INDIANAPOLIS — Fernando Mendoza passed for 222 yards and a touchdown and the Indiana defense came up with two late stands as the No. 2 Hoosiers defeated No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday.
The Hoosiers (13-0) won their first conference title since 1967 and beat the Buckeyes (12-1) for the first time in the last 31 tries.
Mendoza, who was named MVP of the game, completed 15 of 23 passes and threw an interception with Charlie Becker making six catches for 126 yards.
“It’s the most unbelievable feeling in the world to have such great coaches, teammates, everybody,” Mendoza said.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin completed 21 of 29 passes for 258 yards with a TD and an interception. Jeremiah Smith made eight catches for 144 yards.
Mendoza’s 17-yard TD pass to Elijah Sarratt on third down put the Hoosiers ahead 13-10 with 8:02 left in the third quarter.
It was the first time the Buckeyes trailed in the second half this season.
Ohio State then drove from its 25 to the Indiana 5, but on fourth-and-1, Sayin was stopped for no gain after a video review overturned a gain of 2 yards.
Later, the Buckeyes drove from their 10 to a fourth-and-1 at the 5 but Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal with 2:48 to play.
“We went down there two times and end up with zero points and that’s how you lose a game,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
“Third downs were not very good, not very good in the red zone, obviously, at the end. So, very disappointed. I thought Indiana played really well. Did a great job. But obviously, we’re all disappointed in the locker room that we didn’t finish out this regular season the way we wanted to.”
Then, on third-and-6 from Ohio State 24, Mendoza likely wrapped up the Heisman Trophy with a 33-yard strike to Becker to the Ohio State 43 with 2:00 left.
“When the game is on the line and the plays are magnified, it brings out the best of him,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said about Mendoza. “It’s almost like he’s playing around till he gets to that point.”
Ohio State led 10-6 at the half with a 9-yard touchdown catch by Carnell Tate the difference.
In a matchup of the top scoring defenses in the country, it was no shock that first points for each team were off turnovers. Sayin, after throwing an interception on the second Ohio State snap against Michigan in the previous game, was picked off by Louis Moore on the fourth and he returned it 2 yards to the 23. The Hoosiers had to settle for Nico Radicic’s 29-yard field goal.
Mendoza was intercepted by Davison Igbinosun at the Indiana 25, which led to Tate’s score to make it 7-3.
After Radicic missed a 39-yard field goal, ending his streak of 16 successful kicks, Fielding made it 10-3 with a field goal from the 30.
Radicic added a 3-pointer from the 32 after the drive stalled at the 14 late in the second quarter.
Indiana leading receiver Omar Cooper Jr. left the game early in the first half with a leg injury without making a catch.
–Craig Merz, Field Level Media
