Finally, some respect on the Big Ten’s name.

The initial College Football Playoff projected bracket was unveiled live on ESPN on Tuesday night, complete with dramatic music and flashy graphics. And as Rece Davis and the gaggle of former player/ talking heads began intoning teams backward from 25 to inside the Top 12, spot after spot of “teams on the outside looking in” were listed.

Team by team, no Big Ten teams were named, all the way into the top 10.

And then they came piling in like a snowstorm – starting with undefeated Indiana at No. 8 overall.

“Indiana is up there closer to Oregon than they are to being outside the CFP conversation,” ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said. “They’re not the brand name and, so far, they have a triple-digit strength of schedule. But with how they’ve played and the level of which they have executed, they are appropriately ranked.”

Indiana’s strength of schedule is definitely a concern, as it currently sits at 103rd – well behind No. 9-seeded BYU and their SOS of 61.

“Two great teams, Indiana and BYU, are at 8 and 9,” CFP Selection Committee chair Warde Manuel said. “Indiana’s strength of schedule is not as strong as BYU, but what Indiana has done on the field – they are winning by double digits, averaging 33 points per game more than opponents. They are just a really, really great team. As we contemplated and discussed everything, Indiana was ranked No. 8.”

Indiana (9-0) will have plenty of chances to bolster its bona fides starting Saturday with the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines heading to Bloomington – a program that is 58-10 against the Hoosiers all-time but is just 5-4 this season. Should Indiana get past Michigan and reach 10 wins for the first time in program history, they get an idle week before going to Ohio State for a Nov. 23 game that will either be a gigantic litmus test for IU or a chance for IU to play the ultimate spoiler.

That’s because the Buckeyes earned even more respect Tuesday from the committee than many expected, coming in as the No. 2-ranked team in the CFP rankings but being seeded 5th – currently 1 spot out of the conversation for a first-round bye. Ohio State (7-1) was ranked and seeded a spot ahead of 7-1 Georgia – meaning the Buckeyes’ 1-point road loss to No. 1 Oregon was slightly more valuable than the Bulldogs’ 41-34 road loss to Alabama.

Right now, at No. 5, Ohio State would draw No. 12 Boise State in the quarterfinals in Columbus.

“I think Georgia is a better football team that Ohio State, but it is clear the committee values the better loss over the better win,” ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said. “Did we not see Ohio State struggle against Nebraska?”

“We rank the best teams, 1-25, the same process as always,” Manuel added. “They both had great wins, both on the road with Ohio State against Penn State just this last weekend and Georgia at Texas. But their losses, with Ohio State by 1 point against Georgia losing to Alabama, we felt Ohio State was just a bit stronger.

“We are splitting hairs a bit looking at 2 great teams. Ultimately, the vote came out the way it did after a lot of conversation.”

Indiana and Ohio State weren’t the only teams currently “in” among the Big Ten. Penn State, which was knocked out of the Land of the Unbeatens by the Buckeyes just last weekend, comes in as the No. 7 seed (the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 6), and would get No. 10 Notre Dame at home in the quarterfinals.

And of course, there is Oregon. The Ducks are the undisputed No. 1 in America and were the easiest team to project in these first Playoff rankings. Oregon might have beaten Ohio State by a single point/yard/second on Oct. 13, but coach Dan Lanning’s crew is rolling so far and has precisely zero Top 25 opponents remaining before a potential Big Ten Championship Game clash with either Indiana or Ohio State.

Perhaps the most cogent commentary among the mess/clarity (your mileage may vary with these things…) came from ESPN’s Joey Galloway when talking about all the myriad possibilities that come with being in, out and on the cusp.

“Just win and keep winning” Galloway said with a shrug. “If you win, you’re in.”