What Ohio State loss to Indiana means for College Football Playoff rankings

What Ohio State loss to Indiana means for College Football Playoff rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Ohio State wanted to win the Big Ten title on Saturday night.

But Indiana pulled off the upset.

The good news for the Buckeyes: Their College Football Playoff hopes haven't changed much.

MORE: Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding lives worst nightmare

What does Ohio State loss mean for CFP?

It really only means that Ohio State won't be the No. 1 seed. Indiana will.

But there isn't much difference in the top-four spots in the CFP rankings in the 12-team playoff.

Those top-four teams all get a first-round bye. Ohio State won't drop below No. 4 in any scenario.

So while there isn't the shiny No. 1 next to their name anymore, the Buckeyes will still have a similar path to trying to repeat as national champs.

The downside could be in having to play the No. 5 seed in the second round, rather than the 8/9 winner, but the outcome of a game like that could come down to matchups, anyway, more so than seeding.

MORE: LeBron James' 10-point streak ends in the most LeBron James way possible

What does Indiana win mean for CFP?

The historic Hoosiers win pushes Indiana to the No. 1 overall seed.

They'll get a first-round bye.

They'll also be regarded as one of the favorites to claim the national championship.

An absolute incredible rise for the Hoosiers under Curt Cignetti.

More news:

• Cleveland Browns make a new Deshaun Watson decision for 2026
• Warriors' Pat Spencer continues improbable journey from lacrosse to NBA
• Toosii somehow committed to college football after a non-descript HS career
• Legend Bey's recruitment was a wildly weird one
• George Pickens blasted for miserable effort
• Google tells us what we already knew about Shedeur Sanders