OSU Hyped by CFB Fans After Win vs. Indiana as Hoosiers' CFP Bracket Case Debated

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes handed the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers their first loss of the season Saturday, securing a 38-15 victory at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

By virtue of the win, OSU improved to 10-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play, meaning it controls its own destiny in terms of reaching the Big Ten Championship Game for a potential rematch with the No. 1 Oregon Ducks.

The Hoosiers have the same record as the Buckeyes at 10-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play, but given how thoroughly outclassed they were on Saturday, several fans and analysts took to X to consider the possibility of IU missing out on the College Football Playoff:

Special teams was perhaps the biggest difference maker in Saturday's game, as a pair of huge plays helped the Buckeyes go from tied 7-7 to up 21-7.

With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, a snap went through Indiana punter James Evans' hands, allowing Ohio State to start the drive at Indiana's 7-yard line:

OSU cashed in with a four-yard rushing touchdown by TreVeyon Henderson to take a 14-7 lead into halftime:

The Hoosiers' first offensive drive of the second half was a three-and-out, and the ensuing punt was another disaster, as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs returned it 79 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 21-7:

The Ohio State defense forced another three-and-out on Indiana's next drive, and the OSU offense essentially put the game out of reach after that, grinding out a 10-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Will Howard to tight end Jelani Thurman to extend the lead to 28-7:

In addition to the impact plays on special teams, Ohio State was dominant defensively, allowing just 151 total yards.

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke entered Saturday's contest with an outside shot at the Heisman Trophy, but he is likely now out of the running completely after the Buckeyes limited him to 68 passing yards and no touchdowns on 8-for-18 passing.

Ohio State's offense was more methodical than explosive Saturday, but there was still some solid production to speak of, as quarterback Will Howard went 22-of-26 for 201 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, plus a rushing score, and wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate had seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown, and four catches for 68 yards, respectively.

After the Buckeyes cemented their status as the No. 2 team in the nation Saturday, social media chatter focused on their strong play and the likely rematch with Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game:

While many are now questioning whether Indiana should have been a top-five team based on how it performed Saturday, OSU now has two top-five wins to its credit, beating the No. 5 Hoosiers and the then-No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Buckeyes also lost to now-No. 1 Oregon by only one point on the road, suggesting that they are undoubtedly national title contenders.

Assuming Ohio State takes care of business at home against struggling rival Michigan next weekend, it will likely face Oregon again in the Big Ten Championship Game with the winner earning a first-round bye in the CFP and quite possibly the No. 1 seed.

As for the Hoosiers, they will host 1-10 Purdue next weekend, and in addition to undoubtedly needing a win to remain in the CFP picture, they may have to blow out the Boilermakers to have a shot at their first-ever CFP berth.