The dream of an undefeated run for Indiana football reached an abrupt and jarring conclusion on a crisp Saturday, as the Hoosiers fell 19-15 to Ohio State. This defeat snapped a remarkable 22-game winning streak that had lasted for 666 days, bringing an end to what had been a celebratory era for the program. The atmosphere at Memorial Stadium, previously electric with anticipation, shifted to somber disappointment as the home crowd witnessed the Hoosiers stumble on the national stage. After the biggest football game in a generation on the Indiana campus fizzled to a disastrous 19-15 loss to Ohio State on a boneheaded play more reminiscent of the pre-delirium era — Indiana football officially arrived, descending the stairwell back to Earth — after a delirious 22-game win streak came screeching to a stunning end. Next came Josh Howard’s undressing, spiraling downward. Until this glorious fall Saturday afternoon gave way to the hints of early evening, Indiana football — once the losingest team in all of college football — hadn’t tasted their ordinary helping of defeat for 666 days. It begets the most precious and precarious gift of all in sports – the joy and misery of expectation. A run from August through January without defeat, capped off with, of all ridiculous things, a national championship, counted in that giddy stretch of unexpected euphoria was actual perfection.
The defining moment arrived in the closing minutes of a high-stakes contest between No. 5 Indiana and No. 4 Ohio State. On a crucial fourth-and-four play, Indiana’s Nick Marsh appeared positioned to make a decisive gain. However, as he caught the ball from quarterback Josh Hoover and took a step into the end zone, his cleat clipped the white out-of-bounds line. The touchdown was nullified, and with it, the Hoosiers’ chance to dethrone the Buckeyes. Fans, who had arrived with championship aspirations, left the stadium in stunned silence, their frustration surfacing in the long trek out of the venue. Using similar obscene language, another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal. Accustomed to leaving their gridiron grounds in glee, were rendered near speechless as they morosely walked out the gates, thousands of people. Even the wait at the popular Nick’s Hut was short up until at least 4 p.m. In reference and deference to Mendoza’s gutty 12-yard touchdown run in the national title game on fourth and five, they named a popular beer here the 4th and 5 Cream Ale. One man, summing up the shock, anger and frustration for everyone, stared straight ahead and at one in particular, gathering up whatever air was left in his lungs and yelled one more f-bomb for good measure. Happy Hoosier fans have lived in a near-fugue state, their historically impossibly awful team becoming the best in the land, for the past two-plus seasons.
The offensive struggles were clear throughout the afternoon. TCU transfer quarterback Josh Hoover finished 20 of 40 on passing attempts, frequently overshooting his targets, including receiver Charlie Becker. The Hoosiers’ consistency, which had been a hallmark of their success under head coach Curt Cignetti, faltered. A particularly stinging sequence occurred early in the second half when Davion Chandler fumbled after a catch—the first time Indiana had lost possession via a fumble in 1,437 plays. Further missed opportunities, including a failed third-down conversion to Brock Schott and a missed 55-yard field goal attempt, left Indiana trailing despite their efforts to rally. Luring him from Michigan State, the Hoosiers paid handsomely for their big pickup via the transfer portal. Regularly sailing passes over even the super-glue-sure hands of Charlie Becker, the TCU transfer quarterback completed 20 of 40 passes. “It wouldn’t have come to this,’’ a woman screamed over her shoulder to a trailing pack of similarly combustible Hoosiers, “if we didn’t f**k around.’’. Trailing 7-3, Indiana drove to the Buckeyes’ 14, but Hoover missed a wide-open Brock Schott on third down.
Head coach Curt Cignetti maintained a measured outlook despite the loss. “The sun will come up tomorrow,” Cignetti stated, emphasizing that the team’s goals for the 2026 season remain viable. He described the setback as a minor hurdle rather than a catastrophic blow. Receiver Charlie Becker echoed the team’s collective disappointment, noting, “It sucks, you know? There were a lot of opportunities, a lot of areas we could have capitalized on. We left a lot short here and that’s frustrating to feel like we kind of beat ourselves in this game.” Not after the practically sainted Fernando Mendoza taught people about fiscal responsibility, hobnobbed with priests at the local Catholic church, charmed mothers and zinged passes on Saturdays like a video game avatar, that is not a familiar affliction here.
The game served as a rare marquee matchup for Indiana, which has hosted only three ranked-on-ranked games since 1993. The historical difficulty of facing Ohio State was underscored by the fact that Indiana has only defeated the Buckeyes at home twice in its entire history: once in 1904 and once in 1988. In the 1988 encounter, Ohio State coach John Cooper famously questioned his opponent’s legitimacy, asking, “they are either a great football team or we are pathetic.” But he wasn’t great, committing the cardinal sin of being human, he wasn’t awful.
For Ohio State, the victory came at a significant cost. Quarterback Julian Sayin left the game in the fourth quarter following a sack. Head coach Ryan Day later confirmed that Sayin will be sidelined for “several weeks,” an injury that could have broad implications for the remainder of the Big Ten season. The loss for Indiana, while painful, highlights the transition from a program that rarely saw the spotlight to one now grappling with the high expectations that accompany elite status. When TV cameras showed the replay, there was literally no one else – not an Indiana player, not an Ohio State defender – in the shot, he was so wide open that. As in-game operators mistakenly shot off fireworks, Marsh put his hands on his head, immediately aware of his mistake. “Butt naked f**king wide open,’’ one fan screamed as he marched down the stairs.
As the Indiana team looks ahead, the loss stands as a reminder of the fragility of success in college football. While the campus had been adorned with signs of bravado and fan excitement—including locally branded “4th and 5” ales commemorating past triumphs—the reality of the 19-15 final score brought the Hoosiers back to earth. Despite the disappointment, the team remains focused on the remainder of the season, viewing this defeat as a lesson in the intensity required to sustain a top-tier program. In the 2026 football season that remains very much viable for the Hoosiers, this loss is barely a flesh wound, in the grand scheme of things.
