Indiana was expected to make an impressive statement this season with Heisman candidate Fernando Mendoza at the helm, and they certainly did that, dominating every opponent and notching some major wins along the way.
One factor the playoff committee may take into consideration when judging teams is their strength of schedule (SOS). Here’s a breakdown using the latest Indiana Hoosiers Football Vs Ohio State Buckeyes Football Stats to evaluate how both programs performed against top-level competition throughout the season.
| Rank | Date | Winner | Score | Key Stats / Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 6, 2025 | Indiana | 13–10 | Indiana won its first Big Ten title and ended a 31-game losing streak vs Ohio State. Fernando Mendoza threw for 222 yards. |
| 2 | Nov 21, 2020 | Ohio State | 42–35 | Justin Fields passed for 300+ yards and 2 TDs, while Indiana nearly completed a massive comeback. |
| 3 | Nov 23, 2024 | Ohio State | 38–15 | Buckeyes dominated defensively, limiting Indiana to only 151 total yards. |
| 4 | Sept 2, 2023 | Ohio State | 23–3 | Ohio State defense held Indiana to just 153 total yards in the season opener. |
| 5 | Nov 12, 2022 | Ohio State | 56–14 | Buckeyes exploded for 662 total offensive yards and 8 touchdowns. |
| 6 | Oct 23, 2021 | Ohio State | 54–7 | C.J. Stroud led a dominant offense with over 500 total yards for OSU. |
| 7 | Aug 31, 2017 | Ohio State | 49–21 | J.K. Dobbins debuted with 181 rushing yards, setting a freshman school record. |
| 8 | Nov 18, 1990 | Tie | 27–27 | One of the rare draws in the rivalry and Indiana’s last non-loss before decades of OSU dominance. |
| 9 | Oct 8, 1988 | Indiana | 41–7 | Indiana’s last regular-season win over Ohio State before the Buckeyes’ long winning streak. |
| 10 | Nov 23, 1901 | Indiana | 18–6 | First-ever meeting between the two programs. |
The Hoosiers’ offense
Indiana’s defense was in control throughout, holding Ohio State to only 322 yards while their front seven consistently created havoc for OSU’s opponents. Isaiah Jones, Rolijah Hardy and Tyrique Tucker all produced sacks while quarterback Ben Carter recovered two fumbles for Indiana; their 34 sacks rank second in the Big Ten Conference.
Indiana was able to move the ball efficiently on offense while simultaneously applying pressure to Ohio State’s defense, averaging just under 172 passing yards per game.
Running back Kaelon Black and wide receiver Charlie Becker each had impressive receiving stats with 116 and 126 receiving yards respectively; Indiana used this balance effectively as they opened up some distance in conference play.
Indiana earned its first Big Ten Championship since 1967 and its first undisputed championship since 1945 by virtue of winning its fourth-straight Big Ten game and locking up both a No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff as well as an early bye round by virtue of this win.
Hoosier run defense will prove a difficult matchup for Ohio State’s potency ground attack this season, yet failing to make headway against their pass defense may make things even harder in the second half.
One reason IU’s defense is so impressive is its depth. The Hoosiers boast an enviable roster of talented defensive lineman. Kent State transfer Stephen Daley has led all country tacklers with 18 tackles for loss; impressive when considering that 4.5 of those came off sacks and 1.5 were forced fumbles!
Indiana’s secondary is home to numerous talented and experienced players, led by safeties Lorenzo Styles and D’Angelo Ponds. Additionally, under former Georgia Tech coach Ron Dayne’s guidance has come a promising group of young players that has flourished under redshirt rules this season; many younger players received substantial playing time due to Dayne’s system which helped shape them into one of the premier units in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes’ defense
Ohio State Buckeyes football represents Ohio University in NCAA Division I FBS competition and competes within the Big Ten Conference. These lists identify single-game, single-season and career statistical leaders for Ohio State Buckeyes across various categories – passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats and kicking among them. Since 2024, postseason games no longer count against redshirt player’s four-game limit; this change corresponded with Big Ten instituting a championship game, giving players another opportunity to accrue statistics during their careers and accumulate statistics lists through 2025 season. Indiana began competing in intercollegiate football as early as 1890 while its modern era officially started in 1944 according to their record book.
The Hoosiers’ special teams
Indiana’s special teams made numerous game-changing plays during this year’s campaign, such as D’Angelo Ponds’ punt block scoop and touchdown against Illinois, or Al-Hadji Kamara’s blocked punt to keep Miami at bay in the national championship game.
This offseason, the unit stands to lose its punter, long snapper and kickoff specialist; however, they do return an excellent field goal kicker in Nicolas Radicic who can make short stuff automatic and is dead accurate from 45 yards out. He’s also proven himself capable of long balls; hitting one 50-yarder in their spring game performance.
Kickoff specialist Brendan Franke had been the team’s primary kickoff man; however, after suffering an injury during the final week of regular season play – redshirt sophomore Quinn Warren took over for four games averaging 39.8 yards on six punts averaged 39.8 averaged kickoff duties when required due to injury of Franke.
