Indiana secured their first outright Big Ten championship since 1945 with a 13-10 victory over Ohio State on Saturday night, ending the Buckeyes' 16-game winning streak and the Hoosiers' own 30-year losing streak against Ohio State. The win also made Indiana the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and the top-ranked team in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history.
Head coach Curt Cignetti, who took over a team that had endured three consecutive losing seasons, has transformed Indiana into a national powerhouse in just 737 days. The Hoosiers are now 24-2 under Cignetti, with their only losses coming to Ohio State and Notre Dame last season. Cignetti was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who became the first Indiana player to win the Big Ten's top quarterback award since 2001, threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt in the third quarter and a crucial 33-yard pass to Charlie Becker on third down late in the game. Mendoza played through an injury sustained on the first play and is now a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy.
The Hoosiers' defence also excelled, holding Ohio State to just 10 points and forcing key stops. Linebacker Isaiah Jones said of the championship: 'It means a lot, we played for each other. For any of the doubters out there, this was the final nail in the coffin.'
Indiana, previously known as the FBS's losingest program, now head into the playoffs with top-five rankings in both scoring offence and defence. The Hoosiers are the last unbeaten team in major college football and will look to continue their remarkable run.
