Hoosier Huddle's College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections December 1

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Written by T.J. Inman

A historic splattering. A colossal beatdown. A dominant destruction. A slaughter in the snow. Call it whatever you want to but the stone-cold reality is that the Indiana Hoosiers mercilessly beat the Purdue Boilermakers 66-0 and sent a resounding final impression to the Playoff Selection Committee. That performance, combined with losses by Miami and Texas A&M, all but ensure the Indiana Hoosiers will be included in the first 12-team College Football Playoff when the official bracket is announced on December 8. Indiana probably will not be able to climb into position to host a first-round playoff game but it certainly appears they should be safely in. 

College Football Playoff Projections

  1. Oregon Ducks – Big Ten Champion

  2. Texas Longhorns – SEC Champion

  3. SMU Mustangs – ACC Champion

  4. Boise State Broncos – Group of Five Selection

  5. Penn State Nittany Lions vs. 12. Arizona State Sun Devils (Big 12 Champion)

  6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. 11. Alabama Crimson Tide

  7. Georgia Bulldogs vs. 10. Indiana Hoosiers

  8. Tennessee Volunteers vs. 9. Ohio State Buckeyes

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. Last week, I had the Hoosiers as the 10-seed and traveling to Athens to play the Georgia Bulldogs. This week, the matchup is the same as I was given no reason to move off of my position on IU’s quality. They should not barely be squeaking into the field, the Hoosiers belong and have proved it week after week on the field. Potential clashes at Penn State, at Ohio State, at Notre Dame are certainly possibilities as well. 

Citrus Bowl – Illinois vs. Ole Miss

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 – Rutgers vs. Georgia Tech

Holiday Bowl – Kansas State vs. Washington

Indiana at Georgia in College Football Playoff First Round

Indiana’s resume is on the table. IU has done all they could to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff and it seems like a near-certainty they will be included. Hoosier fans will know with certainty on December 8 as the full field gets unveiled.