Indiana

Ohio State, Indiana clash for Big Ten crown in rare title game featuring nation’s top-ranked teams

Published

3 months ago

December 4, 2025

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Ohio State, Indiana clash for Big Ten crown in rare title game featuring nation’s top-ranked teams

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has been here before. Twice.

His second-ranked Hoosiers, just like first-ranked Ohio State, have not.

For the first time in more than a decade and just the third time since conference championship games were standardized, the nation’s top-ranked teams will play for a title.

The two previous top-ranked conference title games were in the Southeastern Conference in 2008-09 when Florida and Alabama went back to back.

Cignetti was on Nick Saban’s Alabama coaching staff. And, yes, experience could matter.

“A year late,” Cignetti joked after Indiana punched its ticket by routing Purdue. “I had the opportunity to be part of a couple of those at Alabama when we played Florida and (Tim) Tebow and Urban (Meyer) two years in a row. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. I think — no I know — you’re playing this game for a reason. A Big Ten championship means an awful lot.”

The Buckeyes (12-0) and Hoosiers (12-0) are in similar positions. The are playoff locks, with good chances at a first-round bye no matter what happens in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks to pass the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Purdue, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind. Credit: AP/Doug McSchooler

But the contrast between these programs couldn’t be starker.

Ohio State owns eight national championships, is closing in on program win No. 1,000 and has claimed at least three Big Ten crowns in every decade from the 1930s through 2010s.

Despite the steady parade of players from Columbus to the NFL, the Buckeyes watched the last four Big Ten title games from home — a drought that coincided with their four-game losing streak to dreaded Michigan. That streak ended last week and this week the defending national champs hope to fulfill another preseason goal by hoisting their first Big Ten trophy in five years.

“We’re excited we put ourselves in a position to have a chance to play for the Big Ten championship,” All-American Caleb Downs said. “We’re going to go at it with a lot of energy and put everything into it this week and then go play as well as we can Saturday.”

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs toward the end zone... — Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs toward the end zone to score while being pursued by Purdue linebacker Charles Correa (5) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind. Credit: AP/Doug McSchooler

As a program, the Hoosiers are relative newcomers to the big stage.

They finally shed the label of the FBS’ losingest program last month, then completed the first perfect regular season in school history and are now seeking their third Big Ten title. The first came in 1945, the last in 1967, leaving Indiana tied with Minnesota for the conference’s longest active title drought.

The Hoosiers have an experienced roster with key players who have played for championships in previous stops and, oh yeah, Cignetti. They also can rely on the lessons learned from their only losses last season — at Ohio State and at national runner-up Notre Dame.

“We fell short in the moment,” first team all-conference linebacker Aiden Fisher said, reflecting on those defeats. “Coach Cignetti said it kind of got a little too big for us, and I think we went in with too much of an underdog mentality. This year, every single game we’ve been in there’s been no doubt at all. It’s never crept in that, ‘Oh, we might lose this game.’”

There’s no reason to change that philosophy now in a contest that features the nation’s two stingiest scoring defenses, two of the nation’s top-15 scoring offenses, the nation’s two most efficient quarterbacks and major college football’s last two unbeaten teams.

“I don’t expect any handouts,” Cignetti said. “We’ve earned everything up to this point, and we’ve got to earn it on Saturday.”

Heisman battle

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin are going head to head as top Heisman Trophy contenders. Some believe this game could determine the trophy’s winner. Though nobody wants to talk about the race, there is some mutual admiration between the two.

“Julian Sayin and I never officially met, however, through high school we used a similar quarterback coach,” Mendoza said. “And this year we had a lot of overlap games, and we were able to watch their film. I really respect Julian, he is effective and he fits the offense perfectly.”

On the move

Buckeyes offensive coordinator coach Brian Hartline accepted his first head coaching job, at South Florida, on Wednesday. But unlike other coaches, Hartline isn’t going anywhere yet. Coach Ryan Day said Wednesday that Hartline would stay with his alma mater through the playoffs.

“The timing isn’t great, but that’s not Brian’s fault. Instead of being upset about it, we’re going to embrace it,” Day said. “I’m really happy for he and his family. He’s put in a lot of hard work here.”

Red banner day

The football game serves as the nightcap of a rare, red-themed tripleheader in Indiana.

In addition to the scarlet-clad Buckeyes and crimson-colored Hoosiers, there are two Top 25 men’s basketball games, too. At noon, No. 1 Purdue hosts No. 10 Iowa State, whose colors include cardinal red, and at 2 p.m. No. 22 Indiana plays another red-colored team, No. 6 Louisville just a few blocks away from Lucas Oil.

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Looking ahead: Five takeaways on high school basketball regional matchups

Published

1 hour ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Looking ahead: Five takeaways on high school basketball regional matchups

The high school basketball regional matchups and sites are set. Still more to come on recapping sectional week, including a wild championship Saturday night, but wanted to get out some initial thoughts and takeaways on the upcoming regional round.

Showdown at Southport

Pike vs. Mt. Vernon.

