Who should be No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings if Indiana beats Ohio State?

It is the biggest game of the weekend when one-loss Ohio State hosts undefeated Indiana in a clash of Big Ten titans. While it is the signature game of the week, it is not the one of greatest consequence. That would be BYU at Arizona State, as the winner of that game is well on its way to Arlington, while the loser is completely out of it. Win or lose, Indiana and Ohio State are still looking like playoff teams.

The winner of this game would probably be the team meeting undefeated Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game. An Indiana loss to Purdue would be devastating. I do not even want to think about what a fourth-straight loss to Michigan would be like for Ohio State... Assuming wins at the end of the month, Indiana and Ohio State will both make the playoff, regardless of what happens Saturday.

However, I think an Indiana win in Columbus could potentially shake up the playoff picture. It would put Ohio State's chances of getting in on life support. They have to beat Michigan and cannot see Penn State lose to either Minnesota or Maryland, as where is their quality win at that point? Indiana would need to avoid disaster vs. Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket to ensure themselves of a bid.

The big question is this: Who would be No. 1 if Indiana beat Ohio State? IU, Oregon or someone else?

Who would be ranked No. 1 if Indiana upset Ohio State in Columbus?

You would think it would be Oregon, right? I mean, it would have to be. The Ducks would be 11-0 with only their border war with Washington left before the Big Ten Championship Game. We don't really need to overthink this. While there is a case for Indiana going up to No. 1, especially if the Hoosiers beat Ohio State more convincingly on the road than Oregon did at home, there is also Boise State...

And that right there is the ultimate trump card. Oregon has at least one other win of great quality with that being a narrow one over Mountain West favorite and Group of Five contender Boise State. They also have a win over a 7-3 Illinois team that is ranked, but not really in the playoff picture. Indiana does not have a second or third win that comes close to what the Ducks have put together up to this point.

That being said, I think IU goes to No. 2 in the next rakings with a road win over Ohio State. It could be by one point, it could be by 30, it does not matter. That would be a better when than anything Texas or Penn State have done to this point. Indiana would no longer be criticized as a bid thief or a seed stealer; they would just be a damn good football team. A 13-0 Indiana would be No. 1 with a bullet!

As for Ohio State, a loss to Indiana would probably put them behind Georgia in expanded 12-team College Football Playoff picture. You are getting in at 10-2, so long as Penn State isn't 10-2 with a loss to Minnesota or, better yet, a terrible one to Maryland. The Buckeyes would be borderline, but I would put them in as a 10-2 at-large in most cases because they did play the toughest Big Ten schedule.

While 13-0 Indiana goes to No. 1, a 12-1 Indiana with an Oregon loss in Indianapolis is probably No. 9.