Indiana beats Ohio State: How Big Ten Championship result impacts College Football Playoff

After starting out conference championship weekend with a few bowouts, we were due for a classic game. Thankfully, the Big Ten Championship came through with the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country playing. Indiana and Ohio State have been on a collision course all season, delivering on the big stage once matched up.

Where a lot of the pregame buzz surrounded the two quarterbacks, defense actually emerged as the main storyline. And Indiana found a way to put together a few more stops over Ohio State, taking home the Big Ten crown. A historic moment for the program, winning a conference title for the first time since 1967, and just their third-ever.

All of this is the doing of head coach Curt Cignetti. Indiana popped onto the map his first season in charge, going 11-1. However, the one loss — a blowout against Ohio State — caused many people to doubt the Hoosiers.

Now, nobody is questioning what they are doing. Cignetti brought it back for a second season and once again surpassed expectations. Indiana ran the table with a couple of impressive wins on the resume, only to get revenge on Ohio State. You could see elation running through them during the postgame celebrations.

From a College Football Playoff standpoint, there was not all too much on the line. Both teams are going to hear their names called tomorrow afternoon, even if Ohio State ended up on top. More than anything, the No. 1 overall seed was up for grabs. Indiana assumes the spot, while Ohio State may now slide down to No. 3 due to Georgia winning the SEC Championship earlier in the day.

If that holds true, this means we cannot see a rematch until the national championship. Both teams are striving to get there, making their own kind of history. Indiana has never won one, while Ohio State is looking for the sport’s second back-to-back of the decade.

Maybe a little bit of deja vu for Ohio State. Last year ended with a heartbreaking loss to Michigan, only to spark a run through the College Football Playoff. Head coach Ryan Day has a blueprint to get his team going.

Cignetti, on the other hand, admitted he needs to find a way to humble the players before the CFP begins. Based on what quarterback Fernando Mendoza said postgame, Indiana will go back into the routine of process.