Is Caitlin Clark going to show up again? She should.

This matchup, set for Saturday at 4 p.m. at Southport Fieldhouse, is probably the headliner of the 4A regional slate. The first game was insane, as the two teams combined for a state-record 30 3-pointers in Pike’s 84-81 overtime win.

What do we have for an encore? Third-ranked Pike got through the more difficult Sectional 11 at Plainfield, defeating the fifth-ranked Quakers 56-53 on Friday, rallying from a 15-point third-quarter deficit. The Red Devils (23-3) played confident in a 79-68 win over a pesky and physical Brownsburg in the championship game, led by 17 points and four assists from junior guard Jahari Miller and three others in double figures.

The x-factor is Luke Ertel. Pike coach Jeff Teague, after Saturday’s win, called the Mt. Vernon senior “the best player in the state.” He will not find many arguments there. The Purdue recruit led the fourth-ranked Marauders (24-3) to the Sectional 9 title at Greenfield-Central with 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 64-50 win over the host Cougars.

Not many better matchups (are there any?) around the state than this one.

The second game at Southport is interesting, too. Talented Lawrence Central (14-11) has won five in a row, including a 70-57 upset win over Lawrence North in Sectional 10 at Tech. Decatur Central (19-6) set a school record for wins and won its first sectional since 2005.

Class 4A north battle at Plymouth

You could make a case for Chesterton vs. No. 2 Crown Point at Michigan City, but to me the most interesting 4A north regional matchup is No. 6 Northridge (24-1) vs. No. 8 South Bend St. Joseph (21-4) at Plymouth.

Northridge and South Bend St. Joe are two dramatically different teams, which adds a little bit more intrigue to the game. Northridge won its first sectional championship in six years with a 48-37 win over Warsaw in the sectional at Elkhart.

The Raiders, led by senior and Indiana All-Star candidate Brady Scholl, leads the state in 4A in points allowed per game at 44.4. South Bend St. Joseph, last year’s 3A state champion, leads the state in scoring at 78.4 points per game.

That game is 7 p.m. at Plymouth, following the 4 p.m. Class 3A game between No. 6 Columbia City (22-4) and Hanover Central (12-14).

Intrigue at Greencastle

Fourth-ranked Northview is a really good 3A team. Anyone who watched the Hall of Fame Classic at New Castle can confirm. The Knights rolled to the Sectional 27 title at Speedway with a 64-43 win over Cascade behind an 18-point night from Trayven Buis and 17 from Quinn Lewis.

But I have my eye on Northview’s game against Roncalli (17-7) in the regional at Greencastle. The Royals came through a tough Sectional 26 at Greenwood, knocking off the host Woodmen 56-44 in the sectional championship. Roncalli is balanced and veteran and added a big piece to the puzzle with Joey Ortman returning from a back injury that cost him most of the season.

I think this has a chance to be one of the best games of the day anywhere in the state.

Doubleheader at Martinsville

Oh man. There are a couple of great matchups set for Martinsville.

The first, No. 4 Parke Heritage (23-4) vs. No. 5 Centerville (24-2) could potentially decide the Class 2A entry from the south in the state finals. It is a huge game, a rematch of Parke Heritage’s 47-41 win over Centerville in the same round last season.

We have written and talked quite a bit about Parke Heritage, which had its path stopped in the semistate the past three years. This could be the team to break through.

We have probably not written enough about Centerville, which steamrolled Hagerstown (85-57) and Shenandoah (66-36) to win the sectional. The Bulldogs have knocked off teams like Delta, Guerin Catholic, Liberty Christian and Pendleton Heights this season. Seniors Shea Hollendonner (19.7 ppg, 4.2 rebounds) and Landyn Keiser (11.1 ppg, 5.2 rebounds) are Centerville’s top players.

The second game also looks tantalizing. No. 3 Cathedral (21-5) defeated No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit (18-6) on Dec. 5 by nine points, 71-62. It is a little surprising these programs have only met once previously in the tournament, a Brebeuf sectional win 25 years ago.

Brebeuf knocked off No. 5 Guerin Catholic 48-47 for the Sectional 25 championship at Frankfort and Cathedral took out Crispus Attucks 81-63 in the Sectional 26 championship at Broad Ripple.

Neither of these teams will be the favorite to come out of the 3A south – that is top-ranked Silver Creek (27-1) – but the winner at Martinsville might be the Dragons’ toughest challenger.

The Class 2A north

Loaded.

The Class 2A north bracket looks awesome. There are a couple heavyweight matchups in the regional – No. 3 Westview (24-1) vs. No. 7 Gary 21^st Century (17-6) at North Judson and Blackford (20-6) vs. No. 9 Lapel (20-5) at Lapel (cue the complaints that Lapel gets to host a regional game).

Gary 21^st Century, which beat Westview three years ago in the regional, is led by senior point guard Terrence Hayes Jr. (17.6 ppg, 6.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists), one of four players averaging in double figures. Kaden Grau (19.1 ppg, 5.1 rebounds) and Austin Schlabach (18.4 ppg, 5.5 assists) are standouts for Westview. Neither team was threatened in the sectional.

