INDIANAPOLIS — The scene inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday resembled big-time college football in a setting known for disappointment in the days of divisions.
The Big Ten Championship Game, even on a neutral site, was what a fan would want from a matchup of No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana.
There were light shows. There were revved up fans in their seats well before kickoff. There were pyrotechnics.
Two passionate fan bases set the scene for only the 64th meeting between the nation’s top-ranked teams. As they cheered for their respective sides, the clock ticked down in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
And perhaps the best thing for the SEC was just that — time running down so Georgia’s beatdown of an underwhelming, perhaps overrated, Alabama team could end. Then, the real show could actually begin.
It delivered.
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers battled for four quarters, with the sport’s unlikely and self-proclaimed emerging superpower going blow-for-blow with Goliath. Indiana won, 13-10, with quarterback Fernando Mendoza sealing his Heisman campaign while OSU kicker Jayden Fielding missed a critical field goal.
But in the process, the teams combined to send a resounding message to the College Football Playoff committee and the 12-team field that’ll be unveiled Sunday at noon Eastern: the two best teams in the sport reside in the Big Ten.
Georgia won its conference title, so the push for it to move up to No. 2 will be loud. Of course, even if the Bulldogs get that spot while the Buckeyes move to No. 3, not much changes. Ohio State and Indiana will be on opposite sides of the bracket regardless.
However, a message can be sent. The CFP committee should deliver it.
Georgia is a national contender, but winning the SEC this year isn’t enough to change what’s apparent.
Ohio State and Indiana are the nation’s two best teams. The Hoosiers and Buckeyes showed us that in Indianapolis, and they might do it again in Miami next month — as No. 1 against No. 2.