“Third Place Thrills: Celebrating Indiana Football Fans’ Spirit!”

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sometimes excellent outcomes arrive to those who are patient.

Like many, after Indiana suffered a 27-17 defeat against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff, I took notice of the disparaging remarks made by Kirk Herbstreit, Paul Finebaum, and other commentators regarding Indiana’s eligibility for the College Football Playoff.

I contested those statements, yet I remained reserved. As is often the case, it’s wiser to observe how situations unravel before arriving at definitive conclusions.

Thus, as the College Football Playoff proceeded to a championship game encounter between Notre Dame and Ohio State – the two squads Indiana lost to in their 11-2 season – I watched everything unfold with a sardonic grin.

Additional material for Indiana enthusiasts arrived from the bowl games where the woefully mistreated Alabama – a program that often needs to confess in a church setting due to how much leniency the Crimson Tide receive from the national media – fell 19-13 in the Reliquest Bowl to a Michigan side that managed a 5-4 record in the Big Ten, including a defeat against the Hoosiers.

I witnessed another supposedly improperly treated SEC team – South Carolina – succumb 21-17 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl to an Illinois squad that barely cracked the top 25.

Only Ole Miss upheld the dignity of the Deep South with a 52-20 victory over a Duke team with four losses in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl.

To me, it all unfolded as a comedic scene. A slowly cascading series of hearty laughs that delivered everything any supporter could have hoped for from the college postseason once Indiana exited the stage. Schadenfreude – enjoying the plight of others – served with a side of all the crow they could consume.

Some perceive vindication as well. I wouldn’t lean that way. It feels rather odd to boast about losses. Not a territory I’m at ease residing in, yet I comprehend the feeling. Even if I find it an unusual stance, I support the jabs emitted from Indiana supporters, as they faced unjust criticisms aimed at them in December.

What irked me about the critiques at the time was their illogic. Herbstreit, especially, missed the mark.

“Indiana was outmatched in that game. It was not a squad that should’ve been on that field considering the other teams that could’ve taken their place,” Herbstreit stated following Indiana’s loss.

That remark gained significant attention. I disagree with it, yet playing devil’s advocate, one might argue that position. Indiana was indeed decisively defeated by Notre Dame, the 10-point final score not truly representing how much the Hoosiers struggled.

My greatest concern was with what he said afterward.

“It’s not a slight against Indiana — they had an exceptional season — but we’ve got to progress with the Playoff and hope that the committee does a better job of assessing who the best 12 are versus who’s the most deserving.” Herbstreit asserted.

“Because, by golly, they achieved 11 victories. They didn’t defeat anyone of significance, yet they secured 11 wins. That’s a load of nonsense. We need to find the top squads.”

One would need a supercollider to grasp the collision of self-righteousness and illogic in that declaration.

Initially, Indiana was penalized for its weak schedule in a precautionary manner.

There was barely any chance Indiana would have had the flexibility to enter the field as a two-loss team without a clear quality victory on their schedule. Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas all reaped that benefit of the doubt. Indiana was not afforded that opportunity.

Once Indiana fell to Ohio State, the Hoosiers found themselves solidly on the edge of qualification. Other institutions, including several SEC teams, had the opportunity to push the Hoosiers out of the bubble, yet none of them seized their chances.

This predicament isn’t Indiana’s fault. It lies with those teams that couldn’t meet the challenge. And it touches on another illogical aspect of Herbstreit’s critique. The segment discussing locating “the best teams.”

It conveys a not-so-implicit message that the elites of college football deserve a continual free pass. That aesthetics and hype overshadow genuine merit.

Victories should be assessed based on their merit, yet they shouldn’t be completely dismissed. Especially when the prestigious programs fail to uphold their supposed status with those troublesome losses they cannot ignore.

I resent this encroaching sentiment – and it happens

in the realm of college basketball as far as NCAA Tournament eligibility is concerned – that victories are meant to overshadow the superstitions implying a squad is superior to their record suggests due to … factors.

In basketball, this arises from otherwise beneficial advanced statistics being misapplied and misinterpreted. In football, the subjectivity is even heightened. Our obsession with recruiting star ratings combined with evaluations based on size, speed, and strength contributes to this.

I hold no doubts that both Alabama and Ole Miss surpass Indiana in the aspects of size, speed, and strength. Both certainly outrank Indiana in recruiting evaluations as well.

Yet, none of that should carry any weight once they step onto the field. Alabama managed to drop three regular season matches – two against teams with losing records in the esteemed SEC.

But is it still “best” or “worthy” over a one-loss squad? On what world does that make sense?

Indiana, despite its purported flaws, took care of business in nearly all of its regular season contests – and dominated most teams it contended against.

The Hoosiers rightfully earned their spot. Indiana fought to secure its opportunity. It wasn’t going to receive any leniency that reputation affords programs recognized as more established winners over the years.

Thus, if Indiana supporters wish, they should surely relish the fact that the only teams Indiana fell to are the national champion and national runner-up. And that some of the favored teams excluded from the CFP stumbled significantly.

Never has “We’re No. 3!” felt so gratifying.