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It might be trite, but football is a game of inches.
Indiana learned that in maybe the most heartbreaking fashion possible on Saturday afternoon.
The Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak was snapped in a 19-15 loss to Big Ten rival Ohio State in Bloomington. But it took a mistake from receiver Nick Marsh to sink Indiana’s chance at a second straight perfect season.
With just over a minute left and Indiana down by four, quarterback Josh Hoover heaved up a fourth-and-4 pass from the Ohio State 27-yard line into the end zone for what looked like a go-ahead touchdown.
Although Marsh caught the pass along the near side of the end zone and over the top of the Buckeyes’ defense, Marsh’s left foot landed out of bounds. The incompletion gave Ohio State the ball back, and it was able to kill the clock and hand Indiana its first loss since the first round of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff.
The loss not only ended Indiana’s long winning streak, but it also marked its first home defeat since Nov. 18, 2023 against Michigan State during then-head coach Tom Allen’s final season with the program.
Hoover, who appeared to be playing with a right arm injury, finished 20-for-40 passing with 296 yards and a touchdown, but his efforts fell just short.
On the other side, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin (235 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) suffered an injury that will keep him out for multiple weeks, head coach Ryan Day told reporters afterward. Sayin was seen walking off the field with his right arm in a sling.
Indiana next goes on the road to play Michigan, while Ohio State visits USC.