For the first time ever, the No.1 and No. 2 teams in the CFP Rankings will face off in the Big Ten College Football Championship. No.1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana will play for the title Saturday, Dec. 6 at Lucus Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
At 12-0 overall and 9-0 in conference play, both Ohio State and Indiana finished their regular seasons undefeated. The Hoosiers haven’t beaten the Buckeyes since 1988 and trail the all-time series 81-12-5. The last time the duo faced off in Nov. 2024, Ohio State won 38-15.
Ohio State’s 2025 Regular Season:
Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Will Kacmarek (89), running back CJ Donaldson Jr. (12), quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and tight end Bennett Christian (85) celebrate during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This will be the first Big Ten Championship appearance for the Buckeyes since 2020, where they bested Northwestern 22-10, as a part of their four-year Big Ten title winning streak from 2017-2020. Current head coach, Ryan Day, led the team to victory in 2019 and 2020.
The last time the Buckeyes had a perfect regular season was in 2019. Ohio State is coming off a 27-9 win over rival Michigan on Nov. 29, which also marked its first win over Michigan since 2019.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti Era Continues:
Coming off a 56-3 win over Purdue Nov. 28, Indiana is making its first appearance in Big Ten championship game, which began in 2011, and looking for its first Big Ten title since 1967.
The Hoosiers are in their second season of the Curt Cignetti era, which has been marked by swift success and many firsts, including: first ever CFP appearance (2024), first ever undefeated regular season (2025) and highest AP ranking in program history (No.2, 2025). This season, Cignetti took home the Big Ten Coach of the Year award for both the coaches and media votes.
Award Winning Offense & Defense:
The two teams are strongly matched on both sides of the field. Each team has four players on the Big Ten all-conference first team defense. Indiana has two players on the first team offense, while Ohio has three.
The Buckeyes defense took home three individual awards: Defensive Back of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (Caleb Downs), Linebacker of the Year (Arvell Reese), and Defensive Lineman of the Year (Kayden McDonald).
| Total YDS | Passing YDS | Rushing YDS | PTS/G Allowed | Sacks | YDS/G Allowed | ||
| Ohio State | 5,262 | 3,204 | 2,058 | 7.8 | 30 | 203 | |
| Indiana | 5,806 | 3,049 | 2,757 | 10.9 | 34 | 251.8 | |
Julian Sayin vs. Fernando Mendoza:
The performance between Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will certainly be one to watch, as the two star QBs race for a Big Ten Championship title and a Heisman Trophy.
| YDS | TD | INT | QBR | CMP% | |
| Fernando Mendoza | 2,758 | 32 | 5 | 83.8 | 72.00% |
| Julian Sayin | 3,065 | 30 | 5 | 91.4 | 78.90% |
Mendoza headlines the Big Ten all-conference team and Sayin leads the second. Mendoza took home the Quarterback of the Year award and Player of the Year. Sayin was awarded the Freshman of the Year award.
How do the 2025-26 College Football Playoff Rankings work?
One significant change to the College Football Playoff rankings this year is how the top four teams are awarded their first-round bye. In 2025, the conference champions received an automatic bye, but in 2026, the four highest teams in the CFP rankings will receive a bye, regardless of conference standings.
Ohio State and Indiana’s performance in the championship could shift their final CFP rankings, although it is still possible they will both be seeded high enough to receive a first-round bye. The CFP selection committee will release its rankings after the Big Ten Championship game. The first round of the CFP begins on Friday, Dec. 19 and Dec. 20, with the Quarterfinals on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
How to watch Indiana vs. Ohio State College Football
- Date: Saturday, December 6th
- Time: 8 pm ET
- TV Network: FOX
- Streaming: Fubo
What is the 2025 college football conference championship schedule?
Friday:
- Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State (CUSA Championship) 7pm ET, CBSSN
- Troy vs. James Madison (Sun Belt Championship) 7pm ET, ESPN
- North Texas vs. Tulane (American Championship) 8pm ET, ABC
- UNLV vs. Boise State (Mountain West Championship) 8pm ET, FOX
Saturday:
- BYU vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 Championship) noon ET, ABC
- Miami Ohio vs. Western Michigan (MAC Championship) noon ET, ESPN
- PVAMU vs. Jackson State (SWAC Championship) 2pm ET, ESPN2
- Georgia vs. Alabama (SEC Championship) 4pm ET, ABC
- Duke vs. Virginia (ACC Championship) 8pm ET, ABC
- Indiana vs. Ohio State (Big Ten Championship) 8pm ET, FOX
How to watch College Football on Peacock
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