Indiana Gets the Last Laugh After Sports Talk Host’s Take

The expanded College Football Playoff is still in its relatively early stages and certainly not without flaws.

One of those appears to be the First-Round bye issue, as only Indiana this season has gotten a First-Round bye over the last two seasons and won its quarterfinal game. The other seven teams to get them have combined to go 0-7.

An expansion to 16 teams and no byes is a possibility, while quarterfinal games on campus is another possibility as to how to fix that issue.

However, it wasn't all that long ago that the thought was that Indiana should never be allowed back to the College Football Playoff again.

OK, that wasn't an overwhelmingly loud thought, but a certain famed sports radio host wasn't afraid to share that bright idea just over a year ago - and man alive does he look foolish today.

Colin Cowherd's Awful Indiana Take from December of 2024

Back in late December of 2024, Indiana had just been eliminated by Notre Dame in the first College Football Playoff game played on a college campus. Notre Dame won 27-17, but 14 of those Indiana points came in the final minutes, as the issue was really never in doubt.

Shortly after the game, famous sports radio host Colin Cowherd took to social media to downplay what the Hoosiers accomplished that season, and set himself up to look like a fool down the road.

This entire playoff is experimental. Things will change. Potential reseeding after round one. It may expand to 14 games. Change is inevitable. But let’s make one non negotiable rule — Indiana can never be invited again.
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) December 21, 2024

I've had some brutal opinions over the years but I'm not sure I've even had one that has aged this poorly, this quickly.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway

College football has been impacted by the transfer portal in a way that forever changes the direction of the sport. Indiana has certainly been as effective as just about any program in the country in bringing in talented players via the transfer portal. Still, it's not as simple as going and getting the big names that are available for the Hoosiers.

Curt Cignetti and his staff have done a tremendous job of bringing in talent from smaller programs that have thrived in Bloomington. Yeah, there is Fernando Mendoza from Cal, who nobody in their right mind thought would be a Heisman Trophy contender, mind you. And there's Pat Coogan from Notre Dame this past off-season, but it's not the biggest name portal guys that end up with the Hoosiers.

As long as this continues, and there's really no reason to think it won't, Indiana will continue to turn out championship-contending football teams. That's not to say every year will start 14-0 and Indiana will be one win away from playing for the national championship early each January, but the Hoosiers aren't a flash in the pan. Instead, they're here to stay.

What drives me crazy about the comments like Cowherd made, is that he doesn't go back on them. He types out the fiery take and hits send, and then a year later acts like he's not surprised in Indiana being a juggernaut.

Perhaps he's spent too much time around and following the USC program and Lincoln Riley of late to understand what goes into an actual powerhouse college football program - something Indiana has certainly established itself as being.