Curt Cignetti and Indiana football are no fluke.
For the second straight season, the No. 7 Hooisers are a threat to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. Indiana has raced off a 5-0 start to the 2025 season after making the 2024 CFP field.
The Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) will have their toughest test yet when they travel to Eugene to take on No. 2 Oregon (5-0, 2-0) at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 11.
If Indiana can pull off a major road upset victory over the Ducks, they’d be well-positioned for a potential spot in the Big Ten Conference Championship game and have a very clear path to the 2025 CFP.
However, if the Hoosiers lose, what does that mean for their College Football Playoff chances? Here’s what you need to know:
Can Indiana make College Football Playoff with loss to Oregon?
The simple answer is, yes. The Hoosiers are 5-0 and 2-0 in conference play. Indiana already has a dominant 63-10 win over then-No. 8 Illinois on Sept. 20.
In the win over the Fighting Illini, Indiana limited Illinois’ offense to just 161 total yards and nine first downs. The Hoosiers built up a 35-10 halftime lead and never looked back. Fernando Mendoza had 267 yards passing and five touchdowns, as Indiana amassed 579 yards of offense.
Following the loss to Indiana, Illinois bounced back with a top-25 win vs. USC and is still ranked.
Indiana’s 27-14 win over Old Dominion to open the season on Aug. 31 also looks better in the rearview mirror. The Monarchs are sitting at 4-1 and have wins against Virginia Tech and Liberty.
After the Oregon matchup, the Hoosiers have just one more game on their schedule with a team ranked inside the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. While the game against No. 22 Penn State is on the road, the matchup does not look as intimidating with the Nittany Lions being upset by UCLA, following a loss to the Ducks the week prior.
If Indiana loses to Oregon and then wins out, it will have a very strong CFP resume, and it’s doubtful a 1-loss Big Ten team is left on the outside looking in.
Indiana football 2025 schedule
Here’s a look at the Hoosiers’ schedule, with results:
*Indicates Big Ten Conference game
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Can IU football make CFP even with a loss to Oregon?
Reporting by Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY NETWORK / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
