Alright, pull up a seat and grab a glass, because we need to talk about what the heck is happening in the Big Ten this year.
If you had told me 22 months ago that we would be heading into November with the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 2 Indiana University Hoosiers on a crash course for the conference championship, I would’ve told you to lay off the brew.
But here we are.
This season has been straight-up bananas, and the best part is that the two teams standing tallest — literally at 9-0 for IU and 8-0 For OSU — are destined to meet in Indianapolis in December. This isn’t just media hype; it’s a mathematical certainty under the Big Ten’s new system: the two teams with the best records get in, and these two are currently holding the tickets.
Let’s be honest, the story of the year — and maybe the story of the decade — is Curt Cignetti at Indiana.
This guy is an absolute legend in the making. He took the IU job — which, let’s face it, has historically been a coaching graveyard — and immediately started talking trash, saying his team was going to the 2024 Big Ten title game. People laughed. He just shrugged and went 11-2 and made the College Football Playoff in his first year. Even Nick Saban had to admit that Cignetti did a “really good job” turning a 3-9 program into a consecutive top-10 contender.
Now, in Year 2, they’re somehow better. They rolled through a demanding early schedule, including a massive road win over a highly-ranked Oregon squad.
How did Cignetti do it? It’s simple: Cignetti is the master of the Transfer Portal. Instead of waiting three years for high school kids to develop, he just hit the portal and bought a veteran roster. He brought nearly a dozen key contributors from his previous school, James Madison, to Bloomington to set the culture. He snagged his star quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, from Cal.
Further, he literally swiped offensive line talent, like Zen Michalski, right out from under Ohio State’s nose.
Indiana’s success is primarily attributed to its immediate access to high-end talent. Mendoza is a Heisman finalist — he leads the country with 24 touchdown passes. He completes over 72% of his tosses, all while keeping his turnover rate incredibly low.
To put it simply: Mendoza must be a pre-med student because he has been downright surgical this season.
And don’t sleep on IU’s defense. Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines is one of the top guys in the nation. And his unit? Nasty. They ranked in the top ten in turnover rate last year and are suffocating through the air, giving up just 176.1 yards per game.
Here’s the real kicker: IU is 6-0 in conference and has the most manageable remaining schedule of any contender. Their final opponents have a combined conference record of 1-17. ESPN’s projection models basically have them at 12-0. They are practically a lock to play in Lucas Oil Stadium in December.
Now, let’s look at the other side of this inevitable clash: the Ohio State Buckeyes. They are the standard, the immovable object.
OSU is ranked No. 1 nationally, and they’ve earned it with the best defense in the country, period. I’m talking video game numbers; they lead the nation, allowing just 7 points per game.
That’s one touchdown a game … on the college level.
They are statistically overwhelming, ranking No. 1 in opponent red zone conversions. If you make it inside the 20, you’re likely to walk away with nothing. This defense provides an insane margin for error.
Offensively, Ohio State has its own Heisman contender in quarterback Julian Sayin, who is grading out as the best QB in the country by analytical standards, and is completing 80% of his passes — a potential all-time record.
But, if you’re watching closely, there’s an issue. Despite all that talent, with first-round receivers like Jeremiah Smith, the offense has looked tentative at times. They are only fourth in scoring in the Big Ten, and analysts are constantly ripping the play-calling, saying head coach Ryan Day and his staff have Sayin on a “tight leash.”
OSU insists on running the ball even when it’s not working, instead of unleashing their passing game.
Against most teams, the defense covers it up. Against this hyper-efficient IU team, however, that tight leash is going to be tested like never before.
This game on December 6th won’t just be for the Big Ten trophy. It’s the new College Football Playoff world, and the winner of this game—the No. 1 vs. No. 2—will almost certainly secure one of those crucial first-round byes in the 12-team tournament.
And think about the history. Ohio State has won 24 straight games against Indiana. This isn’t just a rivalry; it’s decades of dominance. But for the first time, IU comes in as an equal, a legitimate national title contender. The psychology of this match-up is completely flipped.
The best part? The game is in Indianapolis. Lucas Oil Stadium is IU’s backyard. We’re talking about Hoosier fans mobilizing in mass numbers for a potential 12-0 vs. 12-0 title match. It’s going to feel like a home game for the team that has historically been left out of the party.
Prepare yourself for a championship atmosphere — and a stadium bathed in the Indiana University crimson and Ohio State’s scarlet.
The big question is: Who will part the sea?
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham is the owner of Horsemen Sports Media. Contact him at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. For more, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also the owner and founder of Horsemen Sports Media.
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