Indiana's relatively recent decision to punt on facing power conference foes in non-conference play in the 2020s was never really going to impact the 2026 season.

Well, unless you consider wiping off a rescheduled UConn game a perspective-shifting move. That's on you.

But there's real downside to IU's cakewalk non-conference slate this season

Let's start with the obvious. IU will have fewer data points for the selection committee to weigh than plenty of other Playoff contenders.

While so many focused their attention on what would've happened if 2025 Texas had scheduled Rice instead of Ohio State, what many lost sight of was that for the second season in a row, multiple 10-win Power Conference teams failed to make the 12-team Playoff.

Go ask BYU, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and even Notre Dame what double-digit regular-season wins did for them by the time Selection Sunday rolled around.…