Indiana football defensive lineman Stephen Daley likely will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a right-leg injury during postgame celebrations following Indiana’s 13-10 win over No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. Coach Curt Cignetti confirmed Wednesday that Daley “did sustain an injury, a serious injury that will probably make him not available for the remainder of the season,” according to media reports. 

Video circulating after the game showed Daley jumping into the stands to slap hands with fans and then coming down awkwardly on his right leg; he was later seen leaving Lucas Oil Stadium on a cart with a brace. The injury introduced a sudden, ugly footnote to a signature night for the program, Indiana’s first Big Ten title since 1967. 

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Daley has been a disruptive force all season. The senior defensive lineman entered the title game with 3.5 sacks and a team-leading tackle figure that helped fuel Indiana’s pressure package this year, via ESPN. Losing him would be a major blow to a front that ranks among the nation’s best in tackles for loss.

Still, the Hoosiers closed out a gritty defensive performance against Ohio State, holding the Buckeyes scoreless for the final 40 minutes and limiting their big-play chances in a 13-10 victory that punched Indiana’s ticket to the College Football Playoff. The team now must regroup quickly and adjust its depth chart with the postseason looming. 

For Daley, the timing is brutal. He made his mark all season as one of Indiana’s most consistent playmakers; now the program and its medical staff will work through tests and a rehab timeline. Coach Cignetti and the Hoosiers head into the playoffs with plenty of uncertainty up front and a desperate need for others to step up.