You couldn't have scripted this. Seriously, if you had told a college football fan back in August that Indiana—yes, the Hoosiers—would be sitting at 15-0 and heading to a National Championship game after dismantling the giants of the Big Ten, they would have laughed you out of the room. But here we are. The big ten conference football scores from this past season don't just tell a story of wins and losses; they signal a total power shift in the most corporate, expanded, and frankly, chaotic conference in the country.
It's been a year of "firsts" and "finallys." We saw Oregon settle into its new home by wrecking half the Midwest, and we watched Ohio State finally get the Michigan monkey off its back, only to trip at the finish line in Indianapolis.
The Game That Changed Everything: Indiana 13, Ohio State 10
Honestly, the Big Ten Championship game was ugly. It was a defensive slog that felt more like a 1920s wrestling match than a modern football game, but that's exactly why it was perfect. On December 6, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium, we saw a scoreline that will be etched in Bloomington lore forever.
Indiana’s 13-10 victory over the Buckeyes was the "Game of the Century" that actually lived up to the hype, albeit through grit rather than flash. Most people expected Julian Sayin and the Ohio State offense to steamroll the Hoosiers. Instead, Indiana's defense turned the red zone into a brick wall.
- The Turning Point: Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal with under three minutes left.
- The Hero: Fernando Mendoza, who ended up winning the Heisman, found Elijah Sarratt for a 17-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
- The Stat: Indiana broke a 30-game losing streak against Ohio State.
Basically, the Hoosiers didn't just win; they survived. They limited the Buckeyes to zero points in the second half. That's unheard of against a Ryan Day offense. For Ohio State, it was a bitter pill to swallow after they had finally beaten Michigan 27-9 just a week prior.
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Oregon’s Brutal Introduction to the Postseason
The Ducks didn't just join the Big Ten; they tried to take it over. Dan Lanning had Oregon flying high with a 13-2 record, proving that the "soft West Coast" narrative was officially dead. Their path through the playoffs was a rollercoaster of big ten conference football scores that showed both their ceiling and their floor.
They handled business in the first round against James Madison, putting up 51 points. Then they went to the Orange Bowl and shut out Texas Tech 23-0. It looked like a collision course for an all-Big Ten national final.
Then came the Peach Bowl.
Indiana 56, Oregon 22. It wasn't even close. The Hoosiers jumped on them early and never let up. While Oregon’s 2025 season was a massive success, that final score in Atlanta showed there’s still a gap between being a powerhouse and being "the" powerhouse.
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Final 2025 Big Ten Standings (The Top Tier)
- Indiana: 15-0 (9-0) - The undisputed kings.
- Ohio State: 12-2 (9-0) - Dominant until the very end.
- Oregon: 13-2 (8-1) - The best of the newcomers.
- USC: 9-4 (7-2) - Getting closer to Lincoln Riley's vision.
- Michigan: 9-4 (7-2) - A rebuilding year that still yielded nine wins.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Scores
You've probably heard people say the Big Ten is "boring" because of the low-scoring games in the middle of the pack. Look at Iowa. They finished 9-4 and at one point beat Oregon 18-16. It's a different brand of football.
The scores this year proved that the expansion actually made the middle of the conference harder. You can't just show up to Kinnick Stadium or Camp Randall and expect an easy "W." Even Penn State, who had a bit of a "down" year by their standards at 7-6, was a tough out every single week.
The Michigan-Ohio State Dynamic Shift
November 29, 2025, was a day of catharsis for Columbus. After four years of misery, the Buckeyes walked into Michigan Stadium and left with a 27-9 win. Julian Sayin threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, effectively ending the Wolverines' dominance in the rivalry.
But here’s the kicker: Michigan’s offense was stagnant. They only managed 163 total yards. It was the lowest output for a Michigan team in years. While the big ten conference football scores usually favor the home team in this rivalry, the 2025 version was a pure "changing of the guard" moment—or at least a return to the status quo.
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Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're looking at these scores to figure out what happens next, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Transfer Portal: Indiana’s rise was fueled by smart portal moves. Mendoza wasn't a five-star recruit out of high school; he was a fit for Cignetti’s system.
- The "West Coast" Travel Factor is Real: Oregon and Washington handled the travel better than UCLA, who struggled to a 3-9 finish. Check the flight schedules before betting on a road favorite.
- Defense Still Wins the Big Ten: Despite the arrival of high-flying offenses from the Pac-12, the two teams in the championship game (Indiana and Ohio State) were top-five nationally in scoring defense.
The 2025 season was a fever dream. Between Indiana's historic run and the massive viewership numbers—the title game hit over 18 million viewers—the Big Ten has successfully rebranded itself as the center of the college football universe.
Start looking at the 2026 recruiting classes now. Ohio State and Oregon are already sitting at #1 and #2 in many rankings. They aren't going anywhere. But as Indiana just proved, the trophy doesn't always go to the team with the most stars next to their names on a recruiting website. It goes to the team that can grind out a 13-10 win when the lights are brightest.