The 2024 college football season introduced several exciting changes to the sport, including the new 12-team College Football Playoff format. This expansion allowed multiple teams to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in their program histories.
One of the most surprising participants was the Indiana Hoosiers. Predicted to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten in head coach Curt Cignetti’s inaugural season, the Hoosiers defied expectations by finishing with an impressive record of 11-2 and securing a playoff spot. Their 11 victories marked the most wins in the school’s history and represented their first season with 10 or more wins.
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The Hoosiers’ only two losses came against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the regular season and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the playoffs. Both teams ultimately competed for the national championship. However, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum expressed skepticism about Indiana’s ability to sustain its success during an episode of “The Paul Finebaum Show.”
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke drops to throw.Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
“Indiana was a flash in the pan,” Finebaum said.
Finebaum has been quite critical of Indiana throughout the season and during the offseason. He has disparaged the Hoosiers’ schedule and previously claimed they would not have made the playoffs or even achieved a winning record if they had faced an SEC schedule.
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ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) ranked the Hoosiers’ schedule as the 35th toughest in college football for 2024 and Indiana the 10th-best team in the sport. However, last year, Indiana only managed to defeat two teams with winning records, neither of which had more than eight victories. Additionally, they played just two teams with more than eight wins, suffering losses to those opponents by a combined score of 33 points.
Despite Finebaum’s criticisms of Indiana’s schedule, the Hoosiers finished with an impressive 11-2 record and achieved the No. 8 strength of record in the country. This shows they did what they needed to do against what he considers a weaker schedule to ultimately earn a playoff spot.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names College Football Playoff Team He ‘Never’ Took Seriously
