CFB EXPERTS debate if Indiana will MISS the PLAYOFFS this season | Down year for the Hoosiers?

Indiana Football enters the 2026 season as the defending national champion — but is Curt Cignetti's team actually a lock to return to the College Football Playoff? On this Locked On College Crossover, Jacob Goins is joined by Zach Seyko and Spencer McLaughlin to debate the CFP chances for Indiana, Oregon and Penn State. Could the Hoosiers finish 10-2 and somehow miss the 12-team playoff? How much margin for error does Indiana really have? The guys also react to Spencer's preseason Top 25, where Indiana sits at No. 1 in the country. Is that exactly where the defending national champions belong? And should preseason rankings reward what teams accomplished last season or project what they'll become this fall? Plus, the show dives into the Jayden Daniels-LSU controversy surrounding his No. 5 jersey and whether winning the Heisman Trophy should automatically result in a number being retired.   Topics include: Indiana Football's College Football Playoff chances, Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers' 2026 expectations, Indiana's path back to the CFP, Penn State's playoff chances, Oregon Football, preseason Top 25 rankings, Big Ten Football, Jayden Daniels and LSU. Subscribe to Locked On Hoosiers for daily Indiana Football and Indiana Basketball coverage.   00:00 Playoff Odds Debate 01:23 Penn State Schedule Analysis 02:22 Oregon Strength of Schedule 03:22 Impact of Other Teams 04:17 Comparing 10-2 Records 05:08 Depth and Injuries 06:26 Penn State’s Tough Games 07:09 Quality Wins Debate 08:14 Penn State Controls Destiny 09:09 BYU Exclusion Example 10:31 Big Game Wins Matter 12:19 Spencer’s Top 25 Segment 13:34 Ranking Methodology 16:16 Notre Dame Ranking Grievance 17:01 Preseason Rankings Critique 18:19 Subjectivity in Rankings 19:25 Pro Sports Comparison 21:11 Fixing Ranking Issues 24:57 Jayden Daniels LSU Dispute 26:08 Heisman & Jersey Retirement 28:04 Daniels’ Contribution Questioned 31:55 Heisman as Legacy 32:56 Closing Remarks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.