The Big 10 Conference will crown its champion this weekend as the Ohio State Buckeyes travel to take on the Indiana Hoosiers in a huge NCAAF game.
The Buckeyes have a perfect record so far this season and come into this game 12-0, while they also have one of the best defenses in the country. The Hoosiers are also on an unprecedented 12-0 run this season, and will be looking for their first conference title since 1967.
We’ll take a look at the game and break it down while providing you with our best free NCAAF betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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Indiana had an excellent campaign in 2024 and have built on that in 2025 with the best season in their history.
The season opened with a 27-14 win over the Old Dominion Monarchs in week one, before three consecutive blowout wins over Kennesaw State Owles (56-9), Indiana State Sycamores (73-0) and Illinois Fighting Illini (63-10.
A 20-15 win followed over the Iowa Hawkeyes, before the Hoosiers claimed a win over the Oregon Ducks to move to 6-0. That win over Oregon was the first time in their history that Indiana had claimed a win over a top-five-ranked opponent on the road.
A big 38-13 win followed over the Michigan State Spartans, before thrashing the UCLA Bruins (58-6) and Maryland Terrapins (55-10) in their next two games. The Hoosiers closed out the season with three impressive wins over the Penn State Nittany Lions (27-24), Wisconsin Badgers (31-7) and Purdue Boilermakers (56-3) to make a statement with an undefeated record.
This is the first time the Hoosiers have ever appeared in a Big 10 Championship game, and they’ll be looking to clinch their first conference title since 1967 in the process, in what has been a historic campaign.
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After being crowned Rose Bowl champions and consensus national champions in 2024, the Buckeyes entered this season as the number-three-ranked team in the country
They quickly moved up to number-one-ranked though after claiming a 14-7 win on the opening day against the then top-ranked team in the Texas Longhorns. Since then, they have been ranked number one, and cemented that when earned a stunning blowout win against the Grambling State Tigers next, with a sensational 70-0 shutout – comfortably their biggest win of the season.
A clash with local rivals Ohio Bobcats in week three saw a comfortable 37-9 win, before an away win against the Washington Huskies saw them earn a 24-6 victory.
The team returned home to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers in game 5 and earned a 42-3 win, before heading back out on the road again to take on the number 17-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, where they racked up a 34-16 win.
A shutout 34-0 win over the Wisconsin Badgers followed before a two-week break, but the team returned after that and have won each of the five games since, with victories over Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue, UCLA Bruins, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and most recently the Michigan Wolverines.
They’ll now be looking to earn their first Big 10 Championship since 2020, but they’ll be looking to retain their status as national champions.
As silly as it may sound, this really is a match-up between the two best teams, going head-to-head for the Championship.
On paper, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers are incredibly well-matched. Both teams sit top of the rankings for EPA margin, net points allowed per drive and pass success rate for the season, while they’re also among the top five in EPA/rush, EPA/pass, and points allowed per quality drive both offensively and defensively.
Despite that, though, the Buckeyes are significant favorites heading into this big game, and there is an obvious reason as to why.
Ohio have essentially got NFL-level talent all over the field, but it’s their defense that has been the most exceptional this season. They became just the second team in history to not allow more than 17 points in any game this season, and while Indiana may well break that run, they will need a near-perfect game to do so.
Individually, the Buckeyes are a stronger unit. But they will have to deal with a pressure that Indiana do not. Nobody expected the Hoosiers to be here, as an undefeated team, at this stage of the campaign, and they essentially have nothing to lose as a result.
The Buckeyes are aware they have unfinished business this season, as seen by their reaction – or lack of – following their big win over rivals Michigan last weekend, and they will definitely use their advantage with explosive passing to get an edge over their opponents.
This will not be an easy game for the Buckeyes, but they have covered the spread 10 times in 12 games this season. At -110, backing them to do it again with a win of at least five points seems like the best value bet.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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