Cignetti: ‘So obvious’ Indiana still playoff worthwhile

• Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior WriterNov 23, 2024, 05:39 PM ET Close Jake Trotter covers college football for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011. Before that, he operated at The Oklahoman, Austin American-Statesman and Middletown (Ohio) Journal newspapers. You can follow him @Jake_Trotter.

COLUMBUS, Ohio– Indiana coach Curt Cignetti didn’t think he required to state it. Following Saturday’s 38-15 loss at Ohio State, do his upstart Hoosiers still belong in the 12-team playoff?

“Is that a severe concern?” Cignetti reacted certainly. “I’m not even going to respond to that a person. The response’s so obvious.”

Cignetti then smiled and nodded yes with a wink before leaving the postgame podium.Tuesday will expose whether the playoff choice committee agrees.Indiana’s possible addition– or exemption–

figures to be the most questionable playoff storyline ahead of the final week of the regular season.Before taking a trip to Columbus, the fifth-ranked Hoosiers(10-1)had actually been among the most dominant teams in the nation, reaching double-digit wins for the first time in program history.They likewise ended up being the first string given that 1998 to begin 8-0 without routing when. All but among the Hoosiers’wins visited a minimum of 2 touchdowns.But the Hoosiers, who deal with 1-10 in-state competing Purdue next weekend, will complete without a top-25 win

. Indiana’s strength of schedule ranked just 106th entering the Ohio State game.The Hoosiers scored a touchdown on their opening drive to take their first lead over Ohio State in five years.But the Buckeyes rolled the remainder of the way, holding Indiana to simply 53 yards in the first half, its least expensive overall in a first half in ten years,

according to ESPN Research.Ohio State led 31-7 before the teams traded worthless touchdowns in the last two minutes. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who was 2nd nationally in QBR(88.1), finished just 8 of 18 passes for 68 backyards while taking five sacks. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke was held to a season-low 68 backyards on 8-of-18 death in Saturday’s 35-18 loss at Ohio State. Jason Mowry/Getty Images”We couldn’t secure the quarterback,”Cignetti stated.”Each time we hung back to pass, something bad happened. … It was like a headache. “Unique groups showed to be horrible for the Hoosiers, as well.Just before halftime, Indiana punter James Evans mishandled the snap and was dealt with at the Hoosiers’7-yard line. The Buckeyes punched the ball in the end zone 3 plays later to take a 14-7 lead into half.Then, following an Indiana three-and-out to start the third quarter, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 backyards for a goal to spark the assault. Indiana was up to 1-71 all time against AP top-five opponents, according to ESPN Research.”We didn’t manage the noise effectively,”Cignetti stated of playing in Ohio Arena.”We didn’t play our best game today. But I believe a huge part of that was since of them.”The Hoosiers did get some assistance later Saturday afternoon.Florida knocked off Ole Miss 24-17

, successfully eliminating the ninth-ranked Rebels(8-3)from the playoff discussion. But both the Big 12 and ACC could have several teams vying for playoff consideration.Still, Rourke said he thinks Indiana’s overall body of work need to show that the Hoosiers are worthy of an at-large playoff bid.”I hope so. We trust ourselves versus anybody,”said Rourke, including that he hopes to get a rematch with Ohio State”at some point” in the playoffs.”Next week is a big game,”Rourke stated

.”We’ve got to go deal with Purdue, and after that proceed take one game at a time.”