The top two ranked teams in the country meet in Saturday’s Big Ten championship, as the Ohio State Buckeyes clash with the Indiana Hoosiers. Both teams head to Indianapolis with perfect 12-0 records as each squad seeks a bye in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes begin their quest for a second straight National Championship while seeking their first Big 10 title game victory since 2020. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, have won 23 of their last 24 regular-season games, matching their victory output from the previous five seasons before head coach Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington.
Let’s dive into this Indiana vs. Ohio State prediction for Saturday’s showdown, kicking off at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX at Lucas Oil Stadium. Use PrizePicks CFB to win real-money rewards if your Week 15 CFB picks are right.
Indiana vs. Ohio State Prediction, Preview for 12/6
The Buckeyes eye their 17th straight win since losing the 2024 season finale to Michigan.
Ohio State enters this matchup as 3.5-point favorites, returning a 1.47x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Indiana is listed as underdogs with a 2.5x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Ohio State -3.5
- Total: 46.5
- Game Winner Payout: Indiana 2.5x | Ohio State 1.47x
Payouts are as of Friday, 12 p.m. ET and are subject to change.
Here are some stats to know to get you set for Indiana vs. Ohio State today.
- The Buckeyes allowed 93 points this season after yielding 128 points during the 2024 regular season.
- Ohio State snapped its four-game losing streak to Michigan in last Saturday’s 27-9 rout in Ann Arbor. It marked the 10th time the Buckeyes have held their opponent to fewer than 10 points.
- Head coach Ryan Day’s squad failed to cover the point spread in two games. OSU pushed as a 28-point favorite in a 37-9 victory over Ohio in September, then didn't cover in a 34-10 win at Purdue last month as 28.5-point favorites.
- The Hoosiers scored 520 points in Cignetti’s first season but eclipsed that number in 2025 with 532 points.
- Five of Indiana’s final six wins came by at least 24 points, with the only close shave being a last-minute 27-24 triumph at Penn State on Nov. 8.
- Much is made of Indiana’s dynamic offense, but its defense deserves credit. The Hoosiers allowed 131 points, second-fewest in the nation behind Ohio State.
- Ohio State routed Indiana last season, 38-15, in Columbus as 10.5-point favorites. The Buckeyes have won 30 consecutive meetings against the Hoosiers since 1991.
Indiana Hoosiers Preview vs. Ohio State
- Indiana ranks slightly ahead of Ohio State in offensive success rate, via Game on Paper. The Hoosiers sit third overall, fourth in passing, and fifth in rushing.
- The Hoosiers are 25th defensively in net EPA/play, just a slight drop from 21st during last season’s surprising run.
- Under Cignetti, IU has covered 16 of 25 games but is 1-2 both straight-up and against the spread as an underdog.
Ohio State Buckeyes Preview vs. Indiana
- Ohio State allowed 203 yards per game in the regular season, good for first in the country. The next closest team was Toledo, who gave up 247.8 yards per contest.
- The Under hit in eight of OSU’s 12 games, including six times in Big Ten play.
- The Buckeyes rank first in net EPA/play and EPA/pass. For the second straight season, OSU was the top team in the country in adjusted net EPA/play.
Indiana vs. Ohio State Picks & CFB DFS
Below are the top PrizePicks CFB picks for Saturday night’s battle between Indiana and Ohio State.
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin vs. Indiana Projection: 231.5 Passing Yards
- QB Julian Sayin posted six games of 300+ yards in his first season as a starter. The sophomore's best stretch came from late October through mid-November. He threw for 393 yards against Wisconsin, 316 yards against Penn State, and 303 yards against Purdue.
- According to Pro Football Focus, he owns the top passing grade of any QB in the nation at 93.2.
- Three opposing QBs threw for more than 232 yards against Indiana last season.
- After throwing for 126 yards in a season-opening win against Texas, Sayin averaged 267.1 yards in the final 11 games.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza vs. Ohio State Projection: 208.5 Passing Yards
- QB Fernando Mendoza went from an afterthought transfer from Cal to a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2025. He threw for 2,758 yards and 32 TDs in his first season at IU, doubling his TD output from 2024.
- The Miami native posted only one 300+ yard passing game, a 332-yard performance in a 38-13 home win over Michigan State on October 18.
- In three of the last five games, the junior threw for 201 or fewer yards, including 117 yards in a 56-3 regular season finale rout of Purdue.
- The only QB to throw for more than 200 yards against Ohio State was Illinois QB Luke Altmyer, who posted 248 yards in a 34-16 loss on Oct. 11.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith vs. Indiana Projection: 74.5 Receiving Yards
- WR Jeremiah Smith took the nation by storm in his freshman season, racking up 1,315 receiving yards to help lead the Buckeyes to the promised land.
- The sophomore’s numbers took a slight dip this regular season, as he put up 942 receiving yards.
- Smith finished with 40 receiving yards in each of the last two games against UCLA and Michigan, his lowest outputs of 2025.
- In six of 12 games, he produced at least 75 receiving yards, including a pair of 100+ yard performances in Big Ten action against Penn State and Purdue.
- OSU didn’t play in the Big Ten championship last season, but Smith posted at least 88 yards in three of four playoff games.
Make #2 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State Picks on PrizePicks
The winner of the Big Ten championship will likely claim the top seed in the College Football Playoff. Indiana and Ohio State link up for a classic between the last two undefeated teams in the nation.
Ahead of the Indiana vs. Ohio State kickoff at 8:00 p.m. ET, it's time to make your CFB picks with PrizePicks. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions if you're right.
It's the simplest way to get real-money action on college football.
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