Indiana's College Football Playoff candidacy should never have been about whether the Hoosiers are as good as Ohio State

At the beginning of the third quarter of Ohio State’s 38-15 win over Indiana, Caleb Downs received a punt, did a nifty spin move, and jogged his way through Hoosiers tacklers to the end zone. At no point in his 79-yard punt return did Downs run full speed. It wasn’t sprinting. It was a leisurely run through Ohio Stadium Park. It was easy for him. 

That’s the type of athlete Ohio State has on its roster. Downs is a former five-star prospect who went to Alabama and transferred into the Oho State program, cashing a fat NIL check on his way to Columbus. Moves like that — plus talent retention — was how the cost of the Buckeyes roster get up to a reported $20 million dollars. And there are 40 players on Ohio State’s roster, who, like Downs, will play a long time in the NFL.

Yet, for some reason, we came into this matchup feeling as if Indiana had to prove to the world it is as good as Ohio State. The entire country felt this was a test for Indiana — yes, Indiana — to prove it was good enough to make the College Football Playoff. All if had to do was play toe-to-toe with a juggernaut.

Why? What did we really learn on Saturday? Ohio State is really good?

The harsh reality is Indiana’s candidacy for the Playoff took a major hit Saturday. Even though it came into the game 10-0 and has beaten all but one of its opponents by 14 points or more, it will likely be compared against a two-loss SEC team at the end of the road. We may not want to admit it, but we all know how that will turn out.

Indiana unquestionably has a weak strength of schedule, even if it does dramatically improve by playing Ohio State. You can’t get around the fact that it fell flat on its first — no, only — big test of the season. So SEC fans will tell you Indiana is a product of an easy schedule, dismissing the season the Hoosiers have had under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti.

That doesn’t compute, not in the 12-team Playoff era. The litmus test for being good enough to make the CFP isn’t — and just can’t — be playing Ohio State down to the wire on the road in the rain in November. How many teams in college football would be able to do it? Do you think all six SEC teams who are vying for one of the final CFP spots would unquestionably be able to do that? Would BYU? Colorado? Miami? Tennessee? Boise State? Texas A&M? Penn State if it had to play on the road in similar circumstances? Some of them, sure. But all of them?

Remember: The litmus test for making the College Football Playoff isn’t being as good as the deepest, most talented team in college football. This is the 12-team Playoff era. The best teams in the sport — of which Ohio State unquestionably is — are supposed to blow out teams who rank in between No. 10 and No. 20 in the national polls.

If you don’t like what you saw out of Indiana on Saturday, get ready for December. You’re going to see a lot of games like that. Teams we perceive to be very good right now are going to get their doors blown off when they get on the same field with teams who have rosters like Ohio State.

This doesn’t mean Indiana isn’t good.

This doesn’t mean Indiana isn’t worthy.

It just means it takes a long freakin’ time to become what Ohio State is. Being as good as Ohio State was the bar to get into the four-team College Football Playoff field. That’s not the bar to get into the dance in the current format, which is why we’ll overlook losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky for teams who haven’t been held to the same scrutiny as this Indiana team.

Cignetti has been a magician in his first year leading the program, but there isn’t a coach in the world — not even Nick Saban — would be able to transform the Hoosiers from the team it was last year into one that is supposed to beat one of the most talented teams in Ohio State history.

How did that even become the bar for Indiana?

Because of the logo on its helmet?

Because the SEC wants to get five or six teams in?

The truth is, Indiana is going to have a really hard time making the Playoff this year. Despite playing in the Big Ten and doing everything within reason (beating Ohio State isn’t within reason) to make it, the Hoosiers probably won’t unless it gets some help.

It’s a shame, because the Hoosiers did enough in my eyes.

They just weren’t Ohio State.