The No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers take on the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game. The game kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Buckeyes are listed as four-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 47.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for the Big Ten Championship Game.
Indiana vs. Ohio State prediction, preview
Indiana Preview
The Hoosiers have had an incredible season. Last year, Curt Cignetti took this team to the College Football Playoff in his first season with the program. However, the team was dubbed overrated by many and then got expelled in the first round. This season, the team has gotten to another level through bolstering the trenches and the addition of quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Hoosiers rank second in the nation in EPA margin, only behind their opponent in this game. The Indiana offense allows them to compete with any team in the country, and they proved against Oregon that they can hang in the trenches with the best lines in the nation. Indiana has a great chance to win this game and its first outright Big Ten title since 1945.
Ohio State Preview
Ohio State is a heavy favorite to repeat as national champions. The Buckeyes won the ultimate prize last season, but failed to beat Michigan, which left them out of the Big Ten Championship Game. This season, they broke the losing streak against their arch-rivals and now have a chance to win their first Big Ten title since 2020. While Ohio State’s priority will be on winning its second straight national title, the Buckeyes would love to add a Big Ten title to what could end up being the perfect season. Julian Sayin has been fantastic, and Ohio State has the best wide receiver duo in the nation. On top of that, the Buckeyes have an elite defense led by Caleb Downs. Since playing a one-score game in the season opener against Texas, Ohio State has won its last 11 games by an average of 31.3 points. It is the team to beat, and it will take a great effort from Indiana to take the Buckeyes down in Indianapolis.
Indiana vs. Ohio State pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for the Hoosiers to cover the four-point spread. As dominant as Ohio State has been, this will be the best team that it has played all season. Despite running away with it at the end, Ohio State played an incredibly physically and emotionally taxing game last week against Michigan. Finally taking down Michigan was an incredible relief to these players and coaches, and they could just be content to rest up and prepare for the College Football Playoff. On the other hand, Indiana boat-raced Purdue last week and had plenty of time to start preparing for this Big Ten Championship Game.
Making it to this game is a much bigger honor for Indiana than it is for Ohio State. Buckeye fans are saving their money and PTO for College Football Playoff tickets. Meanwhile, Indiana fans are flooding into their state capital to witness Indiana try to do something it hasn’t done in 80 years. The Hoosiers should have a big majority in the crowd to help spur on their team and influence the officials. This passing attack can also test the Ohio State secondary like nobody else has done all season. While Ohio State is the better team, from a preparation and effort perspective, Indiana likely wants this one more. Fernando Mendoza can make enough plays to keep up with Ohio State and cover this spread.
