One metric ends the SEC vs. Indiana CFP debate once and for all

After seven ranked teams fell in Week 13, the newest College Football Playoff rankings are much anticipated.

The committee will reveal on Tuesday how far those seven teams dropped and which others surged ahead in the quest for one of 12 available berths to the postseason bracket.

The No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers (10-1) were among those seven CFP-ranked teams that lost Saturday, suffering a 38-15 humbling by No. 2 Ohio State (10-1).

As soon as regulation ended, the debate started over whether the Hoosiers belonged in the 12-team field over a potential fifth SEC team.

Well, that debate was paused after three top 15-ranked SEC programs stumbled against unranked opponents later that night.

It's now anticipated those three teams — No. 7 Alabama (8-3), No. 9 Mississippi (8-3) and No. 15 Texas A&M (8-3) — will be on the outside of the bubble when the projected bracket is revealed on Tuesday.

The biggest beneficiary of their falters? The Indiana Hoosiers.

With all three of those SEC teams now owning three losses and only the Aggies having a path to the conference championship game, there's little reason to exclude Indiana from the bracket.

Of course, a Hoosier loss to 1-10 Purdue in Week 14 would be unacceptable, but that's the only plausible scenario that sees them left out.

Indiana was criticized all year for playing too easy of a schedule, ranked No. 107 entering Week 13, but after playing Ohio State, the team's strength of schedule has been boosted significantly to No. 51 in the country.

That's better than CFP-ranked No. 1 Oregon (52), No. 6 Notre Dame (78), No. 8 Miami (59), No. 12 Boise State (81) and No. 13 SMU (77).

Additionally, Indiana owns the seventh-best strength of record. Alabama is next closest at 11th-best.

There's no more debate to be had. Indiana is solidly in the playoff bracket, barring a Week 14 loss. It does not need to participate in the Big Ten Championship game to boost its resume in the eyes of the committee.

And even if the loss to Ohio State looked bad on paper, those who watched the game will know the Hoosiers were two bad special teams plays away from a more respectable result.

Indiana won't be hosting a first-round playoff game, but a 10 or 11-seed seems the likeliest of outcomes.