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Indiana football undisputed No. 1, Big Ten champions over Ohio State

Published

4 weeks ago

December 6, 2025

Indiana football undisputed No. 1, Big Ten champions over Ohio State

INDIANAPOLIS — There was a lot of losing over the last 80 years — the third-most losses in the sport’s history — but Curt Cignetti has brought Indiana football to the top of college football.

It was far from perfect, but the Hoosiers clinched their first outright Big Ten championship since 1945 in their first championship game appearance and in front a predominately Hoosiers crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. When Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding’s 27-yard attempt was pushed wide left with 2:48 to play, it left the ball in Fernando Mendoza’s hands.

Mendoza threw a game-clinching 33-yard pass to Charlie Becker on third-and-6, leaving Ohio State with all but one timeout spent and a chance to run out the clock. They punted it and pinned Ohio State without timeouts at its own 14 with 18 seconds left, and the defense took care of the rest.

Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the Hoosiers’ historic win means.

What I liked in IU football’s win vs Ohio State in Big Ten championship game

Pressure. Julian Sayin hadn’t seen it like this yet in 2025. Ohio State’s quarterback entered play Saturday night having taken just six sacks all season, and two in a game just once (Purdue, Nov. 8). Indiana rolled up three in the first half alone, plus more productive pressure, hurrying Sayin enough to get and largely keep him out of rhythm. It was a big part of the reason why Indiana actually outgained Ohio State in the first half.
Mendoza dialing it up deep. Indiana tried a pair of deep shots in the first half that Fernando Mendoza couldn’t quite find. That didn’t stop the Hoosiers trying to take the top off Ohio State’s defense and eventually it paid off, first with a pass interference penalty and then with a 51-yard third-quarter gain to Charlie Becker that set up Mendoza’s first touchdown pass. The willingness to stretch the field kept Ohio State honest to such an extent that it backed pressure off and let Mendoza get comfortable.
Tough running. The Hoosiers could not pop the explosives that have defined their most dominant performances. But they did not abandon the ground game, to their credit. More than once, a commitment to the run, even in the face of Ohio State’s defensive strength, flipped a field or extended a drive. It might not have been flashy, but the willingness to commit to it added up.

What I disliked in IU football’s win vs Ohio State in Big Ten championship game

Special teams miscues. Nico Radicic’s first-half miss, his first on a field goal attempt all season, hardly paralleled the sins of last season in Columbus. But the margins are so painfully thin against this Ohio State team. The difference between needing a touchdown and needing a field goal might not feel so seismic in the second quarter, but it will in the fourth. Couple this to a handful of first-half penalties, and Cignetti will have wanted to get some fundamentals cleaned up at halftime.
Injuries. Mendoza got a scare early, on a hard hit from Caden Curry. He was fine, but just plays later Omar Cooper Jr., IU’s leading receiver, limped off for the rest of the evening. Mikail Kamara continued to battle an assortment of problems as the evening wore on. Both injuries and apparent performance shuffled Indiana’s offensive line. It was a bruising evening in Indianapolis.
Finishing drives. Hard to beat the best with field goals, something IU learned Saturday. More than once, an explosive play opened the door to a touchdown Ohio State’s smothering defense promptly closed. On an evening when the finest details mattered most, those missed opportunities ratcheted up Cignetti’s stress.

What IU football’s win vs Ohio State in Big Ten championship game means

History. For the first time since 1945, the Hoosiers have an outright Big Ten championship. The College Football Playoff committee had essentially locked IU into a bye and then Cignetti claimed nobody had earned it.

His Hoosiers earned it, and the No. 1 seed and a Rose Bowl berth Jan. 1.

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Ohio State vs Nebraska live score updates, highlights, how to watch game

Published

4 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State vs Nebraska live score updates, highlights, how to watch game

Ohio State’s men’s basketball players were on the bus to the airport after having won at Rutgers when they switched on the Nebraska-Michigan State game. The drive from Piscataway to Trenton allowed the Buckeyes to see the Cornhuskers prevail in the final seconds and improve to 14-0 with a 58-56 win against the Spartans.

Now, Nebraska brings the nation’s longest winning streak to the Jerome Schottenstein Center, presenting a challenge Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said is one his team is excited for.

“When they saw they won, (our players were) was excited about how big of an opportunity this is for us,” Diebler said Jan. 4. “It’s an early-season Big Ten game, but it’s one at home and it’s one against a team that’s established themselves. You have a top-10 team coming into your building, it’s a huge opportunity and our guys know that. We’ll be ready for it.”

Ohio State is 10-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten after the Jan. 2 win against Rutgers.

Follow along with all the action at our Dispatch live game blog below.

The Buckeyes will be wearing some new Nike shoes for the Nebraska game, as the team showed in a video posted to social media.