Grant Cain serves as Indiana University’s special teams and tight ends coach. After joining Cignetti at James Madison in 2019, he was promoted to assistant head coach before arriving in Bloomington this year. Grant Cain’s experience and leadership will prove instrumental as Indiana continues its special teams improvement journey.
Hoosiers Run Defense Should still Rank High: Even without All-American defensive end Matt West and linebacker Ryan VanHoose this offseason, Indiana should remain one of the nation’s premier run defenses. That being said, Ohio State was among the best offenses this season – testing Indiana even further than usual.
Hoosiers running back Alex Smith had another strong year with their offensive line being enhanced further with Notre Dame transfer Pat Coogan joining Zen Michalski at right tackle, Colorado transfer Kahlil Benson providing center depth.
| Category | Indiana Hoosiers | Ohio State Buckeyes |
|---|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 2024 Record | 11–1 Regular Season | 12–2 Overall |
| Head Coach | Curt Cignetti | Ryan Day |
| Team Strength | Balanced offense & aggressive defense | Elite passing offense & dominant defense |
| Total Offense Per Game | 439 Yards | 6,870 Total Yards |
| Passing Leader | Kurtis Rourke – 2,800+ yards, 27 TDs | Will Howard – 4,010 yards, 35 TDs |
| Rushing Leader | Justice Ellison – 800+ rushing yards | Quinshon Judkins – 1,060 rushing yards |
| Receiving Leader | Elijah Sarratt – 850+ receiving yards | Jeremiah Smith – 1,315 receiving yards |
| Defensive Leader | Aiden Fisher – 100+ tackles | Cody Simon – 112 tackles |
| Top Cornerback | D’Angelo Ponds | Denzel Burke |
| Sack Leader | Mikail Kamara | Jack Sawyer |
| 2024 Match Result | Lost 15–38 | Won 38–15 |
| Total Yards in 2024 Match | 151 yards | 316+ yards |
| QB Performance in 2024 Match | Kurtis Rourke: 68 passing yards | Will Howard: 206 passing yards, 2 TDs |
| Biggest Rivalry Moment | 2025 Big Ten Championship Win | 29+ game win streak before 2025 |
| First Meeting | 1901 | 1901 |
| All-Time Series Lead | 12 Wins | 79 Wins |
The Hoosiers’ bench
Indiana’s bench proved instrumental against Ohio State. Indiana’s starters became worn-down near the end of regulation, yet their reserves kept playing hard and helped force two turnovers that could have decided the game in overtime.
Ohio State broke free of an early deadlock early in the second quarter with a 12-0 run to go ahead 36-24 at halftime. Their three-point shooting proved effective against Indiana, who struggled from the field. Both Lenee Beaumont and Navaeh Caffey suffered early foul trouble that limited their offensive production.
A scoreless draw characterized regulation, with Indiana coming back from behind with a 14-3 run to take an 10-point advantage with four minutes remaining in regulation and four minutes left for overtime play. A 51-yard touchdown pass from Mendoza to Charlie Becker nearly sealed their victory for Hoosiers.
Ballo’s free throws gave Indiana the lead at 70-66 with 2:46 remaining, though Ohio State tried hard to come back but missed several shots during that final stretch. Ballo hit his second 3-pointer of overtime to put Indiana ahead 73-71 before Carlyle scored on a layup to increase IU’s advantage to 75-76 with less than one minute remaining.
Indiana freshman forward Matt Haarmann earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after posting 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks during Indiana’s win against Maryland last Saturday. Haarmann was among several Hoosier contributors that played significant roles for their win.
The Hoosiers won the outright conference title for the first time since 1967 and will take their chances at a No. 1 seed next week in the College Football Playoffs. These performances also added more attention to the latest Indiana Hoosiers Football Vs Ohio State Buckeyes Football Stats as fans continue comparing both powerhouse programs and their standout players throughout the season.
| Match Detail | Indiana Hoosiers | Ohio State Buckeyes |
|---|---|---|
| Match Date | November 23, 2024 | November 23, 2024 |
| Venue | Ohio Stadium, Columbus | Ohio Stadium, Columbus |
| Final Score | 15 | 38 |
| Quarterback | Kurtis Rourke | Will Howard |
| QB Stats | 8/18, 68 yards, 0 TD | 22/26, 201 yards, 2 TDs |
| Leading Rusher | Justice Ellison | TreVeyon Henderson |
| Rushing Yards | 83 total rushing yards | 115+ rushing yards |
| Leading Receiver | Elijah Sarratt | Jeremiah Smith |
| Receiving Yards | 32 yards | 68 yards, 1 TD |
| Total Offensive Yards | 151 yards | 316 yards |
| First Downs | 9 | 22 |
| Third Down Conversion | 3/12 | 7/13 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 24:18 | 35:42 |
| Defensive Standout | Aiden Fisher | Jack Sawyer |
| Biggest Play | Late fourth-quarter touchdown drive | First-half offensive dominance |
| Halftime Score | 7 | 14 |
| Key Difference | Struggled offensively against elite defense | Efficient passing and strong defense |
| Match Result | Loss | Victory |
| Series Standing After Match | 12 Wins Overall | 79 Wins Overall |
