By the Numbers: Key facts and figures ahead of the Big Ten Championship between Ohio State and Indiana

There’s a narrative out there that the Big Ten Championship between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana is the least-anticipated 1-2 matchup in college football history. Don’t listen to those people.

The Big Ten Championship is going to be incredible between, almost undisputedly, the two best teams in the country, the Buckeyes and Hoosiers. Even though Ohio State is still the big bad wolf, Indiana is a proven team. They’re not going to be intimidated going into this game.

Let’s look at some of the key numbers going into this heavyweight battle in Indianapolis.

15

This will be the 15th Big Ten Championship Game. The first was in 2011, a game won by the Wisconsin Badgers 42-39 over the Michigan State Spartans.

Ohio State has played in six Big Ten Championships prior to this season, going 5-1 in those games. The Buckeyes’ first appearance in the Big Ten title game was in 2013, and their most recent appearance was in 2020.

The Buckeyes are seeking their 40th Big Ten title and first since a conference record run of four consecutive outright Big Ten titles from 2017-20. With this being their seventh Big Ten Championship appearance, the Buckeyes have surpassed Wisconsin for the conference lead with seven Big Ten Championship Game appearances.

Their five wins in the Big Ten Championship are also the most in the Big Ten, with all five coming since their slip-up against Michigan State in 2013.

1

Ohio State and Indiana will be the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in Big Ten Championship Game history.

The Buckeyes, with a 26-2 record the past two seasons, and the Hoosiers, at 23-2, are the No. 1 and No. 4 winningest teams in the FBS in 2024 and 2025.

64

This will be the 64th matchup between No. 1 vs. No. 2 in FBS history. Ohio State has been involved in seven matchups prior to Saturday, with a 5-2 record.

50

Ohio State and Indiana each allowed only 50 cumulative points to their five common opponents this season: Illinois, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, and Wisconsin. Indiana scored 233 points, and Ohio State scored 188.

This number is astounding, and it shows how Ohio State and Indiana have been the two best teams in college football. The Big Ten Championship Game will show which team is the best in college football heading into the College Football Playoff.

10

The Buckeyes will be playing at neutral sites for the remainder of the season. Ohio State has won 10 consecutive games on the road or at neutral sites, including ranked wins over No. 3 Penn State, No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Texas, and No. 5 Notre Dame last year, and this year over No. 17 Illinois and No. 15 Michigan.

This will be the first time Ohio State and Indiana have played at a neutral site in series history.

99

This is the 99th all-time meeting between Ohio State and Indiana. Last year’s matchup was a top-five matchup in the penultimate week of the regular season, a game the Buckeyes won 38-15.

This will be the fifth time these two teams have met with both teams ranked in the top 25.

While the two teams didn’t meet in the regular season, their matchup in the Big Ten Championship will mark the 17th consecutive season they’re facing off. Ohio State will play in Bloomington in 2026.

Ohio State leads the all-time series in wins with 82 against 12 losses and five ties. Indiana has not won against Ohio State since 1988.

5

Ohio State has five players on its roster from Indiana. The most notable of those players is defensive end Caden Curry.

A Greenwood, Indiana native, Curry leads the Buckeyes in TFLs (13.5) and QB sacks (9.0), has started every game this year, and is a veteran of 52 games played.

Tight end Max Klare is from Fort Wayne and is third on the team with 41 receptions and 420 yards.

23

Urban Meyer has the most wins (24) of any Big Ten coach in their first two seasons at a Big Ten school. Right behind Meyer is Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti at 23.

Cignetti’s 23 wins are tied for No. 6 in FBS history by a coach in his first two seasons at a school. Indiana’s 12-0 record gives them 12 wins for the first time in program history, and it’s their first season without a loss since going 9-0-1 in 1945.

This season is the first time Indiana has gone undefeated in conference play.

12

With both teams undefeated going into the Big Ten Championship Game, there have now been 12 teams to go undefeated in the regular season since 1980 (Ohio State (6) Michigan (3), Penn State (1), Oregon (1), Indiana (1)).