Hoosier Huddle's College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections - November 17
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Written by T.J. Inman
The Indiana Hoosiers enjoyed a well-earned rest this weekend. The Hoosiers sit at 10-0 heading into the massive clash against #2 Ohio State. A very strong argument could be made that this game is the biggest Indiana University football game since at least 1967. IU is a 10.5-point underdog to the Buckeyes in Columbus. A victory in Columbus would very likely send the Hoosiers to Indianapolis to compete for the Big Ten Championship while a loss would leave IU’s fate at the mercy of the selection committee. How would the Playoff Committee view an 11-1 Indiana team? That will largely depend on the nature of the loss.
If the Hoosiers were really competitive, they absolutely deserve a spot in the field and would have a great argument to host a first-round game. A blowout in Columbus would make for a long wait for Indiana fans. It must be said, Saturday’s results were not at all advantageous for the Hoosiers. BYU lost and that likely ensures the Big 12 is a one-bid league. The ACC is probably already at that point. Indiana’s strength of schedule took more hits as Nebraska and Michigan State both lost again. The Washington Huskies becoming bowl-eligible acts a small balm against the other defeats. I am projecting a small loss to Ohio State for the Hoosiers but I think the selection committee will ultimately reward the SEC for “quality losses” and slide IU down to the 11-seed.
College Football Playoff Projections
Oregon Ducks – Big Ten Champion
Texas Longhorns – SEC Champion
Miami Hurricanes – ACC Champion
Colorado Buffaloes – Big 12 Champion
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. 12. Boise State Broncos (G5 Selection)
Georgia Bulldogs vs. 11. Indiana Hoosiers
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. 10. Ole Miss Rebels
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. 9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Big Ten Bowl Projections
I continue to have four Big Ten teams (Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State) in the College Football Playoff so the Big Ten’s bowl slotting process begins after those top four teams.
Citrus Bowl – Illinois vs. Tennessee
Reliaquest Bowl – Minnesota vs. South Carolina
Duke’s Mayo Bowl – Syracuse vs. Iowa
Music City Bowl – Michigan vs. Missouri
Independence Bowl – Nebraska vs. Utah
Pinstripe Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Georgia Tech
Holiday Bowl – Kansas State vs. Washington
Detroit Bowl – Michigan State vs. Northern Illinois
Indiana at Georgia in College Football Playoff First Round
I currently have the Indiana Hoosiers projected to finish the regular season at 11-1 but missing out to Ohio State and Oregon for the Big Ten Championship Game. I do believe that would be enough to get the Hoosiers into the 12-team playoff field. Of course, how the game against Ohio State actually plays out is quite important. If Indiana is competitive and then blows out Purdue, I think that’s enough to get into the field (it definitely should be!). If the Hoosiers get blown out in Columbus, it could get dicey. In this projection, I have the Hoosiers playing in Athens against the Georgia Bulldogs with a trip to the Peach Bowl on the line to face Miami. By my estimation, barring major upsets, the following teams are extremely likely to make the field: Oregon, Texas, Miami or SMU as ACC Champions, Colorado or BYU as Big 12 Champion, Boise State or Tulane as the Group of Five selection and Penn State at 11-1. That leaves six spots and one of those will definitely be reserved for the loser of the SEC Championship Game. There would also be a spot reserved for the loser of the Big Ten Championship Game (likely either Ohio State or Indiana). That’s four spots left for the loser of IU/Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Tennessee. In short, there are still a whole lot of things to play out and the field is still very crowded. Winning at Ohio State would eliminate any and all doubt.
The third College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled on Tuesday evening and Hoosier Huddle will have ongoing coverage of this historic Indiana season.