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CFB EXPERTS debate if Indiana will MISS the PLAYOFFS this season | Down year for the Hoosiers?
Description
Indiana Football enters the 2026 season as the defending national champion — but is Curt Cignetti's team actually a lock to return to the College Football Playoff?
On this Locked On College Crossover, Jacob Goins is joined by Zach Seyko and Spencer McLaughlin to debate the CFP chances for Indiana, Oregon and Penn State. Could the Hoosiers finish 10-2 and somehow miss the 12-team playoff? How much margin for error does Indiana really have?
The guys also react to Spencer's preseason Top 25, where Indiana sits at No. 1 in the country. Is that exactly where the defending national champions belong? And should preseason rankings reward what teams accomplished last season or project what they'll become this fall?
Plus, the show dives into the Jayden Daniels-LSU controversy surrounding his No. 5 jersey and whether winning the Heisman Trophy should automatically result in a number being retired.
Topics include:
Indiana Football's College Football Playoff chances, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers' 2026 expectations, Indiana's path back to the CFP, Penn State's playoff chances, Oregon Football, preseason Top 25 rankings, Big Ten Football, Jayden Daniels and LSU.
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00:00 Playoff Odds Debate
01:23 Penn State Schedule Analysis
02:22 Oregon Strength of Schedule
03:22 Impact of Other Teams
04:17 Comparing 10-2 Records
05:08 Depth and Injuries
06:26 Penn State’s Tough Games
07:09 Quality Wins Debate
08:14 Penn State Controls Destiny
09:09 BYU Exclusion Example
10:31 Big Game Wins Matter
12:19 Spencer’s Top 25 Segment
13:34 Ranking Methodology
16:16 Notre Dame Ranking Grievance
17:01 Preseason Rankings Critique
18:19 Subjectivity in Rankings
19:25 Pro Sports Comparison
21:11 Fixing Ranking Issues
24:57 Jayden Daniels LSU Dispute
26:08 Heisman & Jersey Retirement
28:04 Daniels’ Contribution Questioned
31:55 Heisman as Legacy
32:56 Closing Remarks
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