Dan Mullen knows what it takes to win in college football. The coach-turned-analyst had winning seasons at Mississippi State and Florida before venturing into broadcasting and was previously an OC for Urban Meyer.

Now at ESPN, Mullen joined the Paul Finebaum Show on Thursday to discuss the College Football Playoff rankings. While many have assumed that Ohio State is a shoo-in for the CFP, Mullen wonders if the Buckeyes’ Week 13 matchup against Indiana is a must-win.

“Everyone says if Indiana loses and they don’t play well, they should be thrown out of the Playoff,” said Mullen. “Well let’s flip it. Does that mean if Indiana wins, Ohio State should be thrown out of the Playoff?”

Dan Mullen out here asking the real @CFBPlayoff questions pic.twitter.com/mTR3BbgDqR

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 21, 2024

In the latest CFP rankings, Ohio State came in at No. 2 while Indiana was at No. 5. The Hoosiers have yet to lose in 2024, while the Buckeyes’ lone loss came to No. 1 Oregon.

Would a 2-loss Ohio State go from No. 2 to out of the Playoff entirely? If the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers in Week 13, they will be on the doorstep of a B1G Championship Game berth and rematch against Oregon. The CFP committee has expressed that teams won’t be penalized for losing conference championship games, so the Buckeyes should get in no matter what as long as they win in Week 13.

“Forget coaching, you need to be a talk show host,” said Finebaum to Mullen.

The Buckeyes have won 28 straight games against the Hoosiers. The Week 13 matchup will kick off from Ohio Stadium on Saturday at Noon ET.

Bryce Lazenby

Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.