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Ohio State-Indiana should have meant everything. The CFP made it almost meaningless

Ohio State’s 19-15 victory over Indiana in a game billed as historic was overshadowed by the College Football Playoff’s expanding structure, rendering the result nearly irrelevant for both teams. Despite a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback—highlighted by Ohio State’s defense forcing a turnover on a critical fourth-down play and the Buckeyes’ offense finally breaking through inside the five-yard line—the stakes were diminished by the CFP’s guaranteed spots.

With both teams already locked in for December’s 12-team playoff, the loss fails to alter Indiana’s trajectory, just as Georgia’s upset of Alabama two weeks earlier carried no real consequences. The game’s significance was further diluted by Indiana’s stadium upgrades, including a $50 million renovation to winterize Memorial Stadium for future December games under a proposed 24-team playoff format starting in 2027.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s pre-game hype—calling it the ‘biggest game in Memorial Stadium history’—was met with characteristic skepticism from Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who downplayed the matchup as part of an inevitable process rather than a defining moment. Ohio State’s win, while impressive, now feels like a footnote in a season where losses no longer carry weight until the playoff stage.

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