The Rise of Indiana
Before 2024, the Indiana Hoosiers had little hope and needed an answer. The Hoosiers were a punching bag in the Big 10 and hadn’t been to the College Football Playoff since 1967. Then Curt Cignetti happened.
Cignetti immediately made an impact. The Hoosiers went 11-2 in his first year as a head coach, with their only losses coming to Ohio State and Notre Dame. Both colleges reached the National Championship. Cignetti somehow did it; he took a team that went 9-27 in the previous three years and turned it into a powerhouse.
This year, Indiana is steamrolling into the postseason, beating Oregon by double digits and embarrassing Illinois. Both of those teams were ranked
in the top 10 of the AP poll when the Hoosiers played them. Indiana Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is a transfer from California, is playing the best football of his career under Curt Cignetti. He is currently first in Heisman odds.
This isn’t the first time Curt Cignetti has transformed a team, either. In five seasons, James Madison went a combined 52-9 under him, got promoted to the FBS, and went 11-1 with a bowl appearance in Cignetti’s final season with the Dukes.
When Cignetti packed his bags and headed for Indiana, he brought a heap of players and coaches from JMU. Offensive Coordinator Mike Shanahan and Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines both followed him, as well as a whopping 13 players and more coaches.
College Football Playoff
When the 12-team College Football Playoff was introduced last year, mistakes were bound to happen. Last year, the four highest-ranked conference champions got first-round byes, even if they weren’t ranked super high. This year, there are five autobids for the highest-ranked conference champions, but they aren’t guaranteed to get a bye. The byes go to the four highest-ranked teams, regardless of conference standing.
The top two teams in the latest ranking are Ohio State and Indiana. If they meet up in the Big Ten championship, one team is going to win and probably get the #1 seed. The loser will more than likely still make the CFP, but won’t get a bye. Because of conference championships, it’s safe to say that the byes aren’t set in stone.
Many teams could be considered bubble teams, but the one to focus on the most is BYU. For BYU, they have only one loss, but it was a 29-7 beating against fifth-ranked Texas Tech. The Cougars absolutely need to win the rest of their games, including a ranked Cincinnati team, to have a chance at lifting CFP hardware.
Most Underrated and Overrated Teams
Underrated – Iowa Hawkeyes
Even Minnesota fans have to admit that the Hawkeyes are great this year. All of the Hawkeyes’ four losses have been by five points or less, and every single loss has been to a team ranked in the top 17 at the time. Teams such as Indiana and Oregon struggled to get by them. While the College Football Playoff might not be an option for Iowa anymore, they were two missed field goals away from being a potential CFP team.
Overrated – Virginia Cavaliers
It’s not ridiculous to say the Cavaliers shouldn’t even be ranked. Out of their nine wins, six were by 10 points or less, and three wins were in overtime. Then, out of the wins they did have, not only were most of them very close games, but only half of the teams that the Cavaliers beat even had a winning record. They have had a good season, nonetheless, but there’s just too much hype around them.
