In the College Football Playoff, there has to be a winner, and there has to be a loser, but if the committee truly picked the 12 best teams in the country, then the games should at least be competitive, right?
Wrong.
In the first game of the new 12-team College Football Playoff, Indiana took the 200-mile trip to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in what she thought would be a competitive game between two 11-1 teams. The game instead delivered anything but competitiveness, as the score was 17-3 at halftime and the final score was 27-17, but don't let it fool you, the Hoosiers scored two garbage time touchdowns when it was all but over.
Now, yes Indiana had a magical season and Curt Cignetti showed that he can do a lot with very little, but who did the Hoosiers actually play that warranted them a spot in the College Football Playoff? The one big game they did play in against Ohio State, the Buckeyes beat them 38-15.
With an underwhelming first game, fans of Ole Miss, Alabama, and of course, South Carolina took to twitter to tell the committee how they felt about Indiana making it in with a cupcake schedule padded with easy wins.
However, we all know South Carolina was truly the only team with a legitimate gripe.
Remember everyone, Indiana was totally better than Bama, Ole Miss, South Carolina because they had fewer losses. Flawless logic.
— Clifford (@TheGreatLatinx) December 21, 2024
Fewer losses don't always show the true strength of a team. Ohio University had fewer losses than South Carolina, but they weren't being considered for the College Football Playoff. South Carolina played seven ranked opponents and only lost to three of them, yes that is more losses, but they are quality losses and surely more quality wins.
Idk if South Carolina, Alabama, and Ole Miss would win the natty.
— Chris Marler (@VernDumbquist) December 21, 2024
I don’t know if they’d win their first round game against Notre Dame.
However, I do know that all 3 would beat the brakes off this Indiana team.
There is no guarantee South Carolina would have beat Notre Dame, but they probably would have put up a better fight than the Hoosiers did.
alabama, ole miss, south carolina watching this game pic.twitter.com/KuskHW3Drb
— kelsey orr (@kelseytayorr) December 21, 2024
South Carolina has more room to complain since they didn't get blown out by Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, or Florida this season.
Indiana proving strength of schedule matters !!! Stop putting teams in the playoffs with peewee league schedules … South Carolina and ole miss would give Notre dame the works !!
— Q (@young_prinncee) December 21, 2024
The Big Ten is looked at as this big scary conference, but really, it is just made up of three or four good teams at the top and then some of the worst teams in football at the bottom. The SEC is truly a good conference from the top to the bottom, with any team having a chance to win any given weekend.
I’ve seen enough. South Carolina would beat Notre Dame and Indiana by 20+ points
— General Will (@GamecockWill69) December 21, 2024
Imagine seeing LaNorris Sellers run through those Notre Dame defenders.
The only team with a legitimate gripe about not getting into the playoffs is South Carolina.
— Ray 🫡 (@coolandfunray) December 21, 2024
They were robbed by refs in the LSU game and would have been a 2 loss SEC team with a more impressive resume than Indiana or SMU otherwise.
I don’t dislike Bama or their fans but you…
Take away those two calls against LSU and Sellers getting hurt, and the Gamecocks are playing in the College Football Playoff and most likely not Indiana. South Carolina truly got snubbed, especially with the resume they had, but all of this probably still won't change the committee's way of doing things going forward.