Indiana Head Coach Has Strong Message For College Football Playoff Committee
12/07/2024 10:03 PM
Despite being blown out by Ohio State just two weeks ago in their only game against a ranked team this year, the Indiana Hoosiers were ranked No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff poll and are facing a road game to start what will likely be their first-ever trip to the tournament.
But for head coach Curt Cignetti, simply being in the competition doesn't feel like enough. In an appearance on CBS Sports, Cignetti raised some questions about his team's ranking and openly questioned if his team was being discriminated against because they aren't a bigger name in college football. He invoked some other teams that are ranked higher than his with what he feels are more egregious losses, and even called out Michigan.
"Ninth in the CFP. Yeah, here's my question. Right. There's six one loss teams in the country. Right? We lost to the second ranked team on the road. Penn State lost to the fourth ranked team at home. Texas lost to the fifth ranked team at home. Boise State lost to the seventh ranked team. Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois. And SMU lost to an unranked team. At the time that they played," Cignetti said.
"So how are we not, right now, seeded for a home game? That's what I want to know. We've got the largest margin of victory in the country. Okay, take out the FCS and G5. Right? P4 only. We're outscoring people 40-17. Second in the country. So, because our name is Indiana and not Michigan?"
"How are we not, right now, seeded for a home game?" @IndianaFootball's Curt Cignetti has some questions about their current CFP ranking. pic.twitter.com/PAEWW0IRS7
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 7, 2024
He does have a point. Indiana's one loss certainly seems like less of a blemish on their record than it would be for others.
But the problem for the Hoosiers is that they don't have any quality wins to speak of to offset their loss.
As mentioned earlier, the Buckeyes were the only ranked team they played all year, and they fell on their faces. The three non-conference teams they played are all from Group of Five conferences and finished the year with losing records. As for their Big Ten wins, they lucked out for the most part as only Ohio State and Michigan finished the year with winning records.
The fact of the matter is, while they may have the most impressive loss, they don't have a single convincing win to speak of.
It's too late for Cignetti's Hoosiers to make a stronger case to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee this year. But if they want to avoid future issues like this, the only remedy is to schedule tougher games and win them.
Related: Indiana Coach Curt Cignetti Agrees To New Contract Before Showdown vs. Ohio State
