How did bye week impact Indiana football in CFP rankings? Possible matchup

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football will go into this year's Old Oaken Bucket Game as the No. 2 ranked team in country.

The Hoosiers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) remained right behind Ohio State for a fourth straight week in the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday. They would face the winner of a game between No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 10 Alabama based on the rankings.

IU has a chance to clinch a spot in the Big Ten title game this weekend against Purdue that will set up a potential showdown against No. 1 Ohio State.

Last year, IU went into the Old Oaken Bucket Game looking for a statement win in hopes of convincing the CFP committee it deserved a spot in the field. The Hoosiers don't have to worry about style points this year after putting together one of the most impressive resumes in the country.

"We've had some wins where we've won by a lot of points, and we've had some wins that are close," Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. "I think the most important thing is that you win."

Indiana has a pair of top 10 wins and have been road warriors this season — the Hoosiers picked up their first win over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in 18 years, ended Oregon's 18-game win streak at Autzen Stadium and won for the first time in State College against Penn State.

They have bolstered their resume with a top 10 offense and defense.

Indiana is scoring 43.3 points per game this season (No. 2 in the FBS) while averaging 478 yards (tied for No. 9) while the defense is holding teams 11.6 points per game (No. 2) and 249 yards (No. 4).

Week 4 CFP top 25 rankings

1. Ohio State 11-0 (-)

2. Indiana 11-0 (-)

3. Texas A&M 11-0 (-)

4. Georgia 10-1 (-)

5. Texas Tech 10-1 (-)

6. Oregon 10-1 (+1)

7. Ole Miss 10-1 (-1)

8. Oklahoma 9-2 (-)

9. Notre Dame 9-2 (-)

10. Alabama 9-2 (-)

11. BYU 10-1 (-)

12. Miami 9-2 (+1)

13. Utah 9-2 (-1)

14. Vanderbilt 9-2 (-)

15. Michigan 9-2 (+3)

16. Texas 8-3 (+1)

17. USC 8-3 (-2)

18. Virginia 9-2 (+1)

19. Tennessee 8-3 (+3)

20. Arizona State 8-3 (+5)

21. SMU 8-3 (N/R)

22. Pittsburgh 8-3 (N/R)

23. Georgia Tech 9-2 (-7)

24. Tulane 9-2 (-)

25. Arizona 8-3 (N/R)

How does the College Football Playoff work?

The 12-team field features the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked schools. The four highest-ranked schools are seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye.

The remaining schools will be seeded 5-12 based on their final ranking. If any of the five highest-ranked conference champions are outside the top 12, they will be seeded at the bottom of the bracket.

Those eight schools will play in the CFP first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds on campus (or a designated site picked by the higher-seeded team). The committee doesn’t modify the bracket to avoid rematches and there is no re-seeding.

The top four seeds will be assigned to the quarterfinals hosted by the bowls, in accordance with historic bowl relationships. The Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl are hosting the quarterfinals this season.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football in CFP rankings, bracket, possible matchup