Brotherhood

Ohio State continues to set the tone for the rest of college football, reaffirming its status as the sport’s top program. After a dominant 27–9 win over Michigan, the Buckeyes remain firmly at No. 1 in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25, securing every single first-place vote in the Coaches Poll and 61 of 66 in the AP. From the outside looking in, it’s clear—Ohio State is playing on a different level.

The rest of the rankings shifted beneath them as Indiana, Georgia, Oregon, and Texas Tech rounded out the AP Top Five, while Ole Miss climbed into the top five in the Coaches Poll. But none of that changes the focus in Columbus. The biggest game of the season is now set: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana in what is shaping up to be the most-hyped Big Ten Championship Game in conference history.

Oddsmakers have given the Buckeyes early respect with MyBookie listing Ohio State as a 5.5-point favorite. The stakes could not be higher, as the winner will claim the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff and secure a trip to the Rose Bowl.

This marks Ohio State’s first appearance in Indianapolis since the 2020 win over Northwestern, and their seventh overall—breaking a tie with Wisconsin for the most in the conference’s title-game era. The Buckeyes enter with a 5–1 record in the Big Ten Championship Game, while Indiana will be making its first trip to Indianapolis.

History leans heavily in Ohio State’s favor. The Buckeyes own an 80–12–5 advantage in the series and have won 14 straight against the Hoosiers. Their most recent meeting came last November in Columbus, where the Buckeyes—ranked No. 2 at the time—rolled to a 38–15 victory over No. 5 Indiana. The Hoosiers haven’t beaten Ohio State since 1988.

Even Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti had nothing but praise when asked about the Buckeyes, saying, “They’re a great football team, obviously won the national championship last season. … Ryan Day is a great coach, going to be one of the legends of the game someday. … Dominant everywhere … giving up the fewest amount of points in the country. … Really good on third down, fourth down, lot of different looks, put them in different positions to make plays. … They really haven’t been challenged this year. … Other than the Texas game, I think, 18 points is the closest point differential in all their games.”

Ohio State and Indiana will kick off under the lights at 8 p.m. next Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium on FOX. With a playoff berth and the Big Ten crown on the line, the Buckeyes now enter the biggest game of their season—right where they expected to be.