ESPN analysts debate how College Football Playoff committee treats Penn State, Indiana in rankings reveal

Tuesday is one of the biggest days of the college football season, the reveal of the first College Football Playoff Rankings. An event that has even higher stakes this season with the CFP now being expanded from four teams to 12 teams ahead of one of the most highly anticipated postseasons in the history of the sport.

The College Football Playoff Committee will officially set the table for a 12-team CFP bracket will look like after months of forecasting the postseason picture. And there are two teams in particular that ESPN analysts Paul Finebaum and Heather Dinich have their eyes on for Tuesday’s rankings reveal.

“You mentioned Indiana, I’m really fascinated by where they end up and Penn State,” Finebaum said on ESPN’s Get Up. “These are two Big Ten teams who, in Indiana’s case, has really destroyed everyone. Penn State lost the other day, but they played such a poor non-conference schedule, and you compare that with some of the other interludes that we’ll see.”

One of the biggest storylines of the College Football Playoff has been how many teams from each conference will compete for a national championship. A question that’s become particular interesting in the Big Ten where Oregon and Indiana still remain undefeated and Ohio State and Penn State have each suffered one loss apiece to the Ducks and Buckeyes respectively.

“So I’m intrigued by that because the one thing about Indiana, they will play Ohio State in three weeks, so that will be decided. And then is it possible, probably not, but is it possible one of those Big Ten teams with one loss does not make the playoffs?” Finebaum asked.

Dinich has specialized in the College Football Playoff and answered Finebaum’s question. One that will be a lot easier to answer when the first rankings release on Tuesday and when the Hoosiers and Buckeyes face off in Week 13.

“Yes. Well look, Penn State can’t lose again. The team that I’m most curious about is Penn State, because if they lose again, I think that they’re in trouble,” Dinich said. “I think Indiana has to beat Ohio State to get into the College Football Playoff, but we’ll see how much margin for error they have for they’re ranked.”

12 teams in the College Football Playoff seems like a lot. But with four automatic bids for conference champions, an automatic bid for one Group of Five team, and the runners-up of the SEC and Big Ten title games seeming like a lock to make the cut, there’s no question that the margin of error for Penn State, Indiana, and several other teams is thin moving forward.