Indiana wins first outright Big 10 football title since 1945 after Ohio State flubs short field goal try

Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana wins first outright Big 10 football title since 1945 after Ohio State flubs short field goal try

'I want to give all the glory to God,' said Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza

Jackson Thompson Fox News

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December 6, 2025 11:50pm EST

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Fernando Mendoza after winning the Big 10 Championship: "It sounds so beautiful" | FOX College Football

Indiana Hoosiers' QB Fernando Mendoza was ecstatic after he won the Big 10 Championship against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal in the final minutes, as Indiana hung on to win the Big 10 football championship 13-10 on Saturday. For Indiana, it is their first outright conference championship since 1945, after winning a share of the title in 1967.

The Hoosiers were four-point underdogs going into the game against the defending national champions, with the top seed in the college football playoff on the line. Now, before the playoff even starts, Indiana has clinched, arguably, its most successful season in the modern era.

"I want to give all the glory to God. We were never supposed to be in this position, but by the glory of God, the great coaches, the great teammates, everybody around us, we were able to pull this off," Indiana quarterback Fernandeo Mendoza told Fox Sports after the game.

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Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) attempts to stop Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Mendoza passed for 222 yards with one touchdown and one interception to help pull off the win.

Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker, who caught six passes for 126 yards, also said, "all glory to God," to Fox Sports after the win.

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Indiana Hoosiers kicker Nicolas Radicic (15) kicks a field goal during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"The Hoosiers are real, and we're here," Becker said.

Indiana, now 13-0, will now look to win its first national championship ever in the college football playoff, as their statement win over Ohio State should all-but ensure the No. 1 seed when the tournament begins.

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Indiana Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby (1) rushes the ball Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Meanwhile, Ohio State is still likely to get a first-round bye despite the loss.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Indiana wins first outright Big 10 football title since 1945 after Ohio State flubs short field goal try