In one of the most anticipated games in Indiana Hoosiers history, IU fell short, suffering a 38-15 defeat against Ohio State in Columbus. Despite an early touchdown to take the lead, the Hoosiers couldn’t sustain their momentum, as the Buckeyes responded with 31 unanswered points and controlled the game from that point forward. Indiana added a late touchdown and two-point conversion, slightly narrowing the margin to a 23-point loss instead of 31.
Indiana’s strength of schedule has been a point of criticism during their previously undefeated season. Of their 10 wins across 11 games, only three opponents—Nebraska, Washington, and Michigan (all at 6-5)—boast winning records.
Despite the loss, the Hoosiers remain in contention for a College Football Playoff spot and are projected to finish fourth in the conference behind Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State. The latest coaches poll ranks IU at No. 10, dropping them five spots. ESPN’s rankings also place Indiana at No. 10.
Indiana benefitted from chaos across Week 13 as several top-ranked teams suffered defeats, including No. 9 Ole Miss losing to Florida, No. 7 Alabama falling to Oklahoma, and No. 15 Texas A&M losing to Auburn in a dramatic quadruple-overtime game. BYU and Colorado also suffered losses in the unpredictable Big XII conference.
Next, the Hoosiers face in-state rival Purdue, who are 1-10 and sit at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. The game is set for Saturday at 7:30 PM ET on Fox Sports 1.
The updated College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN.
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