Hoosiers Break the Buckeye Curse to Win the Big Ten Title 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

     The #2 Excel H Sports Ranked Indiana Hoosiers knocked off the #1 Excel H Sports Ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 13-10 Saturday Night in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis before a record crowd of 68.214. The Hoosiers are 13-0 and continue to make history and when the Final College Football Playoff rankings are revealed and the 12-team field is announced. Indiana will be the Number 1 ranked team in the country and the unbeaten team left in FBS which are a first in program history.

    Indiana wins its third ever Big Ten Championship in Football 1945 the Hoosiers were 9-0-1 and won the conference outright, 1967 they split the Big Ten Championship and went to the Rose Bowl finishing 9-2 losing to USC in the Rose Bowl. 2025 Indiana is Big Ten Champions and on top of the College Football World and three more games left to play to do what many thought is impossible which is win the College Football Playoff National Championship.

   Indiana beats Ohio State for the first time since 1988 snapping a 30-game losing streak to Ohio State and snapped the Buckeyes 16 game winning streak which was the longest in the FBS. Curt Cignetti is now 24-2 in his time at Indiana, and the Hoosiers avenge a loss to the Buckeyes last season in Columbus 38-15. The Hoosiers will be ranked number 1 in the Associated Press for the first time in program history.  The Hoosiers held Ohio State to 58-yards rushing which is a program record 11th time that the Hoosiers have held the opponent under 100 yards rushing in a game this season.

   Fernando Mendoza finished 15-23 for 222 yards passing with a touchdown and interception and was named the MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game. Charlie Becker had 6 catches for 126 yards including a 33-yard play that took the clock to the two-minute timeout. Elijah Sarratt had 3 catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Kaleon Black and Roman Hemby combined for 121 yards rushing on 29 carries. Nico Radicic kicked two field goals but missed one as well.

   Indiana’s defense had 9 tackles for loss and 5 sacks and interception by Louis Moore. The Hoosiers pressured Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin all game long as the Sophomore finished 21-29 for 258 yards with an interception and a touchdown pass. Bo Jackson rushed 17 times for 83 yards. Jeremiah Smith caught 8 passes for 144 yards and Carnell Tate had 4 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Iniss threw 1 pass for 6 yards as the Buckeyes finished for 264 yards passing.

   Indiana got on the board first with a 29-yard field goal by Nico Radicic with 6:51 left in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead. Ohio State gave Fernando Mendoza a hard hit early on and he was taken out for a play and returned. Ohio State scored on a 9-yard touchdown reception by Carnell Tate from Sayin to give the Buckeyes a 7-3 lead with 46 seconds left in the first quarter. Jayden Fielding hit a 30-yard field goal with 10:08 left in the second quarter to give the Buckeyes a 10-3 lead. Radicic hit a second field goal from 32 yards with 2:47 left in the second quarter as the Buckeyes led 10-6 going into the locker room.

    Indiana took the lead when Mendoza found Elijah Sarratt on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 8:02 left in the third quarter as the Buckeyes trailed for the first time in the second half all season.  Indiana made two huge stops in the second half with Julian Sayin being stopped short of the line to gain on a fourth down and 2 at the Indiana 5-yard line with 1:38 left in the third quarter. Ohio State had a chance to tie the game with 2:48 left in the game when Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal.

     The Buckeyes had one more chance as Julian Sayin threw a 46-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith with no time left as he was stopped at the Indiana 39-yard line when the clock ran out and the Hoosiers completed the mission with a perfect record and Big Ten Championship along with the top spot in the College Football Playoff. There is still more history to be made the Heisman Trophy will be awarded next Saturday Night in New York City and many believed that quarterback that won this game would be the favorite to be Heisman Trophy winner which will be Fernando Mendoza which would be the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana University History.

     Ohio State is 12-1 and most likely the number 2 seed in the College Football Playoff as the Buckeyes look to defend their national championship. Indiana is the story in College Football. The Hoosiers have the second most losses in FBS History and only three bowl wins in program history. It has been the biggest turnaround ever and there is more to come for this team as the College Football Playoff run begins but for Hoosier Nation the dream has now become a reality that Indiana University Football sits atop the College Football World and Hoosier Nation will be celebrating this one for a while.