Indiana University secured its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945 with a 13-10 victory over Ohio State on Saturday night, capping a remarkable turnaround under head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers, who had been the Football Bowl Subdivision's most losing program before Cignetti's arrival, finished the regular season 13-0 and earned the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Cignetti, who took over in 2023, transformed the team in just 737 days, leading them to a school-record 11 wins in his first season and a playoff berth. This year, they have been even better, becoming the last unbeaten team in major college football. The win over Ohio State ended the Buckeyes' 16-game winning streak, the longest active in the nation, and snapped Indiana's 30-year losing streak against them.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, named Big Ten's top quarterback for the first time since 2001, threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt to take the lead in the third quarter and sealed the victory with a 33-yard pass to Charlie Becker on third down with two minutes remaining, despite being injured on the first play. 'I'd die for my brothers on that field,' Mendoza said.
Cignetti, who earned his second straight Big Ten Coach of the Year award, has led the Hoosiers to a 24-2 record over two seasons, with the only losses coming to Ohio State and Notre Dame last year. The team now heads into the playoffs with top-five scoring offence and defence, aiming to continue their historic run.
