After a 56-3 win over Purdue, the Hoosiers wrap up their regular season with a perfect 12-0 record. In two years, Curt Cignetti’s Indiana pushed the scoring gap to a staggering 122-3 against Purdue, showcasing absolute domination. And when Cignetti was asked if he takes pride in this big margin, Indiana’s head coach didn’t hesitate to send a strong message to Barry Odom and Purdue.

“No, I mean, it’s a rival game that’s important,” said Curt Cignetti during the post-game presser. “First of all, it’s a game on our schedule, and every game’s important. It’s a rival game that means a lot to our alumni. So the water cooler on Monday, so to speak, right? The fact that we’ve outscored them as we have, it’s just a fact of where we’re at and where they’re at right now.”

Cignetti addressed Purdue’s downfall in recent years. However, he gave a nod to Barry Odom, believing that they’re going to get better and improve their roster.

“They’re going to get better, there’s no doubt in my mind, they’re going to get better. The coach is going to do a great job of improving that roster and coaching that football team. And they just sort of hit rock bottom. It timed up with my arrival, and we’ve had two nice nights against them.”

In the game against Purdue, IU’s Heisman front-runner Fernando Mendoza set a season low, with 8 completions for 117 yards. The Hoosiers leaned on their rushing attack and found success. Indiana finished with 37 carries for 355 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. The senior RB Roman Hemby rushed for a season-high 152 yards on only 12 carries. He capped an 82-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, equaling Indiana’s longest touchdown run in Old Oaken Bucket game history.

Besides Hemby, Kaelon Black, a sixth-year senior RB, added 13 carries for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Khobie Martin rushed 8 times for 51 yards and a touchdown. Controlling the line of scrimmage, IU secured the win, tallying 548 total yards to Purdue’s 282.

Curt Cignetti ends Indiana’s B1G title game curse

At Big Ten Media Days in July, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said he didn’t want to repeat the success of their 2024 season, when they went 11-2 and lost to Notre Dame in the first round of the Playoff. Instead, Cignetti set his sights on improving the program, and here they are in their first Big Ten championship game. 

With a 12-0 record (9-0 in the Big Ten), the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers have clinched a berth in the 2025 Big Ten Football Championship Game. 

Historically, the program has won two Big Ten titles (1945 and 1967), but the 1967 win was a three-way tie between Indiana, Purdue, and Minnesota. In 2020, Indiana would have made the Big Ten title game, but the change in conference eligibility rules ruled them out of the berth. When asked about their first B1G championship game appearance, Curt Cignetti said, “We’re a year late (wink). It’ll be a great game.”

IU will play the 15th annual title game on Saturday, December 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. They’re going to face No. 1 Ohio State. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and an automatic berth into the College Football Playoff.