BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Once again, No. 5 Indiana faced adversity in the fourth quarter, this time against No. 4 Ohio State in the first-ever top-five matchup at Memorial Stadium.
Last week at Nebraska, the offense broke through when they needed to, as wide receiver Nick Marsh’s heroics led to a come-from-behind victory.
On Saturday, quarterback Josh Hoover looked his way again in a do-or-die situation: a fourth-and-4 on the Buckeye 27-yard line with just over a minute to play.
With an all-out blitz coming, Hoover floated a sideline pass for Marsh in the end zone. The junior hauled it in, but his left foot came down out of bounds, and IU turned it over on downs. The Buckeyes ran the clock out and defeated the Hoosiers, 19-15.
“It’s a game of inches,” Hoover said postgame on the incompletion. “Unfortunately the last play; it does sting.”
Josh Hoover finds Nick Marsh – BUT HE’S OUT OF BOUNDS https://t.co/WCcs1mUefF
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 17, 2026
That heartbreaking moment encapsulated Indiana’s performance on Saturday: A play that started with promise, but ultimately failed due to a lack of execution.
IU’s offense was out of rhythm for most of the afternoon, especially in the first half. The miscues ran rampant.
One such instance was near the end of the second quarter, when IU had an opportunity to extend a 7-3 lead in the red zone. On third down, Hoover did not see tight end Brock Schott all alone in the corner of the end zone, instead firing an incompletion into double coverage.
Kicker Nico Radicic then proceeded to miss a 32-yard field goal. Instead of coming away with three (or possibly seven), IU wound up with nothing. Ohio State marched down the field and scored a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half, giving the Buckeyes a lead that they never lost hold of.
“We’re driving, got all the momentum, take the lead,” head coach Curt Cignetti said postgame on that specific drive. “We had it, and we couldn’t make it happen; and then they go down and score.”
Hoover completed half of his pass attempts on the day. His 20 incompletions included multiple misfires, specifically in the middle of the field between the numbers.
The run game was nonexistent, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry for the game.
IU lost two fumbles in the second half, the first two offensive turnovers they’ve had all season long.
Indiana also finished 0-for-2 on fourth downs, with both instances coming in the second half as well. Ohio State, on the contrary, was 2-for-2 on fourth down, finding the end zone on both of those plays.
“We had a lot of opportunity out there that we didn’t cash in on; particularly in the second half,” Curt Cignetti added on the execution issues. “We weren’t good enough today to seize it.”
Considering all of those mistakes, it is amazing that IU had a chance to take the lead in the final minute of the game.
The Hoosiers were helped out by several offensive miscues from Ohio State, highlighted by quarterback Julian Sayin throwing a pair of interceptions, both of which wound up in the hands of Amare Ferrell.
Indiana was given every possible opportunity to right its wrongs offensively and come away with a top-five win in front of a sold-out home crowd.
“We ran 75 plays, we had a lot of opportunities to score at other moments,” Hoover added. “It’s never about one play.”
But ultimately, the Hoosiers came up just short, losing for the first time in nearly 700 days. The loss drops Indiana’s record to 6-1 on the season, and their 22-game win streak and 19-game home streak are over.
It took a lot of mistakes to end those runs.
This loss will certainly hurt, but IU has no time to sulk in their disappointment from this game. They have to get ready for another big road test next week, as they will travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan.
“The sun’s going to rise tomorrow,” wide receiver Charlie Becker added. “We’re gonna get better; watch the film; compete, and get ready for Michigan.”
IU and Michigan will kick off at noon Eastern from Michigan Stadium. The game will be televised on FOX.
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