Indiana may or may not be without a defensive lineman Stephen Daley during the College Football Playoff. His status for the playoffs is currently unclear as rumors continue to swirl about a potentially catastrophic situation. injury for Hoosiers.
The university has not yet released any information regarding his health and I do not expect a definitive answer until the official injury report before the Rose Bowl.
It would be a major blow to the top-ranked team in college football if Daley couldn’t play. We’ll see.
Indiana’s defense was the biggest star of the Big Ten Championship.
Raise your hand, I’ve watched a lot of Indiana football this season, but I didn’t realize how good this defense can be until Saturday. The stifling defensive wins over Illinois, Iowa and even UCLA were dominant, but I assumed that was a byproduct of the entire Big Ten offense struggling to score points. Holding Oregon to 20 points in Eugene was an equally strong performance. Saturday was the next level.
Indiana recorded six sacks. Heisman Trophy candidate Julian Sayin threw for less than 300 yards with just one touchdown and one interception. The Buckeyes running backs combined for less than 90 yards. Ohio State only scored 10 points.
I knew Fernando Mendoza was great. I really like the double of Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black. Coach Cig wins, google it.
However, it’s this Hoosiers defense that could really lead the team to a national title. And at the center of the defense is true senior Stephen Daley, who transferred from Kent State in the offseason.
At 6-foot-1, 273 pounds, Daley finished the regular season and Big Ten championship with 35 total tackles (24 solo), 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He’s a mauler on the defensive line.
Watch how he works on the field to make the tackle on this play:
Bear Front with a 9 Jam 7 causing disruption and buying the pull guard. I love the Field 3 cross face technique with the guard pulling, allows Indiana to come back more of a post click.
Last day for Cyber Monday sale‼️‼️‼️Get the Fans Circle now and get the first two… pic.twitter.com/pFZR7TkaZs
– The Ballmanac (@The_Ballmanac) December 8, 2025
Indiana absolutely has the pieces to succeed without Daley, but Daley is crucial to success. Being without him during the Playoffs (as internet rumors suggest) would be devastating.
There is not There has been an official announcement on Stephen Daley’s status as of this writing. But where there is smoke, there is often fire. And there is a lot of smoke that he could be injured.
New video from Saturday shows him struggling to put pressure on his right leg during the postgame celebration. I don’t know if this is the exact moment the injury occurred or if he was limping before his victory lap. This could be related to an injury suffered during the game while he was double-teamed by Ohio State. Regardless, it is very clear that Daley was unable to push his right leg back.
I’m not confirming anything… but this clip could explain a lot of things 😔👇#iufb #CFBPlayoffs #Big10Championship #hoosiers https://t.co/JVMGaYluFX pic.twitter.com/5mwBdTCCor
– Luc Versichelli (@Lversichelli) December 9, 2025
A separate photo appears to show Daley leaving the field on an injured cart with a splint on his right leg.
The Hoosiers are not required to release an official injury report until the week before the game. They likely won’t disclose Daley’s status so as not to give their future opponent an advantage. The news could break before this announcement. This may not be the case.
The video and photo after the Big Ten Championship don’t look good.
