How it Happened: Indiana wins Big Ten Championship over Ohio State in defensive battle

For the first time in program history, the Indiana Hoosiers are Big Ten football champions.

They beat Ohio State 13-10 inside Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis, finishing off an afternoon that included a men’s basketball game down the street. The Hoosiers may not have won that one against Louisville, but they were able to secure the historic victory that crowned Curt Cignetti’s team as champions of the Big Ten.

Indiana won the yardage battle 340-322, with Fernando Mendoza totaling 222 yards on 15-of-23 passing on the night. Julian Sayin ended with 258 yards with a 21-of-29 completion rate, but it was Mendoza who got the victory, and it’s Mendoza who is likely to win the Heisman Trophy as a result.

The rushing attack was firmly in Indiana’s favor, as IU bested Ohio State 118 yards to a mere 58 total rushing yards for the Buckeyes. Indiana’s defensive front was the star of the show, while the defense as a whole was fantastic for the vast majority of the game.

With the defense playing as well as it was, and the offense doing just enough to take control in the second half, the Hoosiers walked off the field as conference champions. They’ll play in the Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day, but for now:

Here’s how it happened on a night IU fans will remember for decades to come.

IU proves it can hang with Ohio State in defensive first half

Indiana and Ohio State came into the ballgame with the top two defenses in the country, and they proved exactly why in the first half.

It was a defensive battle where both sides prevented the other team from executing a comfortable offense. There were times when each offense made big plays, but for the most part, the defenses outplayed their offensive counterparts.

Indiana was held to 166 yards of total offense, while Ohio State mustered just 128 total yards. The Buckeyes were stopped short on each of their four third downs, while OSU gained only 1.7 yards per rush in the first half.

Mendoza totaled 87 yards on 9-of-15 completions in the first two quarters, doing so after he exited the ballgame following the first play from scrimmage and was forced to miss the next down. Sayin went 7-for-11 with 109 yards, not much better in this defensive start to the contest.

The Hoosiers’ defensive front was not only keeping up with the Buckeyes’ defensive line, they seemed to control the action for a large part of the first two quarters. Indiana totaled three sacks and a couple of tackles for loss, with Ohio State matching that with how its defensive line was playing as well.

Jeremiah Smith broke out for a couple of big plays, but the IU defense did a tremendous job weathering the storm and holding the Buckeyes to 10 points. The difference in the first half was that Indiana couldn’t execute in the red zone, leading to three field goal attempts, of which two were made.

When the first half came to a close, it was clear that this was going to be a dogfight on the line of scrimmage, and each defense was going to have its way. Points would be at a premium, but the Hoosiers were more than competing despite the halftime deficit.

The second half would decide the winner, which is exactly what you’d expect from a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in a championship game.

Hoosiers take the lead with impressive third quarter

In the third quarter, Indiana’s defense kept playing exceptionally well, while its offense found the end zone for the first time.

A 17-yard touchdown completion from Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt gave Indiana its first lead since it was 3-0 early on, and the Hoosiers’ defense made sure that Ohio State wouldn’t have an immediate response. The Buckeyes did drive down the field, but Indiana made a tremendous play on 4th-and-1 when Ohio State was at the IU 5-yard line.

The Indiana defensive front all contributed to the stop, as it muscled past the Buckeye offensive line and made sure that Sayin wouldn’t pick up the first down and advance the drive even closer to a score.

That defensive stand followed a punt on the Buckeyes’ series to open the half that preceded the Indiana touchdown, as Bryant Haines’ group continued to prove that it came to play.

With this one going down to the wire, Indiana’s defense made sure that it gave the offense every opportunity it needed, and that was evident in the Hoosiers stopping Ohio State before and after IU scored its first touchdown of the night.

Indiana holds on and secures second half shutout

Going into this Big Ten Championship matchup, it was apparent that these were the best teams in the country, and it was only fitting that it went right down to the wire, with the final drive deciding who would leave as the conference champion.

It actually came down to the last few drives, with each of them playing a pivotal role in Indiana defeating Ohio State in Indianapolis.

With just under three minutes left, Indiana stopped the Buckeyes on a 3rd-and-1 inside their 10-yard line, forcing Ryan Day to make a tough decision. He eventually elected to kick, and Jayden Fielding missed the chip-shot 27-yarder to keep the Hoosiers in front.

That gave IU a golden opportunity to ice the game if it executed correctly — and it did.

Mendoza found Charlie Becker on third down for a 33-yard completion, preventing Ohio State from having enough time to mount a final drive to potentially tie or win the ballgame.

The Buckeyes did get the ball with less than 30 seconds left, but it was too little, too late, and the Indiana defense made sure there wasn’t even a threat of Ohio State scoring.

This wrapped up an incredible performance from the Indiana defense, and one that included a second-half shutout of the Buckeyes. Ohio State managed 194 total yards, but zero points to show for it, as Indiana secured the 13-10 victory that was capped off with clinical execution down the stretch.

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