‘If they don’t score, they don’t win’: Indiana’s defense delivers in B1G Championship

If you told any Indiana fan that their team was going to score 13 points in the Big Ten Championship against Ohio State, they would’ve begun bracing themselves for a heartbreaking defeat.

Instead, Hoosier Nation sang “Indiana, Our Indiana” once the game was over, as IU knocked off the then-No. 1 Buckeyes 13-10. Thirteen points ended up being enough, and it was all because of an incredible performance from the Indiana defense.

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“I told the defense continuously throughout the game, once we got the lead in that fourth quarter, if they don’t score, they don’t win,” linebacker Aiden Fisher said.

“And we knew it was going to be on us. You know, hold them. Don’t let them score.”

Indiana shut out Ohio State in the second half, something that hasn’t happened since the Buckeyes played Michigan a year ago, a game that also resulted in a 13-10 final score.

That contest was also the last time Ohio State lost a ballgame, but to find the last time Indiana won over OSU you’d have to go all the way back to 1988.

But not anymore, as Indiana finally defeated its rival to the east, and the Hoosiers did so on one of the biggest stages they possibly could.

In a game that featured the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, along with the No. 1 and No. 2 defenses in the land, Indiana prevailed. The Hoosiers’ defense showed that it has the ability to not only contend with the Buckeyes on the defensive end but beat them at their own game.

Pressuring the quarterback is something that the Ohio State defense prides itself on, and that was painfully evident in the 2024 meeting between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers. Kurtis Rourke was constantly under duress, and Ohio State was able to sack him a total of five times during its 38-15 win a year ago.

But this time around, Indiana was the defense that was able to total five sacks. They completely turned the tables and dominated the line of scrimmage.

“I’m not going to lie to you. We’ve always been high on TFLs and sacks. So, we got a great effort from our front guys. And we’re dialing up those blitzes, got the quarterback off rhythm,” Curt Cignetti said following the win.

Players like defensive end Stephen Daley and defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker made profound impacts in pressuring Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, but the linebacker group, led by Fisher, was even more sensational.

With Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy making play after play, and Fisher being the undisputed leader of the defense, Indiana’s linebackers shined.

“And I think I can say that about our whole defense tonight. Isaiah Jones played an amazing game. The entire defense. And we knew it was going to come down to us. And as long as they didn’t score, they didn’t win. We are confident in our abilities when it came down to it,” Fisher added.

Jones totaled seven tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss, as he was arguably the most impactful player on Indiana’s roster on Saturday. Hardy was also special, finishing with 10 tackles, one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

“In terms of Coach Haines and the defense, we attack. We move a lot up front. TFLs, sacks, stop the run is the emphasis. There’s a lot of line movement. We were very disruptive,” Cignetti said.

Bryant Haines has built a monster of an Indiana defense, and it was on full display in the Big Ten Championship Game.

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With the linebackers at their best, the defensive line at its best, and the secondary limiting what Ohio State’s weapons would do downfield, it was the perfect storm for the Indiana defense to show the country exactly what it’s made of.

And it’s made up of players who were eager to stop an offense that many believed would give the Hoosiers trouble. That couldn’t have been further from the case, and the numbers certainly back it up.

But beyond the numbers, Indiana’s defense looked confident, poised and hungry. When Ohio State executed a big play, the IU defense made a bigger one. None were bigger than the fourth-and-1 stop inside the Hoosiers’ 10-yard line at the end of the third quarter.

It wasn’t just that one play, though. Louis Moore’s interception to begin the ballgame, Hardy’s pass breakup before Ohio State’s missed field goal, every single sack or tackle for loss throughout the game, and everything in between were all so critical in culminating in a truly elite performance by the defense.

And it led to a Big Ten Championship Game victory by Indiana, something that had never happened before. The Hoosiers keep making history, and its defense has been at the forefront of this magical season from the very beginning.

As the old adage goes, defense wins championships, and Indiana proved that right on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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