The Indiana Hoosiers football team completed a perfect regular season, a feat once considered unimaginable in the modern era of the Big Ten. Now, they turn their attention to a challenge of a different magnitude: the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the conference championship game.
The Hoosiers (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) sealed their unblemished record with a dominant 56-3 victory over rival Purdue on Nov. 28, cementing their status as one of the nation’s most compelling programs. The reward is a date with destiny on Dec. 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium against an Ohio State (12-0, 9-0) team that has been a national bulldozer.
“(We’re) playing a great football team, a lot of great players across the board,” Indiana University football head coach Curt Cignetti said of the Buckeyes during a press conference on Dec. 1.
Cignetti noted that aside from a close 14-7 win over Texas, Ohio State’s narrowest victory was by 18 points.
“In all those other games, they were in complete control,” Cignetti said.
The matchup presents a stark contrast to last year’s meeting in Columbus, Ohio, a 44-17 Ohio State victory that Cignetti believes exposed a gap in readiness.
“Looking back a year ago, objectively speaking, you would have to say that it became too big for us at some point,” Cignetti admitted.
The coach’s confidence in this year’s squad, however, is tangible. It is built not on the “misfits” mentality of past seasons but on proven performance and systematic development.
“I don’t view our team as a bunch of misfits at all,” Cignetti said, addressing a previous team narrative. “We’ve got a lot of good football players that have proven themselves collegiately… What I can tell you about this football team is we’ve met every challenge up to this point.”
The greatest challenge resides on the opposing sideline. Cignetti dissected an Ohio State defense that leads the nation in nearly every major statistical category.
“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,” Cignetti said. Offensively, Cignetti praised the poise of Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and the team’s balanced attack.
Indiana’s hope rests on a defense that mirrors the Buckeyes’ dominance. Cignetti traces its pedigree to his first head coaching stop.
“The only way I can really answer that… is since our first year at (James Madison University) in ’19 … we have played great defense every year,” Cignetti said.
Furthermore, the Hoosiers believe they are better equipped for this stage.
“We’re probably a little deeper on the offensive line than we were last year,” Cignetti said, a crucial factor against Ohio State’s formidable front. Cignetti also pointed to the team’s experience in close games as a potential asset against a Buckeye squad largely untested in fourth-quarter pressure.
Beyond a conference title, the implications are vast. A victory would all but guarantee Indiana its first-ever College Football Playoff berth. Cignetti acknowledges the recruiting disparity with a program like Ohio State but sees the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game as a pivotal moment.
“Are we closing that gap? Yeah, I think we’re closing that gap,” Cignetti said. “What would a successful performance do on (Dec. 6)? Well, it would do a lot, a whole lot.”
For now, the perfect season is a historic accomplishment. But for Cignetti’s Hoosiers, the final exam awaits under the lights at Lucas Oil Stadium, with a trophy, a playoff position and a legacy on the line. The preparation, Cignetti says, is all that matters.
“It’s my job to make sure that happens,” Cignetti said, “Our guys will walk on the field with confidence that they will get the job done.”
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Parham is the owner of @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more sports, 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.
