There’s a good chance Indiana will be traveling to an iconic college football venue in a couple weeks for round one of the College Football Playoff.
But where might they go?
In a separate post we’ll look at the unlikely scenarios of Indiana moving up the rankings and hosting a game, along with the possibility, if any, they might somehow drop completely out of the CFP.
But for now the most likely scenario is that the Hoosiers will go on the road for round one (Dec. 20-21). And in so doing one thing is clear — they’ll be traveling to an incredibly difficult road environment.
WHO MIGHT INDIANA PLAY ON THE ROAD?
The current bracket has the Hoosiers traveling to Georgia to face the Bulldogs. But with so many moving parts, the list of potential opponents is still long. Here’s a look at who IU could play the weekend of Dec. 20-21.
No. 5 rank / No. 7 seed GEORGIA (10-2) The Bulldogs play in the SEC title game this weekend against Texas. So Georgia could end up with a bye if they win. Indiana has never played Georgia, and thus has never played in 93,000 seat Sanford Stadium in Athens. Teams like Georgia have been central to the SEC vs. Indiana debate, making this an interesting potential matchup. Georgia has the PFF No. 29 offense, and No. 25 defense. Their two losses have come at Alabama, and at Ole Miss, and the Bulldogs have not been convincing in several other games.
No. 2/2 TEXAS (11-1) If the Longhorns lose to Georgia, they might just swap spots with the Bulldogs and set up a matchup against Indiana in Austin. The Longhorns play at the massive Darrell K. Royal Stadium, which seats 100,000. Indiana played there in 1965 and 1966 but haven’t faced Texas since. They are 0-3 all-time vs. Texas. The Longhorns have the PFF No. 20 offense, and the No. 1 defense. Texas’ lone loss thus far came at home to Georgia, so another loss this Saturday is certainly in play.
No. 1/1 OREGON (12-0) Similar to the Texas vs. Georgia matchup, a win in the Big Ten title game by Penn State over Oregon might cause a seed swap between those two schools and put a trip to Eugene in play for the Hoosiers. At 54,000, Autzen Stadium doesn’t seat much more than IU’s Memorial Stadium, but it is widely regarded as a very loud and difficult venue for visitors. Interestingly enough, IU won their one and only game there in a shocking 2004 upset. Indiana is 1-2 all-time vs. Oregon. The Ducks claim the No. 9 PFF offense, and the No. 5 defense.
No. 3/5 PENN STATE (11-1) The Nittany Lions are currently seeded fifth, but a bad loss to Oregon could see them drop into a game with IU. That game would carry intrigue, as it would be the real tiebreaker for the two Big Ten teams that finished 8-1 in conference. It would also mean Indiana would be going head-to-head with former head coach Tom Allen, who is now the PSU defensive coordinator. Beaver Stadium seats over 106,000 and the Hoosiers have never won there. IU is just 2-25 in the series. PSU features the PFF No. 11 offense and No. 16 defense. Their lone loss came at home to Ohio State, 20-13.
No. 7/9 TENNESSEE (10-2) Tennessee is another team that has been hovering near a potential game against IU for weeks. Indiana has only ever played the Vols in two neutral site bowl games, and thus they’ve never played at nearly 102,000 seat Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. A couple Hoosiers including starting center Mike Katic were on the IU team that lost to Tennessee in the Gator Bowl following the 2019 campaign. The Vols have the PFF No. 41 offense, and No. 12 defense. Tennessee’s losses came at Arkansas and at Georgia.
No. 6/8 OHIO STATE (10-2) After the Buckeyes lost to Michigan they fell to the No. 8 seed in the bracket and thus clearly became a potential opponent for IU. As in all of these scenarios, Indiana would need to clean up their silent count and pass protection (and of course special teams play) to reach a better outcome in a rematch. Crowd noise was a major factor at more than 102,000 seat Ohio Stadium when the Buckeyes beat IU 38-15. OSU of course holds a massive all-time lead in this series, and IU hasn’t won in Columbus since 1987. The Hoosiers would certainly be motivated after Ryan Day chose to go for an unnecessary touchdown in the final minute a couple weeks ago, and quarterback Will Howard mocked IU head coach Curt Cignetti. OSU claims the No. 7 offense and the No. 3 defense. Their losses were vs. Michigan and at Oregon.
No. 4/6 NOTRE DAME (11-1) At the No. 6 seed, the Fighting Irish are only one spot away from playing Indiana based on the current bracket, so a trip to South Bend is clearly still in play. That might be the matchup that creates the most buzz locally, as the two Indiana-based programs could decide state supremacy. This used to be a regular series, with Notre Dame leading 23-5-1 all-time. But the teams haven’t played since 1991, and that was the last time the Hoosiers traveled to now 77,000 seat Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish claim the No. 8 PFF offense, and the No. 11 PFF defense. ND’s lone loss came early in the season at home to of all teams, Northern Illinois. But the Fighting Irish have looked good since.
RELEVANT AND NOTABLE GAMES THIS WEEKEND
(CFP ranking)
- (20) UNLV at (10) Boise State, Friday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
- (16) Iowa State vs. (15) Arizona State, Saturday, Noon ET (ABC)
- (5) Georgia vs. (2) Texas, Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (ABC)
- (3) Penn State vs. (1) Oregon, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (CBS)
- (17) Clemson vs. (8) SMU, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
The final bracket will be announced Sunday at Noon ET.
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