Some interesting comments. Sounds like, as I've always suspected, they are still relying at least to some degree on their own personal opinions and biases, especially when you read the comments about OSU, and having "impact players"??? 

Don't we now have a mandate at some point to add a P4 team to our scheduling? I hope we do something similar to what I've thought we should do all along. Play one P4 team, one team of regional interest and one cupcake. Think that's the best plan to set us up for success. I think after this year, our goal should no longer be to just make the CFP, but to actually do something once there. Don't believe a game against an Lville, UK, etc... is going to hurt us very often in that regard. Heck, ND lost not 1 but 2 games early and look where they are with what I would say is only 1 meaningful win in USC. Give the fans an interesting precon. 

@kkott IU is ranked 2…why would playing a P4 non con game pay off, especially one on the road. Would IU have beaten Oregon by more on the road? Beaten Illinois by 60 instead of 50+? 

IU wants home football games on the schedule. At least 7 of them. Notre Dame is hanging on by a thread because they lost two games early. Miami is barely in the discussion as an at-large even with a win over ND. Texas A&M who won at ND is behind IU.

IU doesn’t have to schedule a P4 team. Nor should they unless it’s a one off at home. 
The Big Ten will eventually move to 10 conference games anyway.

@thehoosierhuddle Obviously it won't if we have a season like we're having now. Every year we can go undefeated or have 1 loss, it will be a non factor: we'll at least be in the CFP. Now, do you think that's more likely, or do you think it's possible we'll have 2-3 loss seasons, where we might need better non-con wins on our schedule? As good as Cig has been, my personal belief is we're not going to be 10-0 every year and I'd like to see us have the bargaining chip of a win over a non-con P4 school and I think there's value in that. I'm pretty much on an island with this, but 1) I still believe you're better prepared down the line by playing better opponents, and 2) teams like I'm talking about don't present that big a risk. Heck, look at OSU, what's the win everyone points to for them as their best win: Texas. If you flop that to IN St, do you think they're #1 still? What if they were to lose to UM, or even IU in the BTC? They're out of a bye then, and if they're someone without OSU's history and rep (like IU was last year), that puts them at risk of being in the playoffs even. I just believe it has the potential to help us more than it could hurt us.

@thehoosierhuddle the way they ranked teams, there is zero benefit to scheduling hard P4. I would go as far as saying only a complete idiot AD would schedule tough OOC. We need to cancel the ND series 

Texas will be left out of the playoffs if they go 9-3, because they scheduled OSU. They would be in at 10-2. Miami is going to be left out of the playoffs if they go 10-2, despite having a win over ND in OOC. A&M is behind us despite having ND in OOC.

and the list keeps going. Cincinnati is unranked because they scheduled Nebraska. Michigan AND USC would be in the top 12 if they hadn’t scheduled tough OOC

Evidently, tough OOC is for teams who aren’t serious about competing for titles 

@hoosierdaddy Those are some good points.  Despite the quality wins talk, the committee ranking was very correlated to wins/loss record.

I want to keep the ND series because it’s fun and great exposure, but I get the downside of it too…

@tammany I would rather make the playoffs even if it meant never playing ND again. We will likely get games with them in playoffs anyways. 

the committee evidently doesn’t care much for OOC wins. But man, those losses take you from “In” to not even in consideration
 

@hoosierdaddy yea, same, my #1 priority is maximizing our postseason

@kkott There is ZERO and I mean ZERO reason to schedule a tough non-conference game if you are IU. The only thing it'll do is be a potential loss that hangs over your head.

There is no benefit than maybe getting a few more butts in the seats and selling beer, but that doesn't matter if you play the game on the road.

Hypothetically if IU was 9-3 with a loss to Virginia and two Big Ten teams, that would be seen as better than 10-2 playing ODU, KSU and ISU?

I think people are stuck on the basketball model and SEC philosophy where there are "good losses". In this current playoff model it is more important to win games, then play a good OOC schedule.

It does not get you prepared for the Big Ten season, it only gets you beat up for the conference schedule. 

Until the Playoff format changes, there is no good reason IU should go out of their way to schedule a P4 non-conference game. None. Especially when you're trying to secure at least 7 home games.

With the SEC going to 9 conference games + a mandatory P4 non-conf game, it is only a matter of time until not playing a non-con P4 hurts IU. You already have the over-inflated reputation of the SEC grind/schedule and it will be worse. You have what, 6 SEC teams in the top 12 now. Those 2-3 loss and even 4 loss SEC teams are going to get slotted over IU in the future (we are not going to go undefeated every season no matter how good Cig is).

Posted by: @kkott

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@thehoosierhuddle Obviously it won't if we have a season like we're having now. Every year we can go undefeated or have 1 loss, it will be a non factor: we'll at least be in the CFP. Now, do you think that's more likely, or do you think it's possible we'll have 2-3 loss seasons, where we might need better non-con wins on our schedule? As good as Cig has been, my personal belief is we're not going to be 10-0 every year and I'd like to see us have the bargaining chip of a win over a non-con P4 school and I think there's value in that. I'm pretty much on an island with this, but 1) I still believe you're better prepared down the line by playing better opponents, and 2) teams like I'm talking about don't present that big a risk. Heck, look at OSU, what's the win everyone points to for them as their best win: Texas. If you flop that to IN St, do you think they're #1 still? What if they were to lose to UM, or even IU in the BTC? They're out of a bye then, and if they're someone without OSU's history and rep (like IU was last year), that puts them at risk of being in the playoffs even. I just believe it has the potential to help us more than it could hurt us.

Iowa this year is a perfect example of why your logic is flawed.  They have 2 losses.  One to us and one in a non-con game against Iowa State. 

If instead of playing Iowa State, they had beaten Northern Iowa, they are 7-1 and possibly ranked inside of the top 12 for the first rankings, but certainly higher than 20th.

So by scheduling a home-home with ISU they:

• Lost a game of revenue
• Lost a game against a team not well regarded by the committee
• Have virtually no shot at the CFP with 2 conference losses.

@surjay No they won't. The SEC will now go 8-8 in an extra week over 14-2 or 15-1. Those 8-4 (4-4) teams don't look at good when it's 7-5 (4-5) or 6-6 (3-6) right?

What is the actual benefit of playing a Power 4 non-conference home-and-home? Outside of making a few fans happy for 20 minutes.

People are really also overlooking the fact IU wants 7 home games a year and that means in years thaey play four conference games at home (like 2025) they need to have three OOC games at home. IU is not willing to give away a home game to play some P4 school on the road because some people at ESPN are upset with IU's scheduling 

Posted by: @tammany

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@hoosierdaddy Those are some good points.  Despite the quality wins talk, the committee ranking was very correlated to wins/loss record.

I want to keep the ND series because it’s fun and great exposure, but I get the downside of it too…

Notre Dame, under the current system, has such an easy route to the playoffs. Can lose twice, not play in a conference and not have to play a conference championship game, and they are currently in. 

P4 schools need to stop playing then until they join a conference. Let’s them play their four ACC opponents and eight group of 5 opponents. 

@thehoosierhuddle I would also add, if teams don’t schedule with ND they will become a G5 school and no longer make the playoffs 

another reason to do it. They can join a conference or be treated like what they are - a non power 4 team 

@hoosierdaddy great in theory, but money talks. Notre Dame fills seats and gets eyeballs.