One Foot Out: Indiana's Game-Winning Touchdown That Wasn't

Ohio State beat Indiana 19-15 on Saturday in Bloomington — because Nick Marsh's left foot landed out of bounds on a would-be game-winning touchdown with 1:02 left. The catch looked good, the fireworks went off, and then the ruling ended Indiana's 22-game winning streak by inches.

What happened on the final play?

Indiana faced fourth-and-4 from the Ohio State 27-yard line, trailing 19-15 with 1:02 to play. Quarterback Josh Hoover found wide receiver Nick Marsh wide open in the front corner of the end zone. Marsh secured the ball and the home crowd at Memorial Stadium erupted — but his left foot came down out of bounds. Officials ruled the pass incomplete, Ohio State took over on downs, knelt out the clock, and won 19-15.

Marsh knew it instantly. He put his hands on his helmet in disbelief, while the Ohio State defender pointed to the white line where the foot had landed. Replays confirmed the call was correct by the narrowest margin. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti called the near-touchdown "hard to swallow" after the game, adding, "We just didn't make it happen."

Why is this blowing up?

This was not an ordinary finish. It was the first top-five matchup in Memorial Stadium history, a rematch of last year's Big Ten championship game, and it snapped two of the longest active streaks in the Football Bowl Subdivision: Indiana's 22-game overall winning streak and its 19-game home winning streak. It was also Cignetti's first home loss in three seasons at Indiana.

The clip spread so fast because it contains the whole story in one second: a wide-open receiver, a stadium believing it had just won, fireworks firing — and then a single foot on the wrong side of a white line erasing all of it. Ohio State coach Ryan Day admitted he was already thinking about a two-minute drill when the ball was in the air. Instead, his defense had won the game.

How did Indiana get one last chance?

Ohio State looked in control early in the fourth quarter. Julian Sayin threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith on fourth-and-1 to put the Buckeyes up 19-7. Indiana answered with a 75-yard drive: Hoover hit Marsh for a 19-yard touchdown and found Turbo Richard on the two-point conversion to cut it to 19-15 with about 10:30 left.

Then the game turned again. Sayin left with an injury to his right arm and watched the final minutes from the sideline in a sling. Ohio State's offense went three-and-out without him, giving Indiana the ball back at its own 30 with 2:54 left and the game — and the streak — on the line. Hoover drove the Hoosiers to the 27 before the fourth-down play that will be replayed all week.

Key facts

Final score: No. 4 Ohio State 19, No. 5 Indiana 15, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
The play: Fourth-and-4, 1:02 left — Hoover to Marsh, ruled incomplete because Marsh's left foot was out of bounds in the end zone.
Streaks ended: Indiana's 22-game overall win streak and 19-game home win streak, both the longest active in the FBS.
Hoover's line: 20 of 40 for 296 yards and one touchdown, playing through a right arm knock of his own.
The cost for Ohio State: Sayin threw for 235 yards with two interceptions before his arm injury; Day said Sayin will miss "several weeks."
Records: Ohio State improves to 6-1 (4-0 Big Ten); Indiana falls to 6-1 (3-1 Big Ten).

What's next?

For Indiana, the loss hurts, but a 6-1 record keeps its College Football Playoff hopes very much alive — the Hoosiers were beaten by inches, not blown out. For Ohio State, the win is revenge for last December's Big Ten title game loss, but it comes with a major question: how the Buckeyes manage the next several weeks without Sayin. Both teams leave Bloomington knowing this finish — one foot, one line, one streak over — is the image of the college football weekend.

Sources

FAQ

Did Nick Marsh actually catch the ball?

Yes, Marsh secured the pass in the end zone, but his left foot landed out of bounds, so officials correctly ruled it an incomplete pass, not a touchdown.

What was the final score of Ohio State vs. Indiana?

Ohio State won 19-15 in Bloomington, taking over on downs after the incompletion and kneeling out the final 1:02.

What streaks did Indiana lose?

The loss ended Indiana's 22-game overall winning streak and 19-game home winning streak — both had been the longest active streaks in the FBS.

How long is Julian Sayin out?

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Sayin, who left with a right arm injury and wore a sling, will miss "several weeks," with few further details given after the game.

One Foot Out: Indiana's Game-Winning Touchdown That Wasn't — Ohio State Wins 19-15 by Inches