The difference between victory and defeat in one of the biggest, most decisive games of the 2026 college football season was just a few inches.

No. 5 Ohio State’s 19-15 win against No. 4 Indiana came down to the final 70 seconds, with the Hoosiers staring at a fourth-and-4 from the Buckeyes 27-yard line with a four-point deficit, trying to extend their FBS-leading win streak to 23.

On that play, and with Indiana needing a touchdown to take the lead, Josh Hoover sailed a pass to an open Nick Marsh near the left front pylon in the end zone. Marsh had several feet of space, having beaten Ohio State defensive back Cam Calhoun on his route, and hauled in the pass, sending the home crowd at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana into hysteria with 1:02 remaining.

There was just one problem: he wasn’t in bounds.

After bringing in the ball, Marsh’s left foot on what could have easily been a walk-in touchdown landed out of bounds. Marsh and Calhoun knew it immediately, with Marsh putting his hands on his helmet in disbelief shortly after completing the catch and Calhoun turning to the official and pointing to the white portion of the sideline where Marsh had stepped out. The pass was ruled incomplete and Ohio State was able to kneel out the remaining clock, with the Hoosiers down to one timeout.

A player who was very nearly a hero in a top-five matchup with significant College Football Playoff ramifications turned into a goat in an instant.