The biggest game in Memorial Stadium history is here, and the matchup has the kind of billing Indiana fans have waited for: a top-five showdown with both teams sitting near the very top of the polls.
No. 5 Indiana in the AP and No. 4 in the coaches poll will host No.
4 Ohio State in the AP and No. 5 in the coaches poll on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington. Kickoff is set for noon ET on FOX, with the Hoosiers entering at 6-0 and the Buckeyes at 5-1.
Indiana knows how lopsided this series has been over the years. The Hoosiers are 13-81-5 all-time against Ohio State, though they did win the last meeting, a 13-10 thriller in the Big Ten Championship game last December. IU has not beaten the Buckeyes in back-to-back games since 1987-88, and this will be Ohio State’s first trip to Bloomington since a 23-3 win to open the 2023 season.
Ohio State comes in with the usual heavy-hitter profile under Ryan Day. The ninth-year coach is 87-13 at the school and 58-5 in Big Ten games, and the Buckeyes have never lost more than two games in a season during his tenure.
They rolled past Maryland 45-16 at home in their last game, but they’ve already been tested away from home with a 24-23 loss at Texas and a 31-14 win at Iowa. Their other wins have come against Ball State, Kent State and Illinois.
The Buckeyes’ offense has been humming under first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Ohio State is putting up 42.7 points per game, which ranks seventh nationally.
On the other side, Matt Patricia is back for his second season as defensive coordinator, and the Buckeyes are allowing 13.2 points per game, good for eighth in the country. PFF has them graded No. 4 on offense and No. 5 on defense.
Indiana fans also know exactly who they’ll be seeing at quarterback. Julian Sayin returns as Ohio State’s starter for a second season after being invited to the 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony along with IU’s Fernando Mendoza. Against Indiana last year, Sayin went 21 of 29 for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
This season, the 6-foot-1 quarterback has completed 71.2% of his passes for 1,772 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. His legs are part of the package, but not a huge part - he has just 17 rushing yards on the year, including sack yards.
And if the Buckeyes have a player who looks like the early favorite to join the Heisman conversation in New York, it’s Jeremiah Smith. The wide receiver has piled up 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The betting and computer models see this one as close, but Ohio State still gets the nod. As of Monday morning, the Buckeyes were listed as about a 3.5-point favorite.
ESPN’s FPI gives Ohio State a 52.2% chance to win, with Indiana ranked No. 7 and Ohio State No. 3 in that model. SP+ is even tighter, projecting a 26.4-26.2 Ohio State win and giving the Buckeyes a 51% shot.
The weather should cooperate, at least for now. The early forecast calls for sunshine, a high of 58 and a low of 36, though that could change later in the week.
For fans heading to Bloomington, the gameday schedule is set: tailgating and parking lots open at 7 a.m., the AAA Championship Tailgate opens at 9 a.m., The Walk & Gameday Rally begins at 9:35 a.m., stadium gates open at 10:30 a.m., the Marching Hundred pregame show starts at 11:30 a.m., and kickoff is at noon.
In Other News...
Curt Cignetti Revealed Where Indianas Winning Touchdown Came From
Indianas 20-17 win over Nebraska turned on a 44-yard touchdown from Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh, a strike that gave the Hoosiers the edge in a tight game that never really let either side relax. Afterward, Curt Cignetti pointed to an outside source for the design behind the decisive play, crediting the offensive creativity Kansas showed during