The 2025 Big Ten Championship Game matchup is set, and it’s a battle between the two teams who have seemed destined for this meeting for months: Ohio State and Indiana. They have been the two best teams in the league all season, as well as the two best teams in the country, according to every major poll.
This year’s game is a historic matchup as well. It’s the first time in Big Ten Championship Game history both participants will enter the game undefeated. Both Ohio State and Indiana will enter the game with a 12-0 record, and the winner will not only be Big Ten champion but also the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Things won’t be terrible for the loser, either. While they won’t get to call themselves Big Ten champions, they’ll also likely receive a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. That’s what happens when you’re two of the best teams in the country.
So, not only is this a conference title game, but it could be the first of two meetings between these teams this season.
What to know about Ohio State
This has been one of the most impressive coaching jobs in college football history by Ryan Day. Ohio State won the national title last season, lost nearly all the significant contributors from that team, as well as both its offensive and defensive coordinators. And all the Buckeyes have done is run through the regular season undefeated, dominating opponents along the way.
Last year, the Buckeyes’ offense was led by a veteran transfer at QB in Will Howard. This season, it’s been a redshirt freshman Julian Sayin, who was quickly thrown into the fire by having to face Texas in his first career start. As expected, Sayin got off to a slow start but has proven to be one of the best players in the country this season, and he could be on his way to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He may even win the award depending on how things go in this game.
He may not be Ohio State’s lone Heisman finalist. The man Sayin has thrown to more often than any other, Jeremiah Smith, could be on his way as well. Smith was one of the best receivers in the country as a freshman last year, and nothing has changed in his sophomore season.
Still, while the offense remains one of the most dangerous in the country, it may be the Ohio State defense that truly separates them from the rest of the country. There is no other word to describe the unit other than elite. Only four teams have managed to score double-digits against the Buckeyes, and none scored more than 16.
Whether it’s players like Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald up front, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese at linebacker or Caleb Downs and Lorenzo Styles in the secondary, there is incredible talent at every single level. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has used every player at his disposal to create a puzzle that no offense has been able to solve.
What to know about Indiana
Nobody was quite sure what to make of the Hoosiers entering the 2025 season. We were all still a bit stunned by what the team pulled off in 2024, but would they be able to pull off the encore? After all, they lost a few key players from that team and were rebuilding through the transfer portal again.
Plus, the schedule got a lot tougher.
And none of it mattered. Not only did Indiana continue the success it had in 2024, but it also improved upon it. Those big games the Hoosiers couldn’t win last year? They won them this year. They went on the road and beat Oregon at Autzen Stadium. After listening to the college football world spend the entire offseason describing Illinois as “this year’s Indiana,” Indiana beat the Illini by a resounding 53 points. These Hoosiers can no longer be described as a bully beating up on inferior competition: they beat up on everybody all the same.
While coach Curt Cignetti deserves a lot of the credit for changing the culture of the program, the talent infusion helped, too. The transfer class along the offensive line has been a grand slam for the program, as the team is much stronger along the lines of scrimmage than last season, but the biggest difference is the new quarterback.
Fernando Mendoza might be your Heisman Trophy winner. He may also be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft next spring. For now, he’s the guy leading the Indiana Hoosiers to their first 12-0 record in program history, and possibly their first Big Ten title since 1967, and first outright conference title since 1945. It’s been a while!
He doesn’t do it alone, though. While they may not be household names, players like Aiden Fisher, D’Angelo Ponds, Stephen Daley, and Isaiah Jones lead one of the most fearsome defenses in the country.
Ohio State vs. Indiana prediction
I wish I could tell you I have a clear read on this game, but I don’t. While these two met last season, they were both very different teams, and Indiana has upgraded its roster since. Both have explosive offenses led by their quarterbacks and excellent receivers. Both have strong front sevens on defense that do an excellent job stopping the run and putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
There really isn’t a whole lot to separate these teams, but if you can fall back on anything in this sport, it’s talent. Indiana has a lot of talented players. Ohio State is an entire roster full of future NFL players. That, and the fact the Buckeyes have been in big spots like this before, and won, might prove to be the edge in what will be a close game. Prediction: Ohio State win Big Ten championship
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