The unfortunate thing about the Indiana Hoosiers’ loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff on Friday night is that it opened the door for every angle critics want to take about their inclusion.
If you wanted to argue Indiana didn’t deserve to be included in the CFP despite finishing 11-1, you could make the case.
If you wanted to argue that this proved Indiana’s schedule was too soft, you could do that.
If you wanted to argue that 3-loss schools like Alabama or Ole Miss deserved to be in instead of Indiana, the floor was yours.
The reality is that this really isn’t that different from many other CFP years (2015’s Michigan State, 2018’s Notre Dame, 2021’s Cincinnati). And the results of the games don’t prove or disprove the reasons a team was included. That’s not how it works.
Don’t tell that to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who put a lot of energy into campaigning for his Rebels to be included in the 2023 CFP despite underperforming with a 9-3 (5-3) record. As Notre Dame put the finishing touches on their dominant win over Indiana, Kiffin took to social media to make his point.
Really exciting competitive game @CFBPlayoff 🧐. Great job!! https://t.co/HEjQ1AcXba
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 21, 2024
Now, there will be plenty of college football fans who agree with Kiffin’s insinuation that they (or Alabama) should have been in the CFP instead of Indiana. However, there’s a flip side to that case.
All Ole Miss had to do was defeat a Kentucky Wildcats team that finished with a 4-8 (1-7) record in Oxford. Do that and it’s probably not even a question or debate.
Alas…
Indiana finished the regular season with no good wins. They also not only had no bad losses – they basically destroyed everyone.
If you want to be mad at anyone – it’s not Indiana.
It’s Ole Miss for losing to Kentucky and Alabama for losing to Oklahoma.
They’re who’s to blame
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 21, 2024
Alabama got destroyed by 6-loss OU.
Alabama lost to 6-loss Vandy.
South Carolina lost 27-3 vs Ole Miss.
South Carolina had 3 Ls. 0 great Ws.
Ole Miss lost to 8-loss Kentucky.
Ole Miss lost to 5-loss Florida.Indiana belonged.
Stop complaining.— Sam Block (@theblockspot) December 21, 2024
Kentucky went 1-7 in the SEC this year and their only win was against Ole Miss https://t.co/PBSdy3LQHw
— Roar Lions Roar (@RLRblog) December 21, 2024
If you’re not happy with Indiana’s inclusion in the CFP this season, don’t blame the Hoosiers. They won most of the games in front of them all season long. Blame the SEC schools that couldn’t get the job done when they actually had the chance.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.