Blackford was challenged in the sectional, getting through Alexandria (62-54), Eastbrook (42-35) and Wapahani (49-39) in Sectional 40 at Eastbrook. Amarian Leggett (26.7 ppg, 4.3 assists) is one of the top sophomores in the state. Lapel has taken off since a 19-point loss to Oak Hill, winning 10 consecutive games. Owen Garber put up a cool 30 points in Lapel’s 77-54 sectional championship win over Sheridan in Sectional 39 at Elwood.

Here are the full regional matchups

Class 4A

Chesterton vs. Crown Point at Michigan City, 8 p.m.
Northridge vs. South Bend Saint Joseph at Plymouth, 7 p.m.
Fort Wayne Snider vs. Carmel at New Castle, 4 p.m.
Harrison (West Lafayette) vs. Homestead at Logansport, 4 p.m.
Mt. Vernon vs. Pike at Southport, 4 p.m.
Lawrence Central vs. Decatur Central at Southport, 7 p.m.
New Albany vs. Castle at Southridge, 4 p.m.
Columbus North vs. Terre Haute North at Greencastle, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A

Columbia City vs. Hanover Central at Plymouth, 4 p.m.
East Chicago Central vs. Mishawaka Marian at Michigan City, 5 p.m.
West Lafayette vs. New Haven at Logansport, 1 p.m.
Delta vs. Blackhawk Christian at New Castle, 1 p.m.
Brebeuf Jesuit vs. Cathedral at Martinsville, 7 p.m.
Northview vs. Roncalli at Greencastle, 4 p.m.
Evansville Bosse vs. Princeton at Southridge, 1 p.m.
Silver Creek vs. Batesville at Charlestown, 4 p.m.

CLASS 2A

Westview vs. 21st Century Academy at North Judson, 7 p.m.
Bishop Luers vs. Bremen at Huntington North, 7 p.m.
Blackford at Lapel, 4 p.m.
Benton Central vs. Oak Hill at Frankfort, 4 p.m.
Parke Heritage vs. Centerville at Martinsville, 4 p.m.
Cardinal Ritter vs. Triton Central at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.
Paoli vs. Linton-Stockton at Seymour, 4 p.m.
Austin vs. Forest Park at Charlestown, 1 p.m.

CLASS A

Fort Wayne Canterbury vs. Tri-County at Huntington North, 4 p.m.
Triton vs. Marquette Catholic at North Judson, 4 p.m.
Monroe Central vs. Southwood at Lapel, 1 p.m.
Rossville vs. North Vermillion at Frankfort, 1 p.m.
South Decatur vs. Hauser at Seymour, 1 p.m.
Liberty Christian vs. Greenwood Christian at Greenfield-Central, 4 p.m.
Barr-Reeve vs. West Washington at Washington, 1 p.m.
Northeast Dubois vs. Bloomfield at Washington, 4 p.m.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

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Supercross: Results From Indianapolis, Indiana

Published

13 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Supercross: Results From Indianapolis, Indiana

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A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.

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IU basketball: Ohio State 91 Indiana 78 — Three keys, highlights, final stats

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

IU basketball: Ohio State 91 Indiana 78 — Three keys, highlights, final stats

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana lost to Ohio State Saturday evening at Value City Arena by a final score of 91-78.

The three keys to the game, highlights and final stats are below.

Ohio State led 50-33 at halftime. The Hoosiers were led in the game by Lamar Wilkerson with 18 points. Tucker DeVries added 17.

For Darian DeVries and Reed Bailey postgame, GO HERE.

Indiana will be the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play on Wednesday evening in Chicago.

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Abysmal defense. Ohio State torched Indiana’s defense. The Buckeyes started the game hot from the field and never really cooled down. For the game OSU shot 59.2% overall including 45.8% from three. But the first half was the real story, when OSU made 67.9% overall and 61.5% (8 of 13) from three. The live stats indicate the Buckeyes scored 1.56 points per possession in the first half.

2. OSU takes away the three. Take away the three, slow down IU’s offense. Indiana got up just eight attempts from long range in the first half and made just one. Yes, OSU made as many threes as IU attempted in the first half. Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries combined to go 0 of 5 from long range before the break. The Hoosiers came in averaging more than 51% of their field goal attempts from three, but took just 28.6% of their shots from beyond the arc in the first half. Things didn’t get much better after the break, and IU shot just 5 of 18 from deep for the game.

3. First half turnovers. Indiana added insult to injury in the first half with eight turnovers that resulted in 13 Ohio State points. Several of those opportunities resulted in live ball scenarios where the Buckeyes were able to score before IU’s defense was set. Seven different Indiana players had first half turnovers. Those miscues plus Ohio State’s hot shooting contributed to a 15-4 Buckeye close to the first half to give them their biggest first half margin (17) at the break.

HIGHLIGHTS