Hot take: If that Hoosier jersey was a UGA jersey we'd probably would just tip the cap and move on to CFP. Deep down I believe most of us are upset because we think IU isn't as good as their ranking.

Them skull dragging the OU/Bama winner would go a long way in quelling concerns imo.

BB73 said:

They will be one of only 2 teams in the top-11 to not lose their final game this year.

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Though I have never been a big supporter of ND, though I have grown a bit more fond of them in recent years due to positive fan interaction experiences as OSU has beaten them, I can see their point. I believe ND would beat Bama, Miami, BYU, Vandy, or Texas. I truly do.

However, if the head 2 head vs Miami wasn’t allowed to be the decider between ND and Miami, then the essence of sport (competition), would have been dismissed. For that reason I feel Miami deserved it over ND.

As for Bama, they had the shakiest resume of the ”final 3” thus should probably have been left out for ND……however……..Bama had a much more difficult schedule than either of the two. Winning rematches is frequently unduly difficult…..so the Georgia loss despite the margin is a low priority problem for them.

therefore, in my opinion, ND simply had less claim to the final spot unless the claim is that the G4 CCg winners never should have been handed a spot. Only a slight amount less, which makes it sting for them. I don’t think conference vs independent was much of an issue. The issue is the special carve-out for ND was never fair to begin with and the committee finally showed that. Good for them.

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

https://www.irishenvy.com/threads/2025-college-football-playoffs.3051740/page-197

View attachment 81040

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They will be one of only 2 teams in the top-11 to not lose their final game this year.

LordJeffBuck said:

1. I wasn't being entirely serious.

2. Your explanation may explain why Ohio State dropped, but it doesn't explain why Alabama didn't.

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The incocsistency of the committee is better questioned by pointing out that:

Bama lost to #3 by 21 in a CCG and didn’t drop below ND

BYU lost to #4 by 22 in a CCG and dropped below Miami

That combination allowed ND and Miami to get next to each other and have the head-to-head result come into play.

Telekinesis said:

My take is that the coaches couldn’t win the game. Did IU line up and go blow for blow? I think so. Those kids played their asses off. However, those two 3rd and short calls in 4th down territory were absolutely unacceptable in my eyes. It was so bad, that if I didn’t know any better, I’d think we were paid to throw the game. How you don’t line up twice and punch it twice when you need Bo to gain one yard is beyond me.

Forget about missing yet another critical chip shot, which is also beyond all comprehension with the roster they’ve built here. The team never even ends up in that position if the play calls aren’t the most frustrating and absolutely unexplainable thing since the 2024 loss.

Just baffling to me. Definitely hats off to IU and all of them going balls to the wall with an amazing plan… but holy shit some of these calls make my brain bleed.

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Could have been Donaldson in on short yardage as well. It seems Day & co had a 'different plan' altogether with this game.

OHSportsFan said:

Yuck. This is such SEC cope by Finkes. At least save this if we’re ever in a meaningless Bowl game.

That was an Ohio State team that swung their punch but IU stood toe to toe and was even better at the fight yesterday.

I will agree it was a tougher emotional situation for OSU after The Game, with some distractions, and with IU playing their Super Bowl in their backyard. That probably played some part in overall execution and being “juiced” as much. IU beat them on motivation for sure.

But the Buckeye team that was on the field was absolutely trying to win. They just couldn’t vs the Hoosiers that night.

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My take is that the coaches couldn’t win the game. Did IU line up and go blow for blow? I think so. Those kids played their asses off. However, those two 3rd and short calls in 4th down territory were absolutely unacceptable in my eyes. It was so bad, that if I didn’t know any better, I’d think we were paid to throw the game. How you don’t line up twice and punch it twice when you need Bo to gain one yard is beyond me.

Forget about missing yet another critical chip shot, which is also beyond all comprehension with the roster they’ve built here. The team never even ends up in that position if the play calls aren’t the most frustrating and absolutely unexplainable thing since the 2024 loss.

Just baffling to me. Definitely hats off to IU and all of them going balls to the wall with an amazing plan… but holy shit some of these calls make my brain bleed.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Don't sugar coat it you fucks. (Them not you)

BB73 said:

Buckeyes lost to an undefeated team just below them, they have to drop at least to #2.

Bama was at #9 and lost to #3, so it‘s a different scenario.

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1. I wasn't being entirely serious.

2. Your explanation may explain why Ohio State dropped, but it doesn't explain why Alabama didn't.

BuckeyeNation27 said:

Hand being offsides didn't matter on that punt for some reason.....

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Noticed that too!

Hand being offsides didn't matter on that punt for some reason.....

