INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is still alive for a spot in the College Football Playoff, despite their loss at Ohio State on Saturday.
The Hoosiers are ranked 10th in this week's CFP rankings, with one regular season game remaining. The ranking has Indiana seeded 11th in the 12-team bracket, which would put them on the road for a first round game at Penn State.
Indiana will face rival Purdue Saturday at 7 p.m. in Bloomington. It is still possible the Hoosiers could be playing for more than the Old Oaken Bucket against the Boilermakers. Should Ohio State and Penn State fall to upsets by Michigan and Maryland, respectively, Saturday afternoon, an IU win would put the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game against Oregon at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Hoosiers' loss was Notre Dame's gain as the Irish climbed one spot to fifth in the rankings. That puts Notre Dame in position to host an opening round contest. If the playoff started this week, the Irish would face SMU at home on Dec. 20 or 21.
Notre Dame finishes the regular season Saturday at USC. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
The top four ranked conference champions will earn byes in the playoff bracket. The remaining eight teams will play each other at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team. Five conference champions earn a spot in the playoff.
CFP rankings (Nov. 26, 2024)
1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Notre Dame
6. Miami
7. Georgia
8. Tennessee
9. SMU
10. Indiana
11. Boise State
12. Clemson
13. Alabama
14. Mississippi
15. South Carolina
16. Arizona State
17. Tulane
18. Iowa State
19. BYU
20. Texas A&M
21. Missouri
22. UNLV
23. Illinois
24. Kansas State
25. Colorado
Projected CFP bracket (Nov. 26, 2024)
First round - Dec. 20-21
Tennessee at Georgia
Arizona State at Ohio State
SMU at Notre Dame
Indiana at Penn State
Quarterfinals Dec. 31-Jan. 1
Tennessee/Georgia winner vs. Oregon
Arizona State/Ohio State winner vs. Boise State
SMU/Notre Dame winner vs. Texas
Indiana/Penn State winner vs. Miami
Semifinals - Jan. 9-10
Tennessee/Georgia/Oregon vs. Arizona State/Ohio State/Boise State
SMU/Notre Dame/Texas vs. Indiana/Penn State/Miami
Championship - Monday, Jan. 20
Semifinal winners