Ryan Day won't let loss to Indiana affect the Buckeyes in CFP

It was a defensively minded battle, but a missed field goal sealed the deal for the Indiana Hoosiers.

On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Ohio State Buckeyes fell to the Hoosiers, 13-10, in the Big Ten title game. Both teams entered with undefeated records and were the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the nation. With high expectations, neither side disappointed, but the result sparked momentum for the Hoosiers heading into the College Football Playoffs and shot down the confidence of the Buckeyes.

Just a day later, the selection show process slotted the Hoosiers in as the No. 1 team in the nation, with the Buckeyes falling down a singular spot to No. 2. Both will receive byes in the first round.

Although some teams may fall flat on their face after a disappointing loss in a conference championship, head coach Ryan Day is under the belief that this just added fuel to the fire for Ohio State's players.

"This is not going to sit well with anybody," Day said. "But we can use it as an opportunity to get better and grow. ... To walk off that field without a championship is going to hurt. There's a lot of guys in our locker room that are pissed off right now."

Sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin started off the game against the Hoosiers on a rough note, throwing an interception, but he slowly returned back to his regular-season form. He finished the game with a measly eight incompletions while throwing for 258 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Bo Jackson also tacked on 17 carries for 83 yards.

But, the defense is what set the stage for such a hard-fought battle.

They provided hit after hit on potential Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, knocking him out of the game in the first quarter for a play. They also forced him to throw one interception. In total, the defense allowed just 340 total yards of offense.

When it looked like Ohio State was going to tie it up in the fourth quarter, kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard attempt to pretty much hand the win over to the Hoosiers.

"We went down there two times and ended up with zero points," said Day. "That's how you lose the game."

The loss moves the Buckeyes' record to 12-1 on the season, marking the program's lone blemish up until this point. In 2024, the Buckeyes won a national championship, suffering just one loss in a similar late-season matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.

That loss allowed the Buckeyes to self-reflect, building more drive for them heading into the CFP, where they dominated each team they faced.

They blew out the Tennessee Volunteers, 42-17, in the first round, following that showing up with another convincing win, 41-21, in the next round against the Oregon Ducks. After building up tremendous confidence, they then beat Texas in the semifinal round, 28-14, to head to the title game.

In the national championship, they beat down on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who did not make the 2025 CFP, by a final score of 34-23.

"I just saw that group stick together," Sayin said in reflection of the 2024 program. "That's going to be a big part for us."

Maybe, just maybe, history will once again repeat itself. All it takes is the locker room to light a fire underneath itself and use Saturday's loss to motivate them throughout the playoffs.

Ohio State's first chance at redemption will come on Wednesday, Dec. 31, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. They will take on the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Miami (Fla.).