Game preview: IU football meets Ohio State in first-ever 1 vs. 2 Big Ten championship game

Photos from IU football vs. Indiana State football on September 12, 2025.

No. 2 Indiana football travels north to Indianapolis on Saturday evening for a championship bout with No. 1 Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Both teams enter Saturday night as the only undefeated programs in FBS this season. It also marks the third-ever 1 vs. 2 conference championship game and the first in the Big Ten.

Indiana is making its first B1G championship game appearance while Ohio State returns for a league-best seventh time.

Here is Inside the Hall’s preview of the Big Ten championship game between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers.

Game information

Who: No. 1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 in Big Ten) vs. No. 2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0 in Big Ten)
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
When: Saturday, December 6, 2025. 8 p.m. EST
TV: FOX, Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Buck Suhr (Analyst)
The line: Ohio State -4, Over/Under 47.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction: Ohio State 26, Indiana 25 (48 percent chance of an IU win)

Meet the opponent

Ohio State has continued its generational success under seventh-year head coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes have won 10 total titles (B1G and National), hoisting last year’s national championship trophy.

The scarlet and gray capped off its first perfect season since 2002 with a commanding 27-9 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin leads a talented Buckeye offense. With All-American receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate to find, Sayin completed 78.9 percent of his passes for 3,065 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Ohio State’s offense scored at a prolific rate this season, averaging 37 points per game. The Buckeyes rely heavily on their top-20 pass game but struggle to establish the run game effectively.

As was the case last year, the Ohio State defense is dominant. First-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has turned an already-feared defense into a horrifying one.

The Buckeyes allow just 203 yards per game and have allowed 93 points all season. Safety Caleb Downs won Big Ten defensive player of the year honors on Monday. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald won defensive lineman of the year, while Arvell Reese won linebacker of the year.

Saturday will mark the third time Day has taken the program to Indianapolis and the first since 2020.

Injury Update

Curt Cignetti did not provide an injury update on Carter Smith in his Monday press conference.

The offensive lineman dressed in last Friday’s game at Purdue, but did not record a snap.

The required Big Ten availability report will be released two hours before kickoff, at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Storylines

Mendoza, Sayin battle for Heisman

Storylines ahead of Saturday are plentiful, but none is bigger than the quarterback battle between Sayin and Fernando Mendoza.
The signal-callers hold the best odds to win college football’s highest individual award. DraftKings lists Mendoza at +160 and Sayin at +200. Mendoza beat out Sayin for Big Ten quarterback of the year, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors on Thursday.
It is widely believed that the winning quarterback is likely to claim the award.

With a defensive struggle expected, a “Heisman moment” in the waning minutes could be more than enough. A strong stat line against Ohio State’s venerable defense on Saturday in Indianapolis may be enough for Mendoza to secure the award, even in a loss.
Needless to say, it will be a fascinating showdown between two of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Who will a high-scoring affair favor?

With the two-Heisman hopefuls vying for the esteemed honor, there is a belief that offense will dictate who wins. However, both defenses are likely to take issue with that.

Indiana and Ohio State have allowed a combined 224 total points, holding opponents’ offenses to minimal yards per game. No team eclipsed 17 points against the Buckeyes this season, baffling teams along the way.

Defensively, Indiana will have to avoid allowing the explosive pass plays, a category that Bryant Haines’ defense struggles with.

The Hoosiers boast a better offense than the Buckeyes on paper. If Indiana can sustain successful drives in the first quarter, it will set a tone for the rest of the game. The winner very well could be the first team to 20 points.

Outlook

Saturday in Indianapolis is set to be a day for Indiana fans to take over.

The basketball team tips off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against No. 6 Louisville at 2:15 p.m., just six hours before kickoff of the biggest game in Indiana football history.

In years past, Indiana–Ohio State was a David vs. Goliath matchup. The worst Hoosier teams were routinely thumped by the Buckeyes, pushing the losing streak to 30 games.

This year, however, the game is a clash of titans — a title fight between two of college football’s best teams. The No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff and a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl are on the line.

The teams offset each other’s strengths on both sides of the ball, making pregame predictions nearly impossible. This game will come down to big plays. The fewer explosive plays Indiana allows, the better its chances of winning.

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