How Ohio State's two losses this season came against national championship finalists

On Friday night, the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers dismantled the No. 5 seed Oregon Ducks 56-22 in the Peach Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes join the Hoosiers to compete for the national title after an improbable playoff run, beating the No. 6 seed Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 in a Thursday night thriller.

The two teams share an important distinction.

They are the only two programs to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes this season, that finished 12-2 and entered the CFP as the No. 2 seed. The Buckeyes ended their season with back-to-back losses against the eventual national champion and runner-up. The first loss closed the door on the Buckeyes winning their first Big Ten Championship Game since 2020. The other loss eliminated the program from the playoffs, where they were the odds-on favorite to win it all.

Ohio State could have won both games.

Against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State held the Hoosiers to just 13 points, an impressive task considering Indiana beat Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 in the CFP. Despite the strong defensive performance, errors by both the offense and special teams held Ohio State back from earning another Big Ten title.

Starting with an early game interception from Julian Sayin, a theme for the Buckeyes’ quarterback in big games, set the Hoosiers up to score first with a field goal. Ohio State continued to flounder offensive possessions, most notably when Sayin failed to convert a 4th-and-1 quarterback sneak on Indiana’s 5-yard line while down 13-10.

The moment most remember from this game, however, is kicker Jayden Fielding’s missed chip-shot field goal. With 2:48 left in the game, Fielding’s 27-yarder swung wide left, costing Ohio State the game 13-10.

Entering the CFP, the Buckeyes only dropped one spot from their previous No. 1 seed ranking and would face the winner of Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M. The Hurricanes beat the Aggies late, 10-3, and traveled to Arlington, Texas, to play the heavily favored Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

With a chance to redeem themselves, Ohio State was stunned 24-14 in the biggest upset loss thus far in the 2025 CFP.

The Buckeyes were outclassed in the trenches on both offense and defense against Miami. Sayin was sacked five times by four different Hurricane defenders, and in the first half, Ohio State garnered minus 3 rushing yards.

The Buckeyes’ defensive line could not stop running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown, as well as quarterback Carson Beck’s run game, which kept the Hurricanes on the field for long drives.

The Buckeyes continued to beat themselves as well, with another first-quarter Sayin interception, this time a pick-six, and an end-of-the-half missed Fielding field goal.

Hypothetical wins and moral victories don’t get a program anywhere. Yes, the Buckeyes held the Hoosiers to a season-low 13 points. Yes, if Ohio State had played a clean game, they could have advanced in the CFP. Yes, if the Buckeyes moved on, they would have been the favorites against Ole Miss with a chance to play a competitive game for the national title against Indiana.

There is a very real world where Ohio State goes -

2020- Lose in national championship
2022- Lose to national champion on final drive
2023- Lose to national champion on final drive
2024- Win national title
2025- lose to both teams in national title on final drive
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) January 9, 2026

None of those scenarios erase the reality that remains: Ohio State fell short of its potential once again.