The first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff saw the Ohio State Buckeyes take home the national championship.
CFB analyst Paul Finebaum has come forward to give his assessment of the teams that participated in the new format, and according to him, this Big Ten program did not deserve to be one of the last ones standing.
Paul Finebaum Shares His Unfiltered Take About the Indiana Hoosiers
Curt Cignetti took over as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers during the 2024 season. After a disappointing 3-9 campaign under Tom Allen a year prior, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to an impressive 11-2 campaign and a spot in the 12-team playoff in his debut.
Despite this improvement, Finebaum bluntly stated that the Hoosiers were undeserving of a spot in the playoff. On his eponymous show, he expressed his doubts about the team’s achievements and stated that there were several other teams deserving of a shot.
“I just don’t think Indiana proved a thing all year except having a ridiculously easy schedule,” Finebaum said. “I think the following teams would have beaten Indiana: Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss.
“Maybe could have gone deeper into the SEC — there were a couple that could have beaten them as well. I’m not talking about Tennessee, Georgia, or Texas. That’s a foregone conclusion.”
MORE: Grading Every First-Year College Football Head Coach in the 2024 Season
In Finebaum’s defense, the Hoosiers only played two ranked teams during the 2024 season – the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, losing both of these games. Their only wins against teams with winning records came in their matchups with the Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers.
However, Cignetti has a chance to silence his critics by seeking redemption during the 2025 season.
Indiana Makes Strong Impression on Four-Star QB Prospect Brodie McWhorter
Last month, the Hoosiers hosted their first junior days for the 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes. One prospect on the program’s watch list is four-star QB Brodie McWhorter.
After his trip, Brodie McWhorter shared his experience of visiting the program with Rivals.
Indiana rolled out the red carpet for Brodie McWhorter target over the weekend, and the four-star QB target has already locked in an official visit
“They overemphasized making sure I know that I’m their guy”
More: https://t.co/OVSzvJWjjC pic.twitter.com/tE2O350WiH
— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) January 26, 2025
Indiana is not the only program interested in the four-star QB’s recruitment. Other teams contesting for his commitment include Georgia, Auburn, Ohio State, and Florida State.
McWhorter had decommitted from West Virginia in December, but the Hoosiers remain confident about their chances to reel in the quarterback.
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