Prognosticating: Big Ten Championship Game

We thought it all came down to last week’s game — but it actually comes down to this week’s game! And then the game after that, and the game after that, and the game after that. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

On Saturday, No. 1 Ohio State faces No. 2 Indiana in the first top-two matchup in Big Ten Championship Game history. It’s a showdown featuring National Coach of the Year candidates Ryan Day and Curt Cignetti and Player of the Year contenders Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza. At stake: a conference title, the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and, for you, a $100 Eleven Warriors Dry Goods gift card.

The score said enough. The shirts say the rest. https://t.co/ibIlsblI4V pic.twitter.com/hDnN4cfM3k

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 3, 2025

The rules:

• Must be 18 years old or older.
• One entry/comment per person.
• Duplicate predictions are ineligible – first come, first serve.
• The deadline for entries is kickoff.
• Any comment edited after kickoff will be disqualified, regardless of the edit.
• Ohio State must win the game for a giveaway to take place.

For complete contest rules, see here.

The Prediction

Sayin and Mendoza enter Saturday as the Heisman Trophy frontrunners — and as Eleven Warriors editor Dan Hope wrote Friday, the Big Ten Championship Game might decide which one takes home the award.

Since you predicted Sayin’s passing yards in The Game, let’s do the same for Indiana’s star quarterback. How will Ohio State’s defense hold up against Fernando Mendoza?

The Buckeyes own the nation’s top scoring defense (7.8 PPG), total defense (203 YPG) and passing defense (121.3 YPG). They’re also No. 3 in opponent third-down conversion rate (27.5%), No. 4 in rushing defense (68.9 YPG) and No. 7 in opponent fourth-down conversion rate (34.6%).

Mendoza has completed 211 of 293 passes (72%) for 2,758 yards, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions and added 243 rushing yards and six scores this season.

Correctly predict Mendoza’s passing yards on Saturday and win a $100 Eleven Warriors Dry Goods gift card! As always, Price is Right rules apply: the closest prediction without going over takes home the prize.

Good luck!