INDIANAPOLIS, IN — In a classic Big Ten Heavyweight fight worthy of the conference’s grandest stage, No. 2 Indiana stunned No. 1 Ohio State 13–10 Saturday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium, riding a fearless performance from quarterback Fernando Mendoza and a game-breaking night from tight end Charlie Becker to claim the Big Ten Championship before a record crowd of 68,214.
Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ Heisman frontrunner, carved up college football’s top-ranked team with poise and toughness, throwing for 222 yards on 15-of-23 passing with one touchdown and one interception, while Becker delivered the defining moments of the night with six catches for 126 yards, repeatedly torching the Buckeyes in the biggest spots. Indiana’s final defensive stand — a bat-down on Ohio State’s last-gasp throw with 18 seconds remaining — sealed the first Big Ten title in program history and sent crimson-clad fans into delirium.
Indiana announced it wasn’t intimidated early, even as adversity struck immediately. Mendoza was knocked down on the first play — a hit many thought deserved a flag — but returned after briefly exiting as his brother took the second snap. From there, the Hoosiers settled in, converting a crucial 3rd-and-4 on their opening drive with a strike to Becker, foreshadowing what would become a recurring nightmare for Ohio State.
The defenses dominated the opening quarter. Indiana generated pressure Ohio State hadn’t seen a week earlier against Michigan, culminating in Louis Moore’s interception of Julian Sayin on a 3rd-and-6, giving IU prime field position. The Hoosiers managed just six plays and 12 yards, but the short field was enough for a 3–0 lead after a field goal.
Ohio State answered late in the first quarter despite penalties and stalled momentum when Sayin found Carnell Tate in the back of the end zone for a 7–3 Buckeyes lead. Indiana responded with a perfectly timed pass interference call and a 37-yard burst by Black, though a missed field goal kept points off the board — the kind of mistake that usually costs teams against No. 1.
Still, this Indiana team was different.
After another Ohio State drive featuring a 52-yard Sayin-to-Smith connection, IU’s defense stiffened, forcing a field goal instead of a touchdown. Trailing 10–3, Indiana gambled near midfield, converting a 4th-and-2 with a perfectly executed fake to tight end Riley Nowakowski, igniting the stadium. A 14-play, six-minute march followed — capped by a made field goal this time — trimming the deficit to 10–6 at halftime.
At the break, Indiana had out-possessed Ohio State and out-hit them, posting 166 total yards (87 pass, 79 rush) while holding the Buckeyes to just 19 rushing yards. Both teams had turnovers, three sacks apiece, and everything pointed to a heavyweight fight heading into the second half.
The Hoosiers came out swinging.
Indiana’s defense opened the third quarter with back-to-back sacks, forcing a Buckeye punt. On the very next series, Mendoza hit Becker for a 51-yard strike, flipping the field and momentum in one play. Seven snaps later, Mendoza zipped a 17-yard touchdown to Elijah Sarratt, completing an 88-yard drive in just three minutes and putting Indiana in front 13–10.
“Ho-ho-ho Hoosiers” echoed through the dome as Indiana seized control.
Ohio State threatened late in the third, marching inside the red zone behind Sayin’s rhythm throws, but a potential game-changing QB sneak on fourth down was overturned on review, handing the ball — and momentum — back to Indiana.
The fourth quarter delivered pure drama.
Mendoza kept answering the call, again finding Becker on third down, this time for 15 yards, before Ohio State forced a punt. The Buckeyes countered with clutch conversions, trick plays, and a double pass — aided by a 15-yard penalty — setting up a tying field goal attempt under five minutes.
It missed.
With 2:48 left, Indiana took over protecting a three-point lead. Facing 3rd-and-6 with 2:41 remaining, Mendoza calmly delivered the dagger — a 33-yard strike to Becker, his biggest catch in a night full of them and his third 100-yard game of the season. Indiana bled the clock, punted, and trusted a defense that had already proven it belonged.
Ohio State got one final shot. It never landed.
A Hoosier defender batted down Sayin’s last throw, and the celebration was on.
Indiana — in its first-ever Big Ten Championship Game appearance — completed a perfect season, took down the nation’s top team, and made an unmistakable statement heading into the College Football Playoff. Against a Buckeye defense no one had cracked all year, the Hoosiers attacked through the air and on the ground, converting when it mattered and refusing to blink.
On a night built for legends, Fernando Mendoza and Charlie Becker delivered one, and Indiana football reached a place it had never been before.
