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What you need to know for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship
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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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College football Power Four title picks and top Group of Five contender
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It’s hard to beat the same college football team twice in a single season.
That’s what Miami (Ohio) will have to contend with when it faces off against Western Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Ford Field in Detroit in the MAC championship game.
Watch the MAC championship game on Fubo (free trial)
The RedHawks (7-5, 6-2 MAC) earned a 26-17 win over the Broncos (8-4, 7-1) on Oct. 25. Interestingly, both teams started the season 0-3, but recovered during conference play to get themselves into the conference championship game.
With one conference loss, Western Michigan won the regular-season MAC title. However, the road for Miami was a little more complicated, as it finished tied with Toledo and Ohio with two losses apiece. The RedHawks earned the spot in the championship game, despite regular-season losses to both.
Miami’s 49-25 win over Ball State served as the three-way tiebreaker, as the RedHawks had a better win percentage than Ohio and Toledo vs. all common opponents.
USA TODAY is bringing you live updates, scores and highlights from the game. Follow along:
Miami vs Western Michigan score
| TEAM | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | FINAL |
| Miami (Ohio) | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| W Michigan | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― |
Miami vs Western Michigan live updates
This section will be updated.
Western Michigan has won four MAC titles in program history (1966, 1976, 1988 and 2016). Miami has won 17 while a member of the MAC, and has 25 conference championships in school history.
Here’s a look at Miami (Ohio) players walking into Detroit Field:
What time does Miami vs Western Michigan start?
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 6
- Time: Noon ET
- Where: Ford Field (Detroit)
Miami vs Western Michigan will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 6 from Ford Field in Detroit.
What TV channel is Miami vs Western Michigan on today?
The MAC championship game between Miami and Western Michigan will be broadcast on ESPN. Streaming options for the game include Fubo, which carries ESPN and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Miami vs Western Michigan predictions
- Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY Sports: Western Michigan 20, Miami 17
Western Michigan avenges its lone regular-season conference loss with a win over Miami to win its first MAC title since 2016. The Broncos’ defense will smother the RedHawks in a defensive battle, scoring a touchdown on a fumble return in the first half.
- Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Sports: Western Michigan 23, Miami 20
Western Michigan’s lone conference loss this season came against Miami. However, it’s hard to beat a team twice in the same season and the Broncos have won four consecutive games since falling to the RedHawks in late October. It should be a close game, but Western Michigan gets revenge for its first MAC title since 2016.
- John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports: Miami 24, Western Michigan 21
Defense wins championships, and that is what this game is going to come down to. Both defenses rank in the top four of the MAC in sacks, with Miami leading Western Michigan 38-14 in the category. Whichever defense can get a few stops (or takeaways) in the fourth quarter will win this one.
Miami football schedule 2025
Here’s a look at Miami’s schedule in 2025, including past scores.
- Thursday, Aug. 28: Wisconsin 17, Miami 0
- Saturday, Sept. 6: Rutgers 45, Miami 17
- Saturday, Sept. 13: BYE
- Saturday, Sept. 20: UNLV 41, Miami 38
- Saturday, Sept. 27: Miami 38, Lindenwood 0
- Saturday, Oct. 4: Miami 25, Northern Illinois 14 *
- Saturday, Oct. 11: Miami 20, Akron 7 *
- Saturday, Oct. 18: Miami 44, Eastern Michigan 30 *
- Saturday, Oct. 25: Miami 26, Western Michigan 17 *
- Saturday, Nov. 1: BYE
- Tuesday, Nov. 4: Ohio 24, Miami 20 *
- Wednesday, Nov. 12: Toledo 24, Miami 3 *
- Wednesday, Nov. 19: Miami 37, Buffalo 20 *
- Saturday, Nov. 29: Miami 45, Ball State 24 *
- Saturday, Dec. 6: Miami vs Western Michigan | ESPN, Noon ET **
* – denotes MAC game
** – denotes MAC championship game
Western Michigan football schedule 2025
Here’s a look at Western Michigan’s schedule in 2025, including past scores.
- Friday, Aug. 29: Michigan State 23, Western Michigan 6
- Saturday, Sept. 6: North Texas 33, Western Michigan 30 (OT)
- Saturday, Sept. 13: Illinois 38, Western Michigan 0
- Saturday, Sept. 20: Western Michigan 14, Toledo 13 *
- Saturday, Sept. 27: Western Michigan 47, Rhode Island 14
- Saturday, Oct. 4: Western Michigan 21, Massachusetts 3 *
- Saturday, Oct. 11: Western Michigan 42, Ball State 0 *
- Saturday, Oct. 18: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 25: Miami 26, Western Michigan 17 *
- Saturday, Nov. 1: Western Michigan 24, Central Michigan 21 *
- Saturday, Nov. 8: BYE
- Tuesday, Nov. 11: Western Michigan 17, Ohio 13 *
- Tuesday, Nov. 18: Western Michigan 35, Northern Illinois 19 *
- Tuesday, Nov. 25: Western Michigan 31, Eastern Michigan 21 *
- Saturday, Dec. 6: Miami vs Western Michigan | ESPN, Noon ET **
* – denotes MAC game
** – denotes MAC championship game
A rare glimpse at an “elusive” bobcat was captured on camera at a park in Ohio.
The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks shared a video on Instagram showing a bobcat that was caught on camera at Prairie Oaks Metro Park on Nov. 21. The bobcat appears briefly before it slinks away.
“These elusive wild cats are typically nocturnal or crepuscular, meaning most active at dawn or dusk, so catching a glimpse is a rare treat,” Metro Parks wrote.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are native to the state, and there are established populations in the eastern and southern regions. While the population continues to expand, it wasn’t always growing.
How rare is it to see a bobcat in Ohio?
Bobcats were common in Ohio before settlers moved in, but by 1850, they were extirpated, meaning they went extinct in the state. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says bobcats began to repopulate in the mid-1900s, and sightings became more frequent in the early 2000s.
Since then, the department says confirmed bobcat sightings have been steadily increasing, with more than 4,100 spotted from 1970 to 2021. However, experts say it’s still very unlikely to actually see a bobcat in Ohio. Most confirmed sightings are from trail cameras or bobcats found dead on the side of the road.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says bobcats are adaptable to a wide range of ecosystems if adequate prey and cover are available.
“Encounters like this highlight the incredible biodiversity thriving in your Metro Parks!” the Instagram post said.
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