Neither team has any surprises on its official availability report. Ohio State is still without Josh Ojianwuna (knee surgery) and Myles Herro (redshirt), while Nebraska’s Henry Burt is out. None of the three have played in a game this season.

Ohio State vs Nebraska score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

Date: Monday, Jan. 5
Start time: 5:30 p.m. ET

The Ohio State vs Nebraska game starts at 6:30 p.m. from the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

TV Channel: FS1
Livestream: Fox Sports App
Radio: WBNS-FM (97.1)

The Buckeyes’ 14th game of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season will air nationally on FS1. Brandon Gaudin and Steve Smith will call the game from the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Streaming options for the game include Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream Ohio State vs. Nebraska

Series record: Ohio State leads 22-8
Ohio State’s last win: March 4, 2025 (116-114, 2OT, in Columbus)
Nebraska’s last win: Feb. 9, 2025 (79-71 in Lincoln)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday, Jan. 4

Spread: Ohio State by 2.5

Over/under: 154.5

Moneyline: Ohio State (-140) | Nebraska (+115)

Ohio State men’s basketball schedule

Oct. 26 – Ohio University (exhibition) W, 103-74 (takeaways)
Nov. 3 – IU Indy, W, 118-102 (takeaways)
Nov. 7 – Purdue Fort Wayne, W, 94-68 (takeaways)
Nov. 11 – Appalachian State, W 75-53 (takeaways)
Nov. 16 – Notre Dame, W 64-63 (takeaways)
Nov. 20 – Western Michigan W, 91-58 (takeaways)
Nov. 25 – Mount St. Mary’s W, 113-60 (takeaways)
Nov. 28 – at Pitt L, 67-66 (takeaways)
Dec. 6 – at Northwestern W, 86-82 (takeaways)
Dec. 9 – Illinois L, 88-80 (takeaways)
Dec. 13 – vs. West Virginia (Cleveland Hoops Showdown, Cleveland) W, 89-88, 2OT (takeaways)
Dec. 20 – vs. North Carolina (CBS Sports Classic, Atlanta) L, 71-70 (takeaways)
Dec. 23 – Grambling State W, 89-63 (takeaways)
Jan. 2 – at Rutgers W, 80-73 (takeaways)
Jan. 5 – Nebraska
Jan. 8 – at Oregon
Jan. 11 – at Washington
Jan. 17 – UCLA
Jan. 20 – Minnesota
Jan. 23 – at Michigan
Jan. 26 – Penn State
Jan. 31 – at Wisconsin
Feb. 5 – at Maryland
Feb. 8 – Michigan
Feb. 11 – USC
Feb. 14 – vs. Virginia (Nashville Hoops Showdown, Nashville)
Feb. 17 – Wisconsin
Feb. 22 – at Michigan State
Feb. 25 – at Iowa
March 1 – Purdue
March 4 – at Penn State
March 7 – Indiana

Buy Ohio State vs. Nebraska men’s basketball tickets

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Ohio State’s ‘loyal, humble’ Bruce Thornton to have prep jersey retired
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Freshman Amare Bynum bringing dunks, scoring and ‘joy’ to Ohio State
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On memorable evening, Ohio State pays tribute to Jerry Lucas with statue unveiling
Alex Smith celebrates reaching milestone, signing to play basketball for Ohio State
After signing for Ohio State, five-star forward Anthony Thompson has prolific game
BTN analyst Raphael Davis says Ohio State will earn double bye in conference tournament
Who is Ohio State’s best shooter? Dunker? Dresser? The Buckeyes sound off in annual poll
Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton talking trash, playing freer and ready for his senior year

Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.

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Growing mystery as police search for Ohio couple’s killer

Published

16 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Growing mystery as police search for Ohio couple’s killer

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Ohio State has added a tight end as its first 2026 transfer portal addition

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State has added a tight end as its first 2026 transfer portal addition

COLUMBUS, Ohio –Ohio State had added the first player to its 2026 transfer portal class.

Mason Williams is a former member of the 2023 recruiting class who spent his first three seasons as an Ohio Bobcat. After redshirting his freshman season, he’s spent the last two as a vital member of the Bobcats’ offense as both a blocker and a receiver.

In 1,133 snaps, Williams caught 48 passes for 565 yards and six touchdowns. As a blocker, he can be a reliable end-line tight end who can replace the loss of Will Kacmarek, who is out of eligibility. Kacmarek also came from Ohio in 2024 and spent the last two years as a major contributor, developing into one of the nation’s best blocking tight ends.

Williams will have two years of eligibility remaining in Columbus. His addition helps offset the loss of Kacmarek to graduation and Jelani Thurman to the transfer portal. He’ll join a room expected to feature Bennett Christian, Nate Roberts, Brody Lemon and Maxence LeBlanc. Nick Lautar will also join the room as an incoming freshman.

OSU is also waiting for the decision of Purdue transfer Max Klare, who has the option of declaring for the NFL Draft or returning in 2026.

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