In 1967, Indiana rode victories over Michigan, Michigan State and No. 3 Purdue to a No. 4 final Associated Press ranking and the program's lone Rose Bowl bid. This year the Hoosiers are aiming even higher, at least for now. They are 4-0 and in the AP top 10 for the first time since early 1969. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, their current odds of reaching the College Football Playoff are better than those of heavyweights like Georgia and Oklahoma.
The problem? Indiana is playing Ohio State on Saturday. The No. 3-ranked Buckeyes are still, per Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, favored by 20.5 points.
The history of top-10 matchups with huge spreads tells us that while we probably know how Saturday's game will go, there's a slight chance the outcome will be memorable. Here are the 12 times top-10 teams have met in a game with a spread of more than 17 points since 1978:
Jan. 1, 1987: No. 3 Oklahoma (-17.5) 42, No. 9 Arkansas 8
The general theme of these contests: upstart vs. established behemoth. Arkansas had been a borderline top-10 team for a couple of years, but Oklahoma was in the middle of an incredible run. From 1985 through 1987, the Sooners went 33-3 -- 0-3 against Miami, 33-0 against everyone else. And in an Orange Bowl remembered primarily for Oklahoma's suspended star linebacker Brian Bosworth wearing a "National Communists Against Athletes" shirt on the sideline, the Sooners rolled.
Spencer Tillman ran for 109 yards and two first-half touchdowns in just seven rushes. The Sooners added two more TDs in both the third and fourth quarters. And against probably the best defense in the country, Arkansas couldn't get on the board until the final minute. Linebacker Dante Jones made nine solo tackles, picked off one pass and broke up another, and Oklahoma averaged 7.8 yards per play to Arkansas' 3.1.
Oct. 5, 1991: No. 1 Florida State (-17.5) 46, No. 10 Syracuse 14