I frankly don’t remember the details of the MOU but I have near zero faith the worm Petitti (who asked the NCAA to let scUM off easy to placate the networks) is looking out for the actual game or the players or the fans when he signs off on this sort of stuff. Color me resigned to the demise of our once great passion

Mike80 said:

Early on Indiana was jumping the early passing game. Watch Sayin double pump and pull the ball down. This also directly led to 3-4 of the sacks too. As it was, the misdirection element was missing. This was one thing that needed to be adjusted in the 1st half but wasn't until the 2nd half.

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100% this.

That's why I keep saying it was more on the coaches and IOL than Sayin. They were out game planned and then adjusted too slow.

scarletngray said:

Part of the problem was that a number of plays took too long to develop. A shorter and faster passing game could have avoided some of the pressure Sayin was under. We also didn't trust the running game enough.

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Early on Indiana was jumping the early passing game. Watch Sayin double pump and pull the ball down. This also directly led to 3-4 of the sacks too. As it was, the misdirection element was missing. This was one thing that needed to be adjusted in the 1st half but wasn't until the 2nd half.

Hahaha suck it Chicago!

woofermazing said:

With opt.outs, I kind of expect this to become common.

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I can see

Thump said:

I can.

They beat that team at that team’s stadium earlier this season.

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the problem is the committee used the CCG loss to eliminate BYU but not Bama.
SECESPN flexed and the committee blinked

Had either Michigan beaten OSU or USC beaten Oregon…..or both…..we could have had a 4th B1G team in and at the expense of Bama.

OHSportsFan said:

Good stats and it gives me some comfort.

That said, these 3 teams will at least have a much smaller individual talent gap compared to IU vs OSU (I assume).

IU is very well coached, experienced and aggressive on defense. They play similar “team defense” as OSU in a way.

But Georgia/Miami/TAMU could still have individual matchup edges where - if coached well - could be a problem in a one game playoff. Especially if they found what IU did and OSU doesn’t have an answer.

I’ll be honest I don’t know enough about their rosters to say. And a lot can still change in 3 weeks - hopefully with OSU coaches correcting course.

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The one thing stats can't perfectly call out is true talent. It just can't tell if you have an NFL 1st rounder at NG who's been dinged up and not playing at his best but after a months rest goes nuclear on you.

But that's why it's all probabilities and not guarantees (that kind of thing wouldn't wildly swing win % anyway)

No doubt the talent gap closes with these teams but on the other hand-they have had all year to put up numbers against the better competition so to a pretty healthy degree, you are what your data says you are (good data, scrubbed for garbage time, adjusted for opponents etc) at this point in the year.

Upsets happen from turnovers, short fields, fluky explosive plays and empty RZ trips from the favorite almost exclusively. If you know what to look for in style types you can see the red/yellow/green signals that one unit may be a real problem for the other.

The pre game "script" for IU/OSU wasn't wrong. IU got the two turnovers they needed in the second half to go with the pressure on Sayin and that was what they needed. Odds were against them but as they say, shit happens.

Once again, Congrats to @tugger5000 on winning this year’s contest. There will be a separate contest for the bowl games.

Those scoring points this week:

muffler dragon…………….....3.5……duke/virginia
CMic……………………………3.5
brodybuck21………………….3.5
Zurp…………………………….3.5
iambrutus………………..……3.5

Other upsets this week which nobody picked:

indiana/tosu…………...……..5.5
TULANE/n texas……………..2.5
/

Final standings:

tugger5000…….…….….....74.… CONGRATS!!
muffler dragon…………….58
Akron-Buck………………..54.5
MD Buckeye……………….53
808 Buck……………………52.5
Honor&Glory………………48.5
BB73………………………..48.5
thackattack………………..42.5
osugrad21………………….42.5
Illini Dylan..…………….….41.5
AuTx Buckeye…………….41
tOSURox…………………..40.5
BigWoof31…………………39.5
brodybuck21………………39.5
Steve19…………………….39
Zurp…………………………37
WoodyWorshiper.....…......36.5
Captain Buckeye…………36.5
BuckeyeNation27……...…36….only 6.5 points behind osugrad21
Bestbuck36………………..35
gracelhink………………….34.5
heisman……………………32.5
buckeyemania11…………30.5
iambrutus………………….30
Fungo Squiggly………......29.5
gregorylee…………..…….28.5
wolves2002………………..28
Bucklion……………….…..24.5
HineyBuck…………….…..24
Wadcutter…………………23.5
dozenmonkeyz…….……..23
CMic………………………..23
Mike80……………….…….22.5
Bborg140………………….21
Wingate1217……………..20.5
ScriptOhio……………...…19
Kevin……………………….17.5
TDunk……………….….….16.5
gmen6981………………….15.5
buckeyboy.........................11.5
cincibuck………...……........8.5
LovelandBuckeye………….0……Goose egg!
/

If you believe a mistake has been made, please @ me in this thread or send me a PM.

OregonBuckeye said:

Sooners are ass. They're better than Bama too

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OK has a good defense. They can turn it into a rock fight.