IU Football Fan Viewing and Rooting Guide for Week 12

The Indiana Hoosiers are 10-0 and ranked 5th in the College Football Playoff rankings. That temporarily parks the Hoosiers as the number seven seed in the 12-team playoff bracket. Of course, there is lots of football still to be played including a massive game for IU at Ohio State next Saturday on FOX. IU has a bye week to rest up and that means Indiana fans get the weekend to focus on rooting for other results that could help the Hoosiers make the College Football Playoff. 

-#3 Texas at Arkansas – Noon on ABC

The Texas Longhorns are currently projected to be the SEC Champion and are the second seed in the bracket right now. Texas is favored by 13.5 points and a win for Texas would not hurt IU but a loss for Texas would put yet another SEC team into the jumble of squads with two losses. It would also weaken Georgia’s case just a tiny bit in lessening the Bulldogs’ marquee win this season. 

-Michigan State at Illinois – 2:30 on FS1

IU blew out Michigan State and they do not play Illinois. The Fighting Illini are currently Penn State’s best win (they won 21-7) and the Nittany Lions are one spot above the Hoosiers in the CFP rankings. The Spartans are 4-5 and a win over Illinois would help MSU climb towards bowl eligibility, strengthen IU’s resume a touch and weaken Penn State’s just a bit. The Illini are a 2.5-point favorite.

-Penn State at Purdue – 3:30 on CBS

Penn State losing at Purdue would be a huge development and would drop the Nittany Lions from any playoff conversation. The Boilermakers are nearly a four touchdown underdog so, to steal a line from my daughter’s favorite show (shoutout to Bluey!), “that’s not happening mate”! Of course, Purdue even keeping it close would allow a point of comparison in IU’s favor if the Hoosiers can bludgeon the Boilers in the Old Oaken Bucket Game. 

-Virginia at Notre Dame – 3:30 on NBC

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are hanging around in the middle of the bracket and if they run the table, they will be in the field. Virginia is a massive underdog but the Irish have slipped up at home to teams worse than the Cavaliers. A loss to UVA would wipe the Irish from the playoff field. 

-Nebraska at USC – 4:00 on FOX

This is another game where a former IU opponent could help the Hoosiers by winning a game against a team Penn State has played. The Hoosiers beat Nebraska 56-7 while Penn State survived USC with a last-second field goal to win. A victory for Nebraska would make that a win over a bowl team and would move USC to just 4-7, meaning one less win over a bowl team for the Nittany Lions. Every little bit of data could be important.

-Oregon at Wisconsin – 7:30 on NBC

The Oregon Ducks travel to Madison as two touchdown favorites. The unanimous number one team in the country should have no problem dispatching the Badgers. This one could be advantageous for IU either way. Either the Ducks are stunned and lose and IU becomes one of only two major conference unbeaten teams or, the Ducks handle Wisconsin and that is another loss for a Penn State opponent. 

-Tennessee at Georgia – 7:30 on ABC

This is the marquee game of the weekend and it could have a big impact on next week’s rankings. Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is in concussion protocol and considered questionable for this contest and Georgia already has two losses. The Bulldogs are already on the outside of the bracket and a third loss will eliminate them from the conversation, despite their strength of schedule and despite their preseason accolades and loaded roster. That would help Indiana as there would be one less two-loss SEC team with strong wins and losses that get a shoulder shrug from the committee to worry about. If Georgia wins, both the Bulldogs and Volunteers would be 8-2 and 5-2 in the SEC. There would be a bit of distance between IU and both of these teams in the seedings for a week but they would both be dangers to Indiana’s chances of making the field if the Hoosiers are 11-1 with a remotely lopsided loss to Ohio State.

-Kansas at BYU – 10:15 on ESPN

If you are so inclined, stay up late and watch the unbeaten BYU Cougars against 3-6 Kansas. Despite the disparity in records, the Cougars are only favored by 2.5 points. Things that make you say, “hmm…”. The Jayhawks found some offense, particularly on the ground and they’ll be a challenge for a BYU team that just keeps finding ways to win. IU needs BYU to lose a regular season game, thus making sure the Big 12 is a one-bid league when the official bracket is chosen.