Two programs, two national championships, and a rivalry that has taken on an entirely different meaning over the past two seasons.
When No. 4 Ohio State travels to Bloomington to face No. 5 Indiana on Saturday afternoon, the matchup will feature the last two national champions in college football, with both programs looking to strengthen their position in the Big Ten and the College Football Playoff race.
For Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, the meeting presents an opportunity to avenge last December’s Big Ten Championship loss, a defeat that ended Ohio State’s pursuit of consecutive national titles. For Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers, it represents another opportunity to demonstrate that Indiana’s remarkable rise to the top of college football was no one-season accomplishment.
Saturday’s contest will also mark the first top-five matchup ever played at Indiana’s Memorial Stadium, adding another chapter to a series that has become one of the Big Ten’s most compelling matchups. (Indiana Athletics)
2024: Ohio State Delivers a Reality Check on Its Way to a National Championship
The recent history between these programs begins on November 23, 2024, when an undefeated Indiana team arrived in Columbus with an opportunity to make one of the biggest statements in program history.
Cignetti, then in his first season leading the Hoosiers, had transformed a struggling program into an unlikely College Football Playoff contender. Indiana entered Ohio Stadium with a perfect 10-0 record, but standing across the field was a Buckeyes team determined to prove it belonged among the nation’s elite.
Indiana struck first, taking a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter. However, Ohio State quickly seized control, scoring 31 unanswered points before eventually securing a convincing 38-15 victory.
The Buckeyes overwhelmed Indiana with their defensive pressure, special teams contributions, and superior execution. What began as an opportunity for the Hoosiers to announce themselves as legitimate national championship contenders instead became a reminder of the gap they still needed to close.
For Ohio State, the victory became an important chapter in a season that would eventually end with Ryan Day capturing his first national championship as head coach.
Despite suffering a devastating regular-season loss to Michigan the following week, the Buckeyes regrouped during the College Football Playoff, defeating Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and ultimately Notre Dame to capture the program’s first national championship since the 2014 season.
Indiana, meanwhile, finished its remarkable 2024 campaign with an 11-2 record after falling to Notre Dame in the opening round of the playoff.
The loss in Columbus, however, would remain significant for Cignetti and his program. (Indiana Daily Student)
2025: Cignetti Gets His Revenge, Then Completes an Unthinkable Championship Run
Just over a year later, the two programs met again under dramatically different circumstances.
This time, the stakes were even higher.
No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana entered the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game undefeated, setting up a historic meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Ohio State arrived as the defending national champion, while Indiana was seeking its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945.
Unlike their previous meeting, the Hoosiers were prepared to match Ohio State’s physicality and defensive intensity.
In a tightly contested defensive battle, Indiana limited the Buckeyes to just 10 points, disrupting an offense that had been among the most talented in college football.
The Hoosiers eventually emerged with a 13-10 victory, ending Ohio State’s 30-game winning streak in the series and delivering Cignetti his first victory over Ryan Day.
It was a defining moment for Indiana football.
The same program that had been overwhelmed in Columbus a year earlier had now defeated the defending national champions on one of college football’s biggest stages.
More importantly, the victory proved to be the beginning of something even greater.
Indiana carried its momentum into the College Football Playoff, defeating Alabama, Oregon, and Miami to complete a perfect 16-0 season and capture the first national championship in school history.
In just two seasons, Cignetti had transformed Indiana from a Big Ten afterthought into the best team in college football.
Ohio State’s season, meanwhile, ended with a College Football Playoff defeat to Miami, leaving the Buckeyes without the opportunity to defend their national championship.
The balance of power between the two programs had shifted, and for the first time in decades, Indiana entered the following season with something Ohio State wanted back. (Big Ten Conference)
2026: Two Championship Programs With Plenty Left to Prove
Saturday’s matchup brings together two teams that have once again established themselves among the nation’s best.
Ohio State enters the contest at 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play, while Indiana remains undefeated at 6-0 with an identical conference record.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 45-16 victory over Maryland, while the Hoosiers survived a difficult road matchup against Nebraska, escaping Lincoln with a 20-17 win.
Indiana’s victory extended its winning streak to 22 consecutive games, a remarkable stretch that includes its undefeated national championship campaign last season.
Despite the Hoosiers’ success, Ohio State enters Saturday with considerable motivation.
Day’s program has retained much of its offensive talent, including quarterback Julian Sayin and star receiver Jeremiah Smith, giving the Buckeyes the personnel to challenge one of the Big Ten’s most disciplined defensive units.
Indiana, meanwhile, has undergone significant roster changes following its championship season, including the departure of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Nevertheless, Cignetti has continued to demonstrate his ability to build competitive teams through player development, the transfer portal, and a disciplined approach that has become the foundation of Indiana’s success.
The Hoosiers will also have the advantage of playing in Bloomington, where they have won 19 consecutive home games.
For Ohio State, the challenge will be maintaining offensive consistency against an Indiana team that has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to win close games. For the Hoosiers, containing Ohio State’s explosive passing attack could prove essential to extending their unbeaten season. (CBS Sports)
More Than Another Regular-Season Matchup
The significance of Saturday’s game extends well beyond the conference standings.
In 2024, Ohio State used its dominant victory over Indiana as part of a championship season that solidified Day’s standing among college football’s elite coaches.
In 2025, Cignetti returned the favor, defeating the Buckeyes in Indianapolis before guiding Indiana to one of the most extraordinary national championship runs in college football history.
Now, the two coaches enter their third meeting with one victory apiece and another opportunity to shape the direction of the Big Ten championship race.
Ohio State still holds a commanding advantage in the all-time series, but Indiana’s emergence has fundamentally changed the expectations surrounding this matchup.
The Hoosiers are no longer simply trying to compete with the Buckeyes. They have proven they can beat them, win conference championships, and reach the pinnacle of the sport.
For Ohio State, Saturday is an opportunity to reassert itself against the program that ended its hopes of repeating as national champion.
For Indiana, it is a chance to defend its position atop the college football landscape and demonstrate that the success of the Cignetti era is built to last.
Over the past two seasons, these programs have traded decisive victories before each went on to lift the national championship trophy.
Saturday afternoon in Bloomington will not determine this year’s national champion, but it could provide an early indication of which program is better positioned to pursue another title.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on Saturday, October 17, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The game will be nationally televised on FOX. (Ohio State Athletics)
