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Indiana's football team debuted at No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

The Hoosiers face a struggling Penn State team that still possesses NFL-level talent.

Penn State is seen as the last significant obstacle for Indiana before a potential Big Ten title game.

BLOOMINGTON — The arrival this week of the College Football Playoff committee’s first rankings served as a reminder that the end of the regular season will soon come into view.

For frontrunners, contenders and hopefuls alike, the stakes grow higher each passing Saturday from here. Indiana , which debuted at No. 2 , certainly fits in that first group, with firm control of its own destiny in both the playoff conversation and the Big Ten race.

The Hoosiers will know how the other half l

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