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Curt Cignetti Passionately Addresses Indiana's CFP Chances After Loss to Ohio State

Does Indiana deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff after falling to Ohio State on the road?

Tom Dierberger

Cignetti has led Indiana to a 10–1 record in his first season on the sidelines.
Cignetti has led Indiana to a 10–1 record in his first season on the sidelines. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
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Curt Cignetti and the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers will be the talk of the next iteration of the College Football Playoff rankings set to release Tuesday after their 38–15 loss to No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

Indiana entered the game a perfect 10–0 in Cignetti's first season in Bloomington. The Hoosiers were slotted at No. 5 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and locked into the 12-team bracket. But now, with a 23-point loss on their resume, do the Hoosiers still deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff?

"Is that a serious question? I’m not even going to answer that one, the answer is so obvious," Cignetti said after the Hoosiers' loss.

Asked to clarify if that meant "yes," Cignetti smiled and nodded.

The Hoosiers' ranking will be fascinating to watch. Indiana took care of business over its first 10 games, beating every opponent by multiple possessions until a tight 20–15 win over Michigan on Nov. 9. No college football team can do anything but win the games on schedule.

The argument against Indiana, however, is its lackluster strength of schedule—ranked 106th among FBS programs. That softer schedule paired with a 23-point loss to No. 2-ranked Ohio State probably will represent the most-debated Playoff resume in college football.

Cignetti and the Hoosiers return to the field next weekend for their in-state rivalry game against the Purdue Boilermakers. Indiana must take care of business against the worst Big Ten team first, and then it can bring on the College Football Playoff debates.

The final College Football Playoff selection show to ultimately decide the 12-team bracket is set for Dec. 8.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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