ESPN’s FPI is back with more score projections, including a massive top-5 showdown in Week 13 between Ohio State and… Indiana?

That’s right, that Indiana is not the same old Indiana, at least the Hoosiers have not been for the first 12 weeks of the 2024 college football season. Head coach Curt Cignetti has IU at 10-0 in his first season at the helm, and he’s trying to produce another unthinkable task going up against Ohio State in Columbus.

As for the FPI projections, the Buckeyes are still a healthy favorite and are given a 73.2% chance to win the game, but even that number is a major improvement for IU. The preseason FPI projections for Ohio State’s schedule had the Buckeyes with a 94.6% chance of beating the Hoosiers, meaning the projection has shifted more than 20% since the start of the season.

RELATED: Ohio State opens as a 12-point favorite for this weekend’s massive showdown. Be sure to use Tradition’s Ohio betting apps for all your gaming needs ahead of Week 13.

So, what’s at stake in this one? For starters, Ryan Day has never lost to Indiana as the head coach of the Buckeyes (5-0), but this one is more about the B1G Championship and College Football Playoff.

With a loss to Oregon from earlier in the season, Ohio State likely needs a win over the Hoosiers to feel especially comfortable about its outlook for the postseason. But the Buckeyes also want a B1G title to re-establish themselves, and getting to Indy will take a win over IU.

On the flip side, Indiana is trying to show the quick rebuild by Cignetti is indeed legitimate. The strength of schedule by the Hoosiers has been picked apart nationally, but Indiana has been downright dominant through the first 10 games of the season.

The winner of this one should be viewed as a virtual lock for the Playoff, barring something drastic to end the regular season. As for the loser, it will likely be important in the eyes of the CFP committee to keep the game competitive.

The massive showdown will air in FOX’s “Big Noon” time slot with Big Noon Kickoff and ESPN’s College GameDay in Columbus ahead of kickoff.