Indiana
If they make it through this week, Ohio State and Indiana would give Big Ten a historic title game
No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana are closing in on a historic matchup in Indianapolis.
If the Buckeyes and Hoosiers win this week against rivals Michigan and Purdue — and in Ohio State’s case that’s been a big if lately — they’d both bring undefeated overall records into the Big Ten title game. That’s never happened since the conference began playing a championship game in 2011.
In fact, only three times since Michigan State’s arrival pushed the league to 10 teams in 1953 has the Big Ten finished its regular season with more than one unbeaten team in league play. In 2013, Michigan State won the Legends Division at 8-0, and Ohio State won the Leaders Division with the same record. The Spartans beat the Buckeyes in the title game — but even that year, Michigan State had taken an early loss outside the Big Ten to Notre Dame.
In 2002, Ohio State and Iowa both went 8-0 in league play. The Buckeyes went to — and won — the BCS championship game, and Iowa headed to the Orange Bowl.
The situation was far more acrimonious in 1973, when Michigan and Ohio State played to a tie, and each finished the conference season 7-0-1 — and 10-0-1 overall. Athletic directors voted to send the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl.
According to Sportradar, only one FBS conference championship game has ever pitted two teams with unbeaten overall records. Alabama beat Florida 32-13 to win the Southeastern Conference in 2009. Of course, that year the losing team was finished as a national title contender because there was no playoff yet.
The stakes will be lower if Ohio State (11-0, 8-0, No. 1 CFP) and Indiana (11-0, 8-0, No. 2 CFP) make it to Indy with unblemished records, but it would still be quite a finish to the Big Ten season.
Star power
An Ohio State-Indiana title game could also become a de facto Heisman Trophy decider between Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin and Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is also a contender, but his final pitch is this week because the Irish aren’t in a conference and thus won’t be in a title game.
Going bowling
Ohio State, Indiana, No. 5 Oregon (10-1, 7-1), No. 15 Michigan (9-2, 7-1), No. 19 Southern California (8-3, 6-2), Washington (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Illinois (7-4, 4-4), Nebraska (7-4, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) and Northwestern (6-5, 4-4) have reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. The winner of the game between Penn State (5-6, 2-6) and Rutgers (5-6, 2-6) joins them.
Hot seats
As seems to be the trend nowadays, a lot of these situations were resolved before the end of the regular season. Penn State fired coach James Franklin in the middle of October, for example.
Also, Wisconsin has already said it is keeping Luke Fickell, and Maryland is standing behind Mike Locksley.
The big remaining question is whether Jonathan Smith can survive a second straight bad season to start his tenure at Michigan State.
Youth movement
Michigan’s Bryce Underwood and Maryland’s Malik Washington have been starting at quarterback as freshmen all season. Washington has had to throw more, but Underwood’s most important game is still in front of him.
Ohio State freshman Bo Jackson has rushed for 835 yards in 10 games.
Recruiting watch
Oregon, not Ohio State, has the Big Ten’s top-ranked 2026 class according to 247 Sports. The Ducks are ranked No. 5 nationally, with the Buckeyes at No. 6 and Michigan at No. 11. Washington is No. 15.
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Fernando Mendoza did not attend Indiana University’s visit to the White House commemorating the Hoosiers’ college football national championship on Monday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback said earlier this month that he would not attend if it interfered with any activities with his new team.
“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here,” Mendoza said following a rookie minicamp practice. “I got to prove myself. I can’t miss practice. I don’t know anything official. I don’t have the calendar, but I just wouldn’t. As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look, and I want to try to best serve my teammates. And I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”
According to the team’s official offseason schedule, the Raiders did not have any formal practices or workouts on Monday. The team’s next organized activity is May 18, its first OTA workout.
“Fernando couldn’t be here today because, as I said, he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders,” President Donald Trump said in his address. “Let’s see how good of a team they have, and I think he’s gonna do great. He’s a winner.”
Mendoza wasn’t the only absence. Center Pat Coogan and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds were among the other Hoosiers not in attendance for the event due to NFL obligations. Indiana had a program-record eight players selected in April’s NFL Draft.
Trump highlighted Mendoza’s accomplishments and contributions to the school’s first football national title. He celebrated Mendoza as Indiana’s inaugural Heisman Trophy winner and praised his fourth-quarter touchdown run in the championship game against Miami.
“He’s gonna be a good one,” Trump said.
Indiana was well-represented by returning members of the team. Charlie Becker, one of Mendoza’s go-to receivers during the College Football Playoffs, and Jamari Sharpe, whose late interception secured the title-game victory, both spoke on behalf of the school, as did head coach Curt Cignetti.
Mendoza is one of four members of the national champion Hoosiers who joined the Raiders this offseason. Running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. signed as undrafted free agents in the days following the draft. Wide receiver Jonathan Brady earned a contract after impressing as a tryout player during rookie minicamp.
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a triple shooting that took place on Muncie’s south side Sunday evening that left a woman dead and two men injured.
According to police, at approximately 5:27 p.m., Muncie Police Officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of South Walnut Street in reference to reports of several people being shot.
Officers arrived and located three gunshot victims: A 23-year-old female who died from “multiple wounds,” a 39-year-old male who is hospitalized in stable condition, and a 40-year-old male who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.
Police say a suspect is in custody, a 21-year-old man.
Police did not provide any additional information.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Muncie Police Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or dispatch at 765-747-4838.
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Sports Seriously
The Indiana Pacers lost 63 games this season for a chance at a franchise-changing lottery pick. On Sunday, May 10, they lost that chance, too.
All Pacers president Kevin Pritchard could do was apologize for taking the risk.
Indiana’s pick landed at No. 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, one spot outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. The selection now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers .
Shortly after the results were announced, Pritchard took social media and apologized.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”
The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.
Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.
Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.
“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.”
Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”
There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn.
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