Why Indiana's championship win vs. Miami should make Ohio State fans feel better

While no Ohio State Buckeyes fan wanted to see Indiana win a national championship, the game should make fans feel better about their 2025 season.

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day looks on during the first quarter against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Indiana Hoosiers did exactly what Ohio State Buckeyes fans didn't want to see: win the national championship.

While their showdown with the Miami Hurricanes was closer than most of the games they have played this season, Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza had the game-sealing, incredible 12-yard touchdown run to give the Hoosiers the 27-21 win. Indiana completed a 16-0 season and won its first national title in program history.

Ohio State had a great season themselves, but losing the last two games of the season in the Big Ten Championship and playoff is a tough pill to swallow. Despite all that, though, Buckeyes fans should actually feel a lot better about those final two losses after watching the national championship.

Ohio State fans should feel better about themselves after Indiana-Miami game

The Buckeyes lost their final two games of the season to the two teams that met in the national title game. Ohio State first lost to Indiana in the Big Ten title game, 13-10, as the Hoosiers were the toughest team it played this season.

It was the Buckeyes' defense that shone against the Hoosiers' top-notch offense, as it was the only game this season in which Indiana did not score more than 20 points. If it wasn't for a missed field goal and a turnover by Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin, that game might have gone the other way for Ohio State.

As for the 24-14 Cotton Bowl loss to the Hurricanes, Ohio State played that game tough as well. The crippling moment was another Sayin interception that set the Buckeyes back and hurt them from completing the comeback against Miami.

The good news is that both games were winnable games for Ohio State (but that might be a bad thing depending on who Buckeyes fans speak to). It's the small things that Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and the coaching staff can fix in spring football and the summer.

Ohio State already has a stellar recruiting class and is building its roster through the transfer portal, which is an advantage for them. The Buckeyes know what needs to be corrected to be better entering the 2026 season.

While a national title finish would have been a preferred result of the season, the Buckeyes fan base still has to feel good about the future with Sayin leading the offense, as this team still has what it takes to get back in the playoffs and win another national title.