Ohio State Ends Indiana’s 22-Game Win Streak in a 19-15 Thriller

No. 4 Ohio State ended No. 5 Indiana’s 22-game winning streak on Saturday, holding on for a 19–15 victory in Bloomington when a potential game-winning Hoosiers touchdown was ruled out of bounds with just over a minute to play.

Indiana, the defending national champion, had not lost in 22 games or at home in 19 under coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers nearly extended both marks, driving to the Ohio State 27-yard line in the closing minutes before a fourth-down pass to Nick Marsh was caught but ruled incomplete because his foot came down out of bounds.

A defensive battle

Ohio State led 10–7 at halftime and stretched the lead on a third-quarter field goal. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Julian Sayin found Jeremiah Smith on a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 19–7, with the Buckeyes’ two-point try failing.

Indiana answered. Josh Hoover connected with Marsh on a 19-yard touchdown and then hit Turbo Richard for a two-point conversion to close the gap to 19–15 with about ten minutes left. The Hoosiers forced consecutive punts but could not convert either into points, and their final drive ended with the near-miss in the end zone.

Turnovers hurt Indiana badly. The Hoosiers had gone 1,437 consecutive plays from scrimmage without losing a fumble, a streak that ended on back-to-back possessions to start the second half, each of which led to Ohio State points. Kicker Nico Radicic also missed two field goals, including a short attempt and a 55-yard try.

What it means

Ohio State improved to 6–1 overall and 4–0 in the Big Ten, while Indiana dropped to 6–1 and 3–1. The loss does not end the Hoosiers’ ambitions, and Cignetti was quick to frame it that way. “Everything we want is still ahead of us except going undefeated,” he said, adding that his team simply was not good enough to seize the chances it had.

Safety Amare Ferrell was a standout for Indiana with two interceptions and two pass breakups, and receiver Charlie Becker finished with nine catches for 165 yards. Hoover passed for 197 yards and a touchdown, while the Hoosiers managed just 73 rushing yards against a Buckeyes defense that crowded the line of scrimmage and forced them to throw.

For Ohio State, the win came at a cost. Sayin left late in the game after a sack and did not return, leaving his status uncertain going forward. The Buckeyes had been held to 313 total yards but made the plays that mattered, none bigger than Smith’s long touchdown, which came after he was largely contained for three quarters.

Indiana’s Josh Hoover was 20-of-40 for one touchdown, and the Hoosiers’ inability to run the ball left the offence one-dimensional. Ohio State’s plan mirrored the approach Nebraska used a week earlier, crowding the box and daring Indiana to beat them through the air, and this time the defence held.

Indiana’s task now is to regroup quickly. The Hoosiers travel to Michigan on October 24, while Ohio State hosts No. 19 USC on October 31.

Sources

Reports from the Associated Press, ESPN, Indiana Athletics and CBS Sports (October 2026).