INDIANAPOLIS – In a stunning upset, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 13-10 to claim the 2025 Big Ten Championship and secure the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The victory marks Indiana’s first Big Ten title in program history.
Trailing 10-6, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza orchestrated a pivotal third-quarter drive. Starting at his own 12-yard line, Mendoza connected wiht Charlie Becker for a 51-yard pass. Facing third-and-8 at the Ohio State 17-yard line, Mendoza threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt, giving the Hoosiers their first lead of the game.
late in the fourth quarter, with Indiana leading, Mendoza again found Becker for a crucial 37-yard completion on third-and-6 at their own 24-yard line, securing a first down and extending the drive. Mendoza finished the game completing 15 of 23 passes for 222 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Hoosiers’ defense played a critical role in the victory, holding Ohio State to just 58 rushing yards. A key stop came late in the third quarter when Ohio State quarterback Julian sayin was stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Indiana 5-yard line after a review confirmed his knee was down at the 5.
ohio State had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal. Indiana then ran out the clock, with a final desperation heave from Sayin falling short.
“I wasn’t going to play not to lose,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said. “We were playing to win. You’ve got to get a first down. I wasn’t going to punt the ball back to them with two minutes to go and no timeouts. We had to give our guys an opportunity to make plays. We were getting on top of them at certain points in that game, and Fernando was throwing great deep balls. And it was a great play.”
Indiana fans celebrated long after the final whistle,with songs by Indiana native John Mellencamp played over the stadium loudspeakers. Mendoza was awarded the game’s MVP and greeted with “Heisman” chants. Indiana head coach James Tucker, who dedicated the season to his late mother, wore a Big Ten championship shirt and hat, with “Tonya’s” and “son” written on his wrists.
“I really wanted to go out there and do this for her,” Tucker said. ”And to just top it off like that really means a lot to me.It’s pretty surreal, a magical feeling.”
