No. 2 Indiana stunned No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 to clinch its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945. The win all but secures the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff and sends the Hoosiers to the Rose Bowl.
On a night when the offense sputtered, quarterback Fernando Mendoza delivered when it mattered most. Facing third-and-6 late in the fourth quarter, Mendoza hit Charlie Becker for a 33-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Indiana drained the clock inside 30 seconds from there.
Ohio State’s highly touted offense never found its rhythm against one of the nation’s top defenses, and its inability to finish long drives proved costly. The Buckeyes marched 70 yards on 12 plays early but were stuffed on fourth-and-1 deep in the red zone. Their next possession covered 81 yards in 15 plays before kicker Jayden Fielding pushed a chip shot wide that would have tied the game.
The Buckeyes mustered only 276 yards before a final desperation heave to Jeremiah Smith. Indiana’s defense was outstanding throughout, sacking quarterback Julian Sayin five times and intercepting him once. Linebacker Isaiah Jones posted two of Ohio State’s three sacks.
With the loss, Ohio State remains without a Big Ten title since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, despite winning the national championship last year. The Buckeyes should stay in the conversation for a first-round bye at 12-1, but they’ll enter Selection Sunday with more uncertainty than expected.
CBS Sports was here with live updates, highlights and analysis as Indiana secured a historic win. Scroll down below for full coverage from the game including takeaways.
