Indiana vs Ohio State: Hoosiers Win 2025 Big Ten Title

Indiana Hoosiers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes. Big Ten Championship Game. Lucas Oil Stadium. A 13–10 grinder that flipped the conference pecking order and sent shockwaves through the College Football Playoff race.

Game Snapshot: Indiana vs Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium

• Matchup: Indiana Hoosiers football vs Ohio State Buckeyes football (Big Ten Championship Game 2025)
• Final score: Indiana 13, Ohio State 10
• Quarter-by-quarter: IU 3–3–7–0, OSU 7–3–0–0
• Date: Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025
• Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (permanent Big Ten title venue)
• TV channel: FOX national broadcast
• Records now: Indiana 13–0, Ohio State 12–1
• Hardware: Indiana’s first Big Ten football title game win and first outright Big Ten title since 1945
• MVP: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers

Historical Context: Why Indiana vs Ohio State Mattered So Much

On paper, Ohio State vs Indiana looked like a familiar mismatch. The Buckeyes came in ranked No. 1, the defending national champions and the program with the most Big Ten Championship Game wins in history. Indiana, meanwhile, brought decades of football frustration: no Big Ten crown since 1967, no outright title since 1945, and a long drought in marquee games.

That’s what makes this Indiana vs Ohio State game so seismic. Indiana not only grabbed the conference title; it snapped a losing streak against the Buckeyes that stretched back to the late ’80s and positioned itself as the likely No. 1 seed in the new 12-team College Football Playoff, according to multiple national outlets.

Curt Cignetti’s Turnaround: From “Google Me” to Big Ten Champion

When Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he didn’t tiptoe around expectations. He talked openly about winning, challenged the Big Ten hierarchy, and told doubters to look up his résumé if they weren’t familiar with it. That swagger suddenly looks less like bravado and more like a blueprint.

Under Cignetti, the Indiana Hoosiers football program has stacked 24 wins in two seasons, tying Urban Meyer’s mark for most victories in a coach’s first two Big Ten years. The Hoosiers were 11–2 in 2024 but faded against elite opposition, losing by double digits to both Notre Dame and Ohio State. This year, they finished 13–0, beat Oregon on the road, and then knocked off top-ranked Ohio State in Indianapolis to seize the Big Ten championship.

How the Game Unfolded: Defense, Grit and One Perfect Throw

Early blows: Ohio State looks like Ohio State

The opening sequences felt like a typical Ohio State football script. Buckeyes pass rusher Caden Curry drilled Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on the Hoosiers’ first offensive snap, forcing him to briefly exit the game. Mendoza later threw an interception that Ohio State turned into a touchdown and a 7–3 lead.

By halftime, the Ohio State vs Indiana score stood at 10–6 in favor of the Buckeyes. Indiana’s defense had bent but not broken, forcing a red-zone turnover and limiting explosive plays from quarterback Julian Sayin and star receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Third quarter: Mendoza to Sarratt flips the script

The defining offensive moment of the night came early in the third quarter. Mendoza rolled and delivered a precise 17-yard strike to wideout Elijah Sarratt near the sideline for a touchdown, giving Indiana a 13–10 lead it would never relinquish.

From that point on, the IU vs Ohio State matchup turned into a defensive slugfest. Indiana’s front seven repeatedly collapsed the pocket, sacking Sayin five times after Ohio State had allowed only six sacks all regular season.

Red-zone stands and a missed field goal

Ohio State still had chances. In the third quarter, the Buckeyes faced fourth-and-1 at the Indiana 5-yard line. The initial spot gave them a first down, but replay overturned the call, ruling Sayin short. Indiana’s defense jogged off the field with a massive stop in what felt like a turning point in the OSU vs Indiana showdown.

Late in the fourth quarter, Ohio State drove deep again. A long, grinding march set up what should have been a routine short field goal for kicker Jayden Fielding. Instead, the attempt hooked left from inside 30 yards, keeping the Indiana vs Ohio State score at 13–10 and giving the Hoosiers one more chance to close it out.

