After cementing its first perfect regular season in program history, No. 2 Indiana football heads to Indianapolis in search of its second ever outright Big Ten title. The Hoosiers and the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes will play not just for conference supremacy but, in all likelihood, the top seed in the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy.
Indiana and Ohio State both earned a plethora of postseason honors from the Big Ten. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second straight season, while quarterback Fernando Mendoza was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Additionally, left tackle Carter Smith became the first Indiana player to ever be named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.
On the other side, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith the Wide Receiver of the Year and safety Caleb Downs was named both Defensive Player and Defensive Back of the Year. In total, the two teams combined for over 30 all-conference honors.
“There’s no question, there will be a lot of eyes on this game,” Cignetti said Monday. “It’ll be a great matchup. I’m sure we’ll respond the right way.”
Unsurprisingly, both teams are stout on defense. Ohio State leads the FBS in scoring defense at 7.8 points allowed per game, while Indiana is second (10.9). Both teams are top five in total defense, with Ohio State leading the FBS at just 203 yards allowed per game. Per the Ohio State Sports Network’s Tyler Danburg, the Buckeyes are the first FBS team since 1971 to allow fewer than 100 points in 12 games.
Indiana’s defense is spearheaded by edge rushers Stephen Daley and Mikail Kamara. Daley, who transferred to Indiana from an 0-12 Kent State team, has recorded an FBS-best 18 tackles for loss this season, while Kamara leads all Big Ten defenders with 46 quarterback pressures. The Hoosiers’ toughest test yet awaits them on Saturday.
The Buckeyes have found an answer on the ground in freshman running back Bo Jackson. He rushed for a career-high 117 yards at Michigan and is 48 yards away from becoming just the fifth Ohio State running back to ever rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He has rushed for 100-plus yards in six of his first 12 career games, and serves to balance out the nation’s most efficient passing attack.
Sayin currently holds the FBS single-season completion percentage record (78.9%) and leads all quarterbacks with a 184.8 efficiency rating. He and Mendoza are considered by many to be the Heisman favorites and both could stake their claim to the trophy with a strong showing on Saturday night.
“He’s a tremendous player,” Cignetti said of Sayin. “He doesn’t play like he’s young.”
Sayin’s favorite receivers are Jeremiah Smith, who is tied atop the conference receiving touchdown leaderboard with Indiana wideouts Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., and Carnell Tate, a big-play threat who averages 34.1 yards on his eight touchdown catches this season. Tate has drawn comparisons to Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson for his route-running and contested-catch skills.
Cignetti had high praise for Smith, comparing him to former Alabama receiver and Atlanta Falcon Julio Jones, who Cignetti coached at Alabama.
“He’s probably the most dominant player in college football,” Cignetti added.
For the second time in as many years against Indiana, Smith will be guarded by cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, a former teammate of his at Chaminade-Madonna High School in Miami. Ponds held Smith to a season-low 34 yards on three catches when Indiana visited Ohio State in 2024.
The Hoosiers’ blowout loss at Ohio State 13 months ago left a bad taste in their mouths, but Cignetti said it was necessary for the growth of the team.
“Not really pleased with how we played when we went there last year,” he said.
Linebacker Isaiah Jones echoed Cignetti’s sentiment.
“This is pretty personal to a lot of guys on the team,” Jones said. “We’re all excited to have this opportunity to go back and have a different outcome.”
Mendoza’s clutch play has led Indiana to nail-biting wins over Iowa, Oregon and Penn State, and he can further cement his legacy with a win on Saturday. He leads the FBS in passing touchdowns (32) and total touchdowns (38) while leading the Big Ten in passing yards per attempt (9.4). However, in the absence of left guard Drew Evans, Indiana’s offensive line has struggled to protect him. He has been sacked 15 times this season, nine of which have come in the Hoosiers’ last four games.
Ohio State’s defense features Big Ten Linebacker of the Year Arvell Reese, Butkus Award semifinalist Sonny Styles and Indiana native defensive end Caden Curry. The Buckeyes’ secondary is led by Downs, who is the only active two-time All-American in the FBS.
One team’s undefeated run will end on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. The other will likely lock up the top seed in the CFP and play in the Rose Bowl. Both teams have explosive offenses and airtight defenses. Indiana, whose only outright Big Ten title came in 1945, is playing in its first ever Big Ten Championship Game. Ohio State returns to Indianapolis for the first time since 2020, when it appeared in the game after the conference voted to waive the six-game minimum that was in place for the pandemic season and granted the Buckeyes a spot in the game over Indiana.
Both teams are shoo-ins for the Playoff, but this game still means a lot. For Cignetti and Indiana, it’s a chance to right the wrongs of Nov. 23, 2024 and take over the No. 1 ranking for the first time ever. For Ryan Day and Ohio State, it’s an opportunity to remain as the undisputed best team in college football and stay unblemished in the search for a second straight national championship.
No. 2 Indiana and No. 1 Ohio State are set for an 8 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast on Fox, the IU Sports Radio Network and WIUX Sports, the latter of which will feature Nick Rodecap, Zach Browning, Andrew Hillsman and Ben Haller on the call.
