The Hoosiers fail to meet the moment in Columbus. So now there are CFP questions. Tough ones.

We know they're going to fall in the rankings. The question is, how far?

MY COUCH, Ind. – This was the litmus test. This was the referendum. We knew IU was good; I don’t care if you’re playing dental colleges every week, 10 victories and no defeats are impressive. The Hoosiers fully deserved their rarefied spot in the CFP, but there still were some unanswered questions, specifically this one:

How good were they really?

Ohio State answered that question for them.

Loudly. Angrily.

You’re good, but you’re not Ohio State, national-title-contender good.

The final was 38-15 and it wasn’t even that close. The biggest game in IU football history ended with a resounding thud, the Hoosiers scoring on their first possession, only to watch the Buckeyes score 31 straight points. IU trailed just 14-7 at halftime, and it felt like a reprieve.

Now, will they make the CFP? I’m saying they are. They’re going to finish 11-1 with a win next week against lowly Purdue, and while they’ve only beaten one team with a winning record (Washington) and failed to beat a single ranked team, the totality of the Hoosiers’ good works should be enough to get them in the tournament. Which is fun and amazing and completely mind-boggling given the state of the program when Curt Cignetti arrived on campus.

Disappointing Saturday? Without question. But 11 victories, most of them by double-digit margins, those should be enough to earn their way in.

Should they fall all the way out of the CFP? Please. It’s not like they lost at home to Northern Illinois, like a certain Indiana-based team did early in the season. Nonetheless, Cignetti was asked that question after the game.