Indiana defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game by a final score of 13-10 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Hoosiers won their first Big Ten title since 1967, and first outright league crown since 1945. Indiana also almost certainly secured the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
Below are three quick reasons why the Hoosiers won, along with highlights and final stats.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the game from The Daily Hoosier.
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Three quick reasons why Indiana
1. Indiana’s defense dominates. The IU defense held Ohio State to 322 yards, 46 of which came on the last play. The Buckeyes were just 4 of 11 on third down and had just 58 rush yards. The Hoosiers lived in the Buckeye backfield. They produced nine tackles for loss and five sacks. Isaiah Jones led the Hoosiers in both categories with two sacks and two tackle for loss.
2. Mendoza leads massive third quarter drive. Indiana’s offense wasn’t able to break through for a touchdown until the third quarter, when quarterback Fernando Mendoza delivered two perfect passes — a 51-yard bomb to Charlie Becker, and a 17-yard back shoulder touchdown to Elijah Sarratt. The latter throw gave IU their first lead of the second half, and they never let it go. Mendoza’s 15 of 23 night throwing the ball for 222 yards and a touchdown likely secured him the Heisman Trophy.
3. Hoosier offense finds balance. Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan called a strong game against a defense that came in allowing the least points per game in the nation. The Hoosiers rushed for 116 yards and passed for 222. Kaelon Black led IU with 67 yards rushing. Charlie Becker had 126 yards receiving.
Highlights
Final stats
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