Five things to know about Indiana

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After Indiana took down Oregon in Eugene in the middle of September, it seemed that the Buckeyes and Hoosiers were on a collision course to Indianapolis.

Now, the matchup is official, and set between two undefeated teams and top two teams in the country.

Here are five things to know about the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers.

Curt Cignetti has completely turned around the program

After firing Tom Allen, the Hoosiers hired Curt Cignetti away from James Madison after he went 52-9 overall and 31-4 in conference with the Dukes.

In his first two seasons, he has immediately turned Indiana into a national contender, going 11-2 in his first season and making the College Football Playoff. This season, they are 12-0 and Cignetti is now 23-2 overall and 17-1 in conference. However, he is 0-1 against Ohio State after losing last season in Columbus.

Some of the top players came from James Madison with Cignetti

When Cignetti came over to Indiana, he brough six coaches and 13 players with him. Among those players were Butkus Award finalist Aiden Fisher, one of the top receivers in the country Elijah Surratt, top cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and plenty of others who have made a huge impact.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is one of the Heisman favorites

There is a real good chance that this game is not only for the Big Ten Championship, but the winning quarterback will win the Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza and Sayin, along with Jeremiyah Love and Diego Pavia, are the current favorites to win the Heisman. If one goes out and leads their team to a win, they will likely hoist the trophy in New York.

The Hoosiers are one of the best offenses in the country

While there have been times this season that Ohio State has pulled its foot off the gas in games and let the defense take over and dominate, Indiana has not.

The Hoosiers average 44.3 points per game and are the only team in the Big Ten that averages over 40 points per game. They have scored 50 or more points six times, 60 or more points twice and 70 or more once.

Indiana is dynamic, well-rounded and have playmakers at all positions. This will be the best test for the Ohio State defense this season.

They reinstated their mascot this season

Indiana University’s official mascot – Hoosier The Bison – returned this year to the campus after a 60-year hiatus. The mascot’s homecoming is a result of the ‘Bring Back the Bison Act’ passed by the Indiana University Student Body Congress on Dec. 16, 2024.

According to Indiana University, in response to the student government vote to re-adopt the Bison as the official IU-Bloomington mascot, IU Athletics moved forward with embracing it as a symbol of both the department and campus’ spirit, passion, tradition, unity, and success.

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