Indiana vaulted to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff by outlasting Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday.
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The Hoosiers have a few weeks off with the first-round bye, and will next play the winner of the Dec. 19 contest between No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma.Â
IU will be a tough out under the leadership of second-year head coach Curt Cignetti. He’s 24-2 with Indiana, and led the program to an appearance in the CFP last season when the Hoosiers lost 27-17 at Notre Dame.
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On Wednesday, Cignetti announced unfortunate news for Indiana in the playoff. Per On3, Cignetti revealed defensive lineman Stephen Daley is expected to miss the CFP with a lower-body injury after a “freak incident” at the Big Ten championship.
Via On3 on X:
“NEW: Indiana star DL Stephen Daley will likely miss the remainder of the season, Curt Cignetti announced. Daley suffered a potential leg injury on a freak incident as he walked around the stadium giving high fives to fans after the Hoosiers’ win.”
Video posted on X by Luke Versichelli shows Daley landing awkwardly on his right leg when he was jumping to greet IU fans after the Hoosiers’ win on Saturday. That appears to be the cause of the injury.
Daley, a senior from Winchester, Virginia, will be a huge miss for the Hoosiers in the CFP. He recorded 35 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles this season. He recorded three tackles and a sack during Indiana’s victory over Ohio State.
IU’s defense has been a strength for the 13-0 program. Indiana is ranked No. 6 in total defense this season and is averaging only giving up 257.2 yards per game.
This was Daley’s only season with the Hoosiers. He transferred to IU after spending three seasons with Kent State. He’s recorded 138 tackles, 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in his four-year college career.
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