ESPN's Joey Galloway Suggesting Indiana Bench Star QB Against Ohio State
11/20/2024 09:37 AM
Every College Football Playoff rankings release show features debate about where teams are slotted, but last night's edition on ESPN contained a back-and-forth of a different kind.
Indiana remained at No. 5 in the CFP top 25 heading into Saturday's matchup with No. 2 Ohio State. Led by transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke and first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are the biggest surprise in college football this season. As IU heads into the most important game of the year--and maybe in program history--ESPN analyst Joey Galloway offered up a bizarre strategical suggestion for the Hoosiers.
Galloway, a former Ohio State star and NFL wide receiver, argued on the air last night that Indiana should bench Rourke to avoid getting him hurt and keep their playoff odds intact.
"Honestly, if we believe in what our metrics are saying, if I'm Indiana, I don't know if I'm playing Rourke against Ohio State. We've seen what happened to Florida State last year with Jordan Travis," Galloway said Tuesday. "What could keep Indiana out of this (CFP)? Getting their quarterback hurt. We've seen it happen to Florida State last year, having not played anybody."
Of course, the difference between last year's Florida State team and Indiana this season is that Travis was lost for the year in a win over FCS North Alabama. The Hoosiers are about to play Ohio State for the right to go to the Big Ten Championship Game.
Incredibly, Galloway brought up his idea later on in the show as well, much to the chagrin of his colleagues on set.
"You can't do that! It's a culture killer," said Greg McElroy.
"You can't do that. You can't do that, Joey," added Booger McFarland, with Rece Davis saying that Galloway "can't be serious."
Later, Joey Galloway keeps going on about how he thinks Indiana should sit QB Kurtis Rourke vs Ohio State.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 20, 2024
"You can't do that! It's a culture killer." - Greg McElroy
"You can't do that. You can't do that, Joey." - Booger McFarland
"You can't be serious." - Rece Davis #CFPpic.twitter.com/sdBpwgTExV
Maybe Joey just wants his Buckeyes to have an easier time Saturday. Maybe he earnestly believes this.
Either way, it's a stupid idea. No team is going to lay up under such circumstances, as it sets a bad precedent for the program and other schools to follow.
Ohio State and Indiana will meet at noon ET on FOX.
Related: Newest 2024 College Football Playoff Rankings Released Tuesday Night
