Despite a preseason ranking of 3, the No. 1 ranking in college football has belonged to Ohio State. The Buckeyes demolished then-top-ranked Texas 14-7 in Columbus to claim the throne. Now, OSU and Indiana are sitting undefeated in the Big Ten. So, naturally, the debate about who actually deserves that top spot is heating up. Desmond Howard pointed his stick at the board during the “most overrated CFP contender” segment and made his case crystal clear about the Hoosiers and Buckeyes.

During Saturday’s College GameDay broadcast from Salt Lake City, the Michigan legend on the panel didn’t hold back. His take is forcing everyone to reconsider what we thought we knew about the 2025 College Football Playoff race.​ “I think this team should be No. 1 because of their wins,” Desmond Howard said, gesturing toward Indiana. But he wasn’t done there. 

“So, it’s safe to say that they (pointing at Ohio State) are overrated at No. 1; probably should be Number 2.” Adding more spice was Pat McAfee. He immediately jumped in with the sarcastic counterpoint that’s been floating around all season, saying, “They beat Grambling 70-0, they beat Wisconsin,” taking a shot at the Buckeyes’ schedule strength compared to Indiana’s resume. Howard doubled down on his argument.

Specifically pointing to Indiana’s road victory at Oregon as the difference-maker. “We were in Eugene. This team went down there, handled their business. They left no doubt.” The former Heisman winner clarified he wasn’t calling the Buckeyes “greatly overrated,” just “slightly” overrated because Indiana’s wins are more impressive. It’s worth noting that Desmond Howard has a reputation as someone who rarely gives Ohio State credit.

Buckeye fans call him a “noted Ohio State hater”, but this time, his argument actually has some meat on the bone.​ The 55-year-old’s got a legitimate point that goes beyond any Michigan-Ohio State rivalry bias. Indiana went into Autzen Stadium, one of the toughest environments in college football, and beat the then-No. 3 Oregon 30-20. They snapped an 18-game home winning streak that was the longest active streak in the nation. That’s Indiana’s first win over a top-five team since 1967.

The Hoosiers also have quality wins over Illinois when they were ranked No. 9 and a tough road victory at Iowa, where they had to come from behind with a late touchdown. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s signature win is that Week 1 beatdown of Texas. But the Longhorns have been underwhelming since then, making that victory look less impressive in hindsight. Since that opener, the Buckeyes have played Grambling, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin, not exactly a murderer’s row, which Desmond Howard pointed out. 

ESPN’s Bill Connelly has Indiana at 96.4% odds to make the College Football Playoff at 8-0. And Fox’s Joel Klatt went even further, predicting the Hoosiers will finish 12-0 and claim the No. 1 seed.​ The reality is we’re probably going to get a definitive answer to this debate in early December when these two undefeated teams, assuming they both win out, meet in the Big Ten Championship game.

Indiana’s 8-0 start is one of college football’s best stories this season. But Ohio State remains the betting favorite to win the national championship because of its championship pedigree, elite talent. Plus, the fact that it’s the defending national champion returning ridiculous depth across the roster.

Taking care of business before the big showdown

While all this ranking debate plays out, the reality is that both teams have wildly different Saturdays ahead of them. Ohio State will be squaring up against Penn State this week. The Buckeyes are coming off a 7-0 start and a dismantling of Wisconsin on the road. They’ve rested, healed up, and are ready to take on one of the more difficult opponents on their schedule. That Penn State matchup is going to be massive.

The Nittany Lions were a consensus top-five team coming into the season, with Drew Allar looking like one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. The firing of HC James Franklin in a stunning move that has complicated their entire outlook. Ohio State beat them 20-13 on the road last year, but this Penn State team returned a ton of talent, including running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Buckeyes getting an extra week to prepare while everyone else is grinding through Week 10 is the kind of scheduling advantage that could matter down the stretch.​

Indiana, meanwhile, has to actually go play a game. And it’s a road trip to Maryland that shouldn’t give anyone in Bloomington much heartburn. The Hoosiers head to SECU Stadium in College Park for a 3:30 PM kickoff on CBS against a Maryland team sitting at 4-3 overall and just 1-3 in Big Ten play. Indiana won this matchup last year, 42-28 in Bloomington. The Terrapins have been thoroughly mediocre this season after losing their last three conference games. A comfortable margin favors Curt Cignetti’s squad. This is exactly the game where Indiana just needs to handle its business, avoid injuries, and not give anyone ammunition to say they’re not for real.