Curt Cignetti: 'So Obvious' Indiana Should Make CFP Bracket Despite Ohio State Loss

Even though No. 5 Indiana suffered a 38-15 loss to No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti was still confident that his team should make the College Football Playoff.

When asked about the topic after the game, Cignetti initially didn't want to answer the question before nodding yes (via ESPN's Jake Trotter).

"Is that a serious question? I'm not even going to answer that one," Cignetti said. "The answer's so obvious."

Indiana entered Saturday's contest with a 10-0 record, which included a 7-0 mark against Big Ten opponents.

After a hard-fought win over Michigan on Nov. 9, the Hoosiers weren't able to maintain the momentum throughout their matchup with Ohio State.

Indiana held a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Buckeyes responded by scoring 31 unanswered points that put the game out of reach before Cignetti's team found the end zone again.

Ohio State's defense stifled a Hoosiers team that entered the game with the best scoring offense in the Big Ten. Indiana recorded just 151 total yards, averaging 3.8 yards per pass and 2.0 yards per rush.

On the other side of the ball, the Hoosiers' defense struggled to stop Buckeyes signal-caller Will Johnson. He finished 22-of-26 for 201 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an interception.

Cignetti has exceeded expectations in his first year with the program, as Indiana's 10 wins are already the highest single-season mark in school history.

A lopsided defeat to Ohio State doesn't help Indiana's CFP chances, especially since all of the team's victories have occurred against opponents that don't occupy a top-25 spot. Still, the Hoosiers could be a candidate to earn a spot among the final 12 teams if they defeat Purdue on Nov. 30.

No. 9 Mississippi suffered an upset loss to Florida on Saturday, which should also help Indiana's CFP quest.