregon for the conference championship.
The top team in the land, Oregon had vulnerable wins against Idaho and Boise State before running through their remaining schedule including the aforementioned 32-31 victory over Ohio State.
Also read: Dan Lanning Has To Be Ohio State’s First Call If They Fire Ryan Day This Offseason
2. One-loss at-large
The alternative to being undefeated Big 10 champs is taking care of Michigan and Purdue, but falling short to the Buckeyes.
In this scenario, the Hoosiers will need to compete with Ohio State and lean on them to take care of their remaining schedule in Michigan the following week.
Afterward, it should not matter, but a close loss to the Big 10 champs is better than a close loss to a two-loss Buckeye squad. Therefore, Ohio State getting the auto-bid would pan out well for the Hoosiers who will surely be ranked within the top-12 as a one-loss team with dominant statistics.
Despite being in a comfortable spot regardless of the outcome of their matchup against Ohio State, winning out will ensure them a home-field advantage in Bloomington.
If all goes as planned for Indiana and coach Curt Cignetti has his Hoosiers exceeding expectations in year one, it could be the beginning to a very favorable rein of dominance for the Hoosiers.
For More Great Gridion Heroics Content
Follow me on X at davidrjacobs10 and follow us @GridironHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in NFL and College Football, click here!
