Ohio State enters its Top-5 matchup with Indiana motivated by last year’s Big Ten Championship loss as the Buckeyes prepare for a road test in Bloomington.

Ohio State has spent nearly a year thinking about its loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. On Saturday, the Buckeyes will get their first chance to respond.

“They took something from us that we really wanted,” defensive tackle Eddrick Houston said. “That was one of our goals last year, and they took it from us. So it’s time to go to their place and handle business.”

The No. 4 Buckeyes travel to Bloomington to face No. 5 Indiana in a matchup between the last two national champions. Ohio State won the 2024 national championship, and Indiana completed a 16-0 season to claim its first national title in 2025. The Hoosiers also beat Ohio State for the Big Ten championship last December, handing the Buckeyes their first loss of the season.

Ohio State led 10-6 at halftime in Indianapolis but failed to score again. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt in the third quarter, and the Hoosiers held on to win 13-10.

The Buckeyes had two chances to tie the game. Julian Sayin came up short on fourth-and-one from Indiana’s five-yard line in the third quarter. With 2:48 remaining, kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal that would have tied the score. Indiana secured the victory and went on to win the national championship.

Houston said the rematch has been on his mind since the beginning of the season. Tight end Nate Roberts shared that perspective after Ohio State beat Maryland.

“We think about it all the time,” Roberts said. “They definitely took something away from us, and one of our goals last year that we wanted to execute. We’re going to use that as motivation obviously going into this week. It’s going to be a tough environment, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Ohio State enters the matchup after four consecutive wins following its 24-23 loss at Texas. The Buckeyes beat Iowa on the road and then defeated Maryland 45-16, but their latest performance exposed issues they must address before facing Indiana.

Furthermore, Ohio State committed eight penalties against Maryland and returned an interception for a touchdown. Ryan Day acknowledged the mistakes after the game, emphasizing the need to improve execution on both sides of the ball.

Ohio State’s goals have not changed since the loss in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes expect to win the Big Ten and compete for a national championship, and Indiana stands between them and another conference statement. The Hoosiers enter the week riding a 22-game winning streak and have established themselves as a national contender under Curt Cignetti.

Ohio State must handle the road environment, match Indiana’s physicality and avoid the mistakes that decided last year’s championship game. However, Ryan Day continually emphasized, “Nothing that’s happened before matters at all going into this game.”

Ryan Day addressed the matchup at his press conference Tuesday, including what he expects from Indiana and how the Buckeyes have approached a game they have anticipated since the schedule was released.

“Nothing that happened in the past has anything to do with what’s going on this weekend. We can learn from the past, Day said. “But the focus has to be on right now.”

Indiana presents a different challenge from the team Ohio State faced in December. The Hoosiers have replaced Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with quarterback Josh Hoover and rebuilt portions of their receiving corps. Charlie Becker and transfer Nick Marsh headline the dynamic group.

Houston said Ohio State must focus on its assignments rather than forcing plays. “We don’t need to try to go out of our way and make plays that might just come to us,” Houston said. “We need to do our job, follow the game plan, and play physical.”

Eddrick Houston has turned a corner, playing the best football of his career in the last few weeks. Ryan Day echoed those sentiments on Tuesday.

“He’s taking the next step, and he’s playing well – a ton of confidence. We need him to have his best game against Indiana,” Day said.

The Buckeyes have spent months preparing for another opportunity against Indiana. Saturday’s matchup will test whether Ryan Day’s team can turn that motivation into a disciplined performance against the defending national champions.