The dagger: Charlie Becker and the final Heisman audition

Facing third-and-6 near midfield with just over two minutes left, Mendoza dropped back, trusted his protection and fired a deep ball down the right sideline to sophomore wideout Charlie Becker. Becker hauled in the 33-yard completion—his sixth catch of the night and the one that effectively ended the game, allowing Indiana to bleed the clock.

Becker finished with 126 receiving yards, out-producing several higher-rated Buckeye skill players and putting his name alongside Mendoza in Hoosiers lore.

Key Players and Matchups: Indiana vs Ohio State Player Stats in Focus

From a pure numbers standpoint, the Ohio State vs Indiana box score looks balanced. Sayin actually threw for more yards, and both defenses limited scoring. But the high-leverage moments clearly favored Indiana:

• Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: 15-of-23 passing, 222 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; multiple clutch throws, including the touchdown to Sarratt and the late bomb to Becker.
• Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State: 21-of-29 passing, 258 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; productive overall but pressured and stopped on key downs.
• Indiana pass rush: 5 sacks of Sayin after OSU had allowed only 6 all year, plus constant disruption in the pocket.
• D’Angelo Ponds & Indiana secondary: Challenged Jeremiah Smith in man coverage much of the night, limited explosive plays, and contributed to a red-zone stand in the final minutes.
• Jayden Fielding, K, Ohio State: Connected earlier but missed the potential game-tying short field goal late in the fourth quarter—one of the defining plays of the OSU vs IU storyline.

The Heisman race is now more complicated, not less. Both Mendoza (Indiana) and Sayin (Ohio State) entered Lucas Oil Stadium as leading Heisman finalists. Neither put up videogame stats, but Mendoza left with a Big Ten title, MVP honors and a signature “big-game moment” that every Heisman campaign needs. Analysts now widely expect him to at least earn a trip to New York.

Big Ten and CFP Implications: Is Ohio State Out of the Playoffs?

For Indiana University football, this was more than just lifting a trophy. It’s the program’s first appearance as college football’s No. 1 team heading into the postseason and its first trip to the Rose Bowl since the late 1960s.

What about Ohio State football? Despite the loss, the Buckeyes finished 12–1, with their only defeat coming to unbeaten Indiana in a conference title game. CBS Sports and other outlets expect Ohio State to remain safely inside the top four and likely earn a first-round bye in the new 12-team CFP format, though exact seeding will depend on the full playoff rankings.

In other words: no, this result alone does not automatically knock Ohio State out of the playoffs. But it does end their Big Ten title drought (no conference championship since 2020) and hands head coach Ryan Day another high-profile loss in December, which will be picked apart nonstop on talk shows and message boards.

Fan FAQ: Indiana vs Ohio State 2025

Who won the Ohio State game vs Indiana?

Indiana beat Ohio State 13–10 in the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

What was the final Ohio State vs Indiana score?

The final Indiana vs Ohio State score was 13–10 in favor of the Hoosiers. Ohio State led 10–6 at halftime; Indiana scored the only points of the second half on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt.

Where was the Big Ten Championship Game played?

The Big Ten Championship Game was played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, which has hosted every Big Ten title game since the event began.

Is Ohio State in the College Football Playoff?

At the time of writing, the final CFP bracket has not yet been officially announced. However, based on national reporting, a 12–1 Ohio State team that just lost a close game to undefeated Indiana is widely expected to remain in the playoff field, likely with a first-round bye. The exact seed will be known once the CFP committee releases its rankings.

Did Fernando Mendoza win the Heisman?

Not yet. The Heisman Trophy ceremony takes place after conference championship weekend. What we can say confidently is that Mendoza strengthened his case with a Big Ten title, MVP performance, and clutch throws in the Indiana vs Ohio State game. Final Heisman voting results will be announced separately.