Ohio State does Penn State a huge favor, pounding No. 5 Indiana in Columbus

With the Big Ten’s expansion to 18 teams in 2024, it's possible to have a conference schedule with very few real challenges. That was the case for  Penn State and Indiana in 2024, and both came into Week 13 ranked within the top 5 of the College Football Playoff Rankings, 9-1 Penn State at No. 4 and 10-0 Indiana at No. 5. 

The biggest and maybe only test for both teams was against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Penn State for the 10th time in James Franklin’s 11-year tenure in Happy Valley, lost to the Buckeyes, and for the 81st time in program history, so did the Hoosiers. However, those two contests went very differently, and that could be the reason that the Nittany Lions don’t just make the 12-team CFP, but host a first-round game at Beaver Stadium. 

In a very top-heavy conference, Penn State’s 20-13 loss to the Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium is the best thing on its resume. That’ll become even more true if No. 25 Illinois slips up in either of the final two weeks of the regular season. By ranking the Nittany Lions at No. 4 with one loss, the committee has signaled that Penn State’s loss proved it belongs with the best teams in the country, and the Buckeye’s blowout win over Indiana on Saturday will prove that the Hoosier’s don’t.  

If Indiana had marched into Ohio Stadium in Columbus and beaten Ohio State, or even hung tough, then it would have made Penn State’s loss look much worse, and Ohio State look very flawed. The best-case scenario for Penn State is exactly what happened. Ohio State rolled past Indiana 38-15, and it was never that close. Ohio State had a failed fourth down attempt and an interception in the red zone, and IU scored a late touchdown after the game had been decided, or it could have been an even more lopsided result.

This game will create considerable separation between Penn State and Indiana in this week’s upcoming CFP rankings release and solidify Penn State’s place in the top five. Ohio State has done its part to help the Nittany Lions, now Franklin’s team just has to win out.