This Stat Explains Indiana's Defensive Dominance in Win Over Ohio State

The Hoosiers won the Big Ten title because of their defensive performance. This stat explains how they held the Buckeyes to ten points.

Dec 6, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks on before the 2025 Big Ten championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

On Saturday night, No. 2 Indiana was held below 20 points for the first time in the 2025 season – yet the Hoosiers still prevailed. Despite just 13 points from the offense, Indiana was able to knock off No. 1 Ohio State en route to a Big Ten championship. 

The moment @IndianaFootball became BIG TEN CHAMPS pic.twitter.com/3RRzF2gpYG

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2025

The reason was fairly simple: the defense. The Buckeyes scored 24-plus in every contest during Big Ten play and they cracked 30 in seven of their nine league outings. 

Quarterback Julian Sayin, and his supremely talented weapons on the outside in receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, have been too much for any defense to handle, and the expectation was Saturday would be more of the same. 

With the amount of time Sayin has consistently been given by his stellar offensive line, he was able to dissect secondaries and deliver pinpoint dimes to his pass catchers at will all year long. 

Indiana's sack total on Saturday night nearly matched OSU's total sacks allowed on the season

Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Isaiah Jones (46) hits Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In fact, through 12 games in the regular season, Sayin was sacked just six times – a key reason the Buckeyes offense was such a well-oiled, high-scoring machine.

But in the Big Ten championship, he was brought down five times. Indiana, led by two sacks from linebacker Isaiah Jones, applied pressure on Sayin all night long, forcing him out of the pocket, getting him out of rhythm and ensuring he rarely was able to set his feet and comfortably hit a receiver. 

SAYIN SACKED FOR A LOSS OF SIX@IndianaFootball continues to apply pressure pic.twitter.com/HaWms3WXtO

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2025

And although Smith and Tate got theirs (the pair combined for 12 receptions, 189 yards and a touchdown), it still wasn’t enough. The Buckeyes were too often behind schedule, facing third-and-longs – which was a situation they had minimal experience in before Saturday night. 

The end result? Ten total points from Ohio State – and a donut in the second half. 

The question heading into the Big Ten title game was clear: which team was going to win in the trenches? The answer was Indiana – by a country mile. 

It showed up mostly on the sacks, but the Hoosiers finished with 9.0 tackles for loss in the game. (For some perspective, the Buckeyes defense registered 4.0 TFLs.)

No play better summed up Indiana’s win than the 4th-and-1 Ohio State faced on the Hoosiers’ five in the third quarter. Cignetti’s defense stuffed Sayin on a quarterback sneak and turned the Buckeyes over on downs. 

Indiana won in the trenches, it wreaked havoc on Sayin all night long and held Ohio State’s rushing attack to 2.2 yards per carry. It’s not a surprise the Hoosiers won the football game. In fact, the only shock is they didn’t win it by more.