The Indiana football team is outright Big Ten champions for the first time since 1945 and will be No. 1 in Sunday's College Football Playoff Standings, earning a Rose Bowl berth on Jan. 1.
Fernando Mendoza effectively clinched the victory with a 33-yard pass to Charlie Becker on third-and-6, ensuring Ohio State would need a miraculous play with 18 seconds left to have a chance and it didn't happen.
The sports world reacts to one of the greatest college football stories in history:
TRENDING: Indiana superstar quarterback Fernando Mendoza's post-game interview has gone viral across social media.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 7, 2025
One of the all-time great interviews you will ever see.
😭😭😭
pic.twitter.com/0wSDDOcCYT
OUR STATE. OUR TITLE. pic.twitter.com/Byk2kHaZhw
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) December 7, 2025
Undefeated Indiana wins the Big Ten championship and will be the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff. Its next game will be the Rose Bowl. This is the greatest college football story ever.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) December 7, 2025
Mayhem for Indiana fans. pic.twitter.com/EfUSrMQeIF
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 7, 2025
Unbelievable. I could cry. So proud of the entire team, staff, fans, haven’t won this since 1945, no words!!! HOO HOO HOO HOOSIERS!!!!!
— Kalen Jackson (@KalenIJackson) December 7, 2025
Curt. Effing Cignetti.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 7, 2025
Has taken Indiana football from the absolute bottom to No. 1.
Indiana is one of the most jaw-dropping college football stories of my lifetime. Over and over and over the past 15 months, I ask myself: How the heck did they do this? Still can’t believe it.
— Dirk Chatelain (@dirkchatelain) December 7, 2025
Indiana had the all time lowest winning percentage in cfb history when Curt Cignetti arrived. When he got on the mic at Assembly Hall and started saying everyone in the B1G sucked, I thought they’d hired a crazy man.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) December 7, 2025
Nope.
THIS is crazy. Incredible turnaround. Salute Hoosiers
CURT CIGNETTI AND INDIANA HAVE WON THE BIG TEN
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 7, 2025
DOWN GOES OHIO STATE pic.twitter.com/ZvOYsa70Ry
Told my 9 year old that Indiana football might be the single coolest American sports story in his lifetime.
— Curry Hicks Sage (@CurryHicksSage) December 7, 2025
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football is Big Ten champions: 'Greatest college football story ever'