Projected final 2020 College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings after Week 16

Indiana lost its chance to play an eighth game when the attempt to play the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket was called off this week. COVID-19 cases in both Bloomington and West Lafayette prevented the Boilermakers and Hoosiers from squaring off, leaving Indiana to wait and see how the College Football Playoff selection committee treats their 6-1 record in the final Top 25 of the season.

Despite losing Michael Penix Jr. to a season-ending injury, Indiana has continued to win week after week. Jack Tuttle stepped in under center and is actually posting higher pass efficiency ratings for the Hoosiers. No defense has picked off more opponents’ passes than the Indiana secondary, which boasts 17 interceptions in seven games. The Hoosiers are also the top defense in the country in terms of red zone defense. Indiana opponents walk away scoreless three times out of seven when they drive inside the 20.

At 6-1, Indiana has played only two fewer games than a team like Georgia or Texas despite starting their season more than a month later. Tom Allen’s team could be in position to snatch a New Year’s Six bid this season, which would be the Hoosiers’ first trip to a current New Year’s Six bowl game since losing to Auburn in the 1990 Peach Bowl.