Indiana might be more battle-tested than Ohio State ahead of B1G Championship

Ahead of last season’s Indiana vs. Ohio State matchup, the narrative was clear.

Indiana hadn’t played anybody and would be tested for the first time in the Curt Cignetti era when the Hoosiers traveled to Columbus to face then-No. 2 Ohio State. This time around, though, things are a little different.

It’s the Hoosiers who have been the more battle-tested team, and while no one is doubting how good the Buckeyes are, the storylines surrounding the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday night couldn’t be further from what the nation was saying last time these two teams played.

In 2025, Indiana had to win at Iowa, at Oregon and at Penn State — all ridiculously hard places to play. The Hoosiers won each one with a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, as they’ve proven that they know how to execute with their backs against the wall.

Ohio State, not so much — at least this season. We know the Buckeyes are capable, but when you look at their 2025 campaign game by game, they haven’t played in a single game that was decided by fewer than seven points.

And the game that was decided by exactly seven points? That was close to three months ago. Like it or not, Indiana has been the more battle-tested team, and Cignetti is well aware of that.

Coach Q&A: Curt Cignetti provides insight into Indiana’s preparation for Big Ten Championship Game

But he also knows why Ohio State hasn’t played in many close games, and that’s because the Buckeyes have been so dominant all season long. They’ve gotten out to such big leads that the games aren’t close, giving Saturday’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup a very intriguing storyline.

“(Ohio State) really hasn’t been challenged this year. I guess you could say Texas, who scored a touchdown with three minutes to go to make it 14-7, and Michigan got off to a good start, but then Ohio State took control,” Cignetti said during his Monday media availability.

“We’re playing a great football team. A lot of great players across the board, dominant.”

The Buckeyes have been phenomenal in almost every single area. They’ve made quick work of just about every single opponent on their schedule, and they have certainly earned a spot among 2025’s elite college football teams.

While the No. 1 seed will be played for against the Hoosiers, Ohio State’s talent and prowess can’t be denied. Cignetti is a film junkie and knows better than anyone that Ryan Day’s team excels in all three phases.

“They’re good. That’s why they’re No. 1 in the country. Least amount of points, least amount of yards, red-area defense, great on third down, fourth down, 30 sacks, give up 70 yards rushing a game, 130 passing,” Cignetti told reporters on Monday.

“And they’re dominant on offense obviously. The quarterback’s playing great. They’ve got big-time weapons on the outside.”

Indiana certainly has its work cut out for it at Lucas Oil Stadium, but you can’t say that the regular season hasn’t prepared the Hoosiers for this moment. Because of the adversity that they’ve faced against quality competition, IU comes into this year’s matchup with Ohio State with a completely different experience level.

The Hoosiers have been seriously tested, and they’ve passed each test thus far. While some may still view Indiana as unworthy of its No. 2 ranking and still untested with an easy schedule, Cignetti knows that’s not the case.

He doesn’t look at his team as an underdog trying to slay a giant. Indiana’s head coach understands that his team has earned every right to be among college football’s elite teams after the Hoosiers’ 12-0 regular season.

“I don’t view our team as a bunch of misfits at all. We’ve got a lot of good football players that have proven themselves collegiately. They have high character, high intelligence, work hard, and there’s a lot of people in the country that would love to have a lot of our guys, I promise you that,” Cignetti said.

While the quality of players on Indiana’s roster hasn’t drastically improved from last year, their experience against talented football teams has. That might be the recipe for success this time around, and Ohio State’s lack of tests might give the Hoosiers an edge in that area of the matchup.

We don’t quite know how the Buckeyes will respond if it’s a tight game inside of two minutes, but we do know that the Hoosiers have executed in those moments every single time they’ve been in them. That’s no knock on Ohio State, but it’s simply a fact of each team’s seasons.

More: Why Indiana believes this time against Ohio State will be different

“We’ve been in some close games and down-to-the-wire games. When you’re successful in those kinds of situations, it can only add to your confidence and belief that the next time you’re in one, you’re going to make it happen because you have in the past,” Cignetti explained.

And with a confidence that wasn’t there a year ago, Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game could be one for the ages. No. 1 vs. No. 2 doesn’t come around often, and in a game that will decide a conference champion, it’s hard to find a bigger game that doesn’t involve a national championship trophy.

Indiana has been tested this year, allowing it to be ready for the moment ahead. But has Ohio State been challenged in the same way?

That remains to be seen. The Buckeyes’ talent is there, but according to their schedule — and Curt Cignetti’s observations — close-game situations aren’t something that Ohio State has been tested with just yet.

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