The only result that would’ve immediately tossed No. 5 Indiana out of the College Football Playoff was a total blowout against No. 2 Ohio State. The type of loss that wouldn’t have done much to move the needle in either direction was a close one, maybe by a possession, in one of college football’s toughest road environments.
But this one falls in the middle: The Hoosiers started strong, taking a 7-0 lead into the second quarter, but were buried by the Buckeyes’ defense, special teams and offensive skill talent in a 38-15 final that properly represents the gap between these two teams.
Now we wait until Tuesday for the first glimpse of how the playoff selection committee will treat one-loss Indiana.
The committee can hand the Hoosiers a devastating drop by focusing on a weak strength of schedule that includes only one win against an opponent with a winning record. Facing a legitimate contender for the first time, the Hoosiers were unable to make a statement the committee couldn’t ignore.
Indiana gave up a season-worst 5.7 yards per play and cratered in the second half, allowing OSU to score on three of four possessions. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a score early in the third quarter to push the lead to 21-7, a monumental special teams failure that doomed the Hoosiers. An offense that came into Saturday ranked ninth nationally in yards per play and second in scoring managed just 151 yards – 75 of which came on a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter with the score 31-7.
Taken alone, a loss to Ohio State was not going to be enough to automatically jettison Indiana from the at-large debate. It’s the nature of this loss that could give the committee the ammunition to drop the Hoosiers in favor of another contender from the SEC or ACC.
Indiana, OSU and Tennessee lead Saturday’s winners and losers:
Winners
Tennessee
It was pretty much a perfect day for the No. 11 Volunteers, beginning with a 56-0 rout of Texas-El Paso. The good news doesn’t stop there: Indiana’s loss is good for Tennessee and No. 9 Mississippi’s 24-17 loss to Florida is really, really great news in terms of opening up a lane for the playoff. If the SEC does land four teams in the bracket, the Volunteers are poised to join Texas, Alabama and Georgia if the quartet holds serve through the end of the month.
Notre Dame
No. 6 Notre Dame took care of business on both sides of the ball in a 49-14 win against No. 17 Army and move one step closer to a playoff berth. Needing to play somewhere near a perfect game, the Black Knights failed to get things going on the ground, had a punt blocked and lost the turnover margin. The Fighting Irish gained 462 yards of offense and held Army to a season-low 233 yards, and have won nine in a row since a September loss to Northern Illinois. The Irish close things out next Saturday against Southern California, having won five of six in the rivalry.
SMU
Beating Virginia 33-14 locks No. 12 SMU into the ACC championship game regardless of what happens next week against California. There’s still plenty to play for, including the chance of earning an at-large bid with a loss to Miami or Clemson in the title game. But to lock in a trip to Charlotte as first-year members of the ACC and with zero preseason hype makes this one of the most surprising success stories in recent Power Four history and easily one of the most memorable years in program history. The Mustangs haven’t lost since turning the ball over three times in an 18-15 loss to No. 15 Brigham Young in early September.
Nebraska
The longest bowl drought in the Power Four is over: Nebraska topped Wisconsin 44-25 behind 198 yards of total offense from running back Emmett Johnson and will reach the postseason for the first time since 2016. Once 5-1, the Cornhuskers were unable to have the type of breakout season that seemed possible at the midway point. But to get into a bowl represents a huge step forward for the program and another notable achievement for coach Matt Rhule, who has taken over dire situations at Temple, Baylor and Nebraska and led all three programs into the postseason.
Florida
Upsetting Ole Miss validates Florida’s decision to bring back Billy Napier for another year and breathes some real life into a program that was on life support as recently as earlier this month. Facing off against maybe the toughest schedule in the country, the Gators will be back in bowl play with the chance to really develop some momentum heading into 2025. In freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, freshman running back Jadan Baugh, sophomore defensive back Bryce Thornton and others, Florida has a very nice core around which to build an SEC contender.
Florida State
For the first time since September, the Seminoles played and won a football game. That the 41-7 win came against Charleston Southern of the Championship Subdivision matters less than the bottom line: FSU took the field against an opponent, played a football game and won. The Seminoles gained 415 yards, remarkably cracking the 300-yard mark for the first time this season, while throwing multiple touchdowns without an interception, also for the first time.
Losers
Alabama
Move over, Indiana. Make room, Ole Miss. Here’s the most stunning score of Saturday: Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3. Playing as more than two-touchdown favorites, the Crimson Tide were completely shut down by an opponent scuffling in a major way as new members of the SEC. Jalen Milroe was the poster child for these struggles, completing just 11 of 26 throws with three interceptions while gaining just 7 yards on 15 carries. While not productive through the air, the Sooners ran for 257 yards, led by a pair of 100-yard performances by quarterback Jackson Arnold (131 yards) and freshman back Xavier Robinson (107 yards, two touchdowns). Alabama was expected to stroll into the SEC championship game and the playoff with wins against Oklahoma and Auburn but will instead have a very hard time earning an at-large bid with three losses, none worse than Saturday night.
Mississippi
This loss to the Gators is a total disaster for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels with the playoff selection right around the corner. Ole Miss was set to land in the sweet spot for an at-large bid: good enough to finish in the top four of the SEC but not quite good enough to get into the SEC championship game, where a third loss might’ve been fatal. As it is, this defeat to the Gators erases the Rebels from the playoff picture and represents the worst setback of the Kiffin era.
Colorado
Kansas beat No. 18 Colorado 37-21 to snap the Buffaloes’ four-game winning streak and deliver a truckload of chaos to an already turbulent Big 12 title race. This is three wins in a row for the tough-luck Jayhawks, who have lost six games by a combined 30 points but can pull out a bowl bid by winning at Baylor next weekend. Kansas is the first team with a losing record to beat three ranked opponents in a row. But the biggest impact is on Colorado’s playoff hopes, which are still alive with one game left until the Big 12 title game but will require a little help next Saturday to secure a top-two finish. The loss itself also shows the Buffaloes’ weak spots: KU went for 331 yards on the ground on 5.8 yards per carry and never punted. Wildly underrated running back Devin Neal had 283 yards of offense and four scores.
Brigham Young
Also in the Big 12, the Cougars’ 28-23 loss to No. 22 Arizona State guarantees this will be a one-bid league for the playoff. (This was already pretty certain, but now it’s official.) ASU tried to give this one away with some idiotic fourth-down failures, including one with under three minutes to go that gave the Cougars a chance for a walk-off win; they got to the ASU 39-yard line before quarterback Jake Retzlaff was intercepted. Even after that stop, the Sun Devils messed around and gave the ball back to BYU with a second left — after fans stormed the field — and Retzlaff’s desperation heave from midfield was caught just short of the goal line, triggering a second, more official fan storming. BYU has cratered in recent weeks, barely surviving against Utah and losing at home to Kansas, though they still can reach the Big 12 title game.
Pittsburgh
A very promising season has run off the rails and officially hit rock bottom with a 37-9 loss at Louisville. This makes four losses in a row for Pittsburgh after starting 7-0, albeit with some pretty fortunate breaks against Cincinnati, West Virginia and California. Against the Cardinals, the Panthers lost quarterback Eli Holstein to an apparent leg injury on the game’s second drive and essentially rolled over from there, falling behind 27-0 at halftime and failing to get on the board until deep into the third quarter.