INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Hoosiers are Big Ten champions.
In a dramatic, defensive slugfest that shook the foundations of the college football landscape, the No. 2 Hoosiers held off top-ranked Ohio State, winning the Big Ten Championship Game 13-10 on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The monumental victory not only secured Indiana’s first outright conference title since 1945, but it also positioned the 13-0 Hoosiers as the likely No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
The historic win was a testament to the program’s remarkable two-year turnaround under head coach Curt Cignetti, and the resilience of its Heisman-contending quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.
The game pitted the nation’s two stingiest defenses against each other, and the Hoosiers’ unit proved superior. Indiana’s defense shut out the Buckeyes in the second half and secured the lead with a clutch stop on a late Ohio State drive. The Hoosiers sacked Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin five times and forced an interception, stifling a high-powered Ohio State offense that mustered only 322 total yards.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza earned the Big Ten Championship Game MVP award with a performance defined by clutch plays. He finished 15-for-23 passing for 222 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, including a crucial 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt in the third quarter that gave Indiana the 13-10 lead it would never surrender.
Mendoza’s most memorable play, however, came late in the fourth quarter. Facing a critical third-and-six, Mendoza connected with wide receiver Charlie Becker for a 33-yard gain, extending the drive and allowing the Hoosiers to run the clock down to under 30 seconds.
The victory did more than just crown Indiana conference champions. It snapped a 30-game losing streak against the Buckeyes dating back to 1988 and ended Ohio State’s major college football-leading 16-game winning streak. The 13-0 record marks the first perfect season in program history.
The Road Ahead: College Football Playoff
The result sends a seismic shockwave through the College Football Playoff picture. As the Big Ten Champion and the last undefeated team in FBS football, Indiana is now all but assured of the No. 1 overall seed and a first-round bye in the expanded 12-team playoff. The Hoosiers are expected to earn a quarterfinal bid to the Rose Bowl in two weeks.
Ohio State (12-1), the defending national champions, will enter Selection Sunday with more uncertainty, but are still likely to earn a high seed and a first-round bye.
The triumph marks a new era for a program long renowned for its basketball, not its football. The 2025 Hoosiers now stand alongside the 1945 and 1967 squads in program immortality, with the potential for even greater glory on the horizon. Mendoza is also now considered the overwhelming favorite to become the first Hoosier to win the Heisman Trophy.
