The Indiana Hoosiers and Ohio State Buckeyes are the last two National Champions of college football. Ohio State won it all in 2024, and defeated Indiana in the regular season en route to their title-winning season. Indiana then historically went 16-0 and won it all in 2025, and took down Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game along the way.
The Hoosiers and Buckeyes have built up quite the rivalry over the past few seasons, and after Ohio State defeated Indiana 19-15 this past weekend in Bloomington, the rivalry is only getting stronger. Indiana fell short in that tightly-contested battle, but it's clear that the Cream and Crimson deserve to be in the National Championship conversation at this point of the season.
The national title odds boards received a bit of a shake-up this past weekend, as five of the top-seven teams took losses in Week 7. The National Championship odds were further changed by the injury to Ohio State QB Julian Sayin. Sayin injured his throwing shoulder against the Hoosiers, and has since been ruled out indefinitely. That setback for Sayin and Ohio State changes everything in Indiana’s quest for back-to-back titles.
Indiana and Ohio State's national title odds are neck-in-neck
Before the extent of Sayin's injury was announced, Ohio State had odds of +470 to win the national title. Now, the Buckeyes' national title odds have dropped to +500 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Indiana is not far behind with odds of +750, while Miami is in-between them at +600. Notre Dame currently holds the top spot with odds of +460, with Georgia close behind at +480.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Ohio State and Indiana are now both 6-1 on the season. Ohio State's lone loss came back in Week 2 against then-No. 4 Texas on the road. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 at the time, and squandered a 23-3 lead in the 4th quarter.
Indiana's postseason path may have gotten less daunting
Not having Sayin in the mix is obviously a brutal blow for the Buckeyes. Moving forward, the Buckeyes will turn to backup QB Luke Fahey for the foreseeable future. He is a relatively unknown commodity, and it will be interesting to see how the Buckeye offense operates with Fahey leading the way instead of Sayin.
ALSO READ: Michigan's injury concerns present a key matchup advantage for Indiana
The good news for Ohio State is that they are on a bye week in Week 8. That could give Fahey some time to adjust to his new role. The bad news is that the Buckeyes have a tough schedule the rest of the way. OSU travels to No. 16 USC on October 31, hosts Oregon on November 7, hosts No. 24 Northwestern on Nov. 14, goes to Nebraska on November 21 and then plays Michigan on November. None of those games are layups. Navigating that schedule with a backup QB won't be easy.
The Hoosiers travel to Michigan this Saturday, host Minnesota on October 31, host No. 16 USC on November 14, travel to Washington on November 21 and then host Purdue on Nov. 28. Indiana's remaining regular season schedule seems a bit more manageable, and the Hoosiers enter Week 8 at full health.
There's still a possibility that Ohio State and Indiana could meet later this season. Whether it be in the Big Ten title game or in the College Football Playoff, another heavyweight matchup is still in the realm of possibilities. Should that opportunity present itself, not having to worry about Sayin makes things a bit easier for Indiana.
Add us as a preferred source on Google