Why you should get on board: Remember when #9WIndiana was a thing about five years ago? That’s what the fan base and program used to shoot for. Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti blew past those aspirations this year and led Indiana to 11 wins and the Playoff to make the program one of the sport’s true feel-good stories.
Why you shouldn’t: Indiana ran through its schedule pretty easily this season. It routinely beat opponents by double digits and was top 10 in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense. The Hoosiers faced a Michigan team with elite defensive talent and scraped by, winning 20-15 in Bloomington. It faced Ohio State, the most talented team on the schedule, two weeks later and lost 38-15 and couldn’t block the Buckeyes. Notre Dame has strong defensive talent as well, which doesn’t bode well for the Hoosiers.
Bottom line: Cignetti did a tremendous job in his first season with the program. The schedule lined up perfectly as well. While the Hoosiers were a very fun story, it doesn’t seem like their Playoff run will last too long. If Indiana can get by Notre Dame, Georgia awaits in the quarterfinals.
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College Football Playoff guide for bandwagon fans: Reasons to root for (and against) every team
