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Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal in the final minutes as Indiana held on to win the Big 10 football championship 13-10 on Saturday. For Indiana, this is its first conference championship since 1945, after winning a share of the title in 1967.
The Hoosiers were four-point underdogs heading into the game against the defending national champions, with the top seed in the College Football Playoff on the line. Now, before the postseason even began, Indiana had arguably its most successful season of the modern era.
“I want to give all the glory to God. We were never supposed to be in this position, but by the glory of God, the great coaches, the great teammates, everyone around us, we were able to make it happen,” Indiana quarterback Fernandeo Mendoza told Fox Sports after the game.
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Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) attempts to stop Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten Football Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Mendoza passed for 222 yards with a touchdown and an interception to help earn the victory.
Indiana receiver Charlie Becker, who caught six passes for 126 yards, also declared “glory to God” to Fox Sports after the victory.
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Indiana Hoosiers kicker Nicolas Radicic (15) scores a field goal during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on December 6, 2025. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“Hoosiers are real and we are here,” Becker said.
Indiana, now 13-0, will now look to win its first-ever national championship in the College Football Playoff, as its win over Ohio State should all but guarantee the No. 1 seed when the tournament begins.
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Indiana Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby (1) rushes the ball Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Meanwhile, Ohio State is still likely to get a first-round bye despite the loss.
