Cignetti Offers Honest Take on IU's Playoff Aspirations

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana faced its first defeat of the season on Saturday, falling 38-15 to Ohio State on the road.

The conversation surrounding Indiana's chances for a spot in the College Football Playoff has sparked debate. Prior to this loss, the team had secured victories in all their games but lacked wins against top-25 opponents and had only defeated one team that achieved bowl eligibility (Washington).

Ohio State was the sole top-25 opponent on Indiana's schedule, and the 23-point loss raised questions about their playoff aspirations.

After the game, IU head coach Curt Cignetti was questioned about whether he believes Indiana deserves a place among the 12 playoff teams.

“Is that a serious question?” Cignetti responded. “I’m not even going to answer that one. The answer is so obvious.”

Cignetti winked and nodded afterward, suggesting he firmly believes Indiana should be included in the playoff discussion.

The Hoosiers started strong against the Buckeyes, forcing a three-and-out on Ohio State’s first possession before scoring a touchdown themselves. However, momentum soon shifted after a controversial false start penalty against Indiana, which Cignetti felt was unjust.

Following this turning point, Ohio State scored 31 unanswered points.

“We didn’t handle the noise well,” Cignetti admitted. “We just didn’t. They’re an excellent football team. I didn’t think we played our best game today, but I think a big part of that was because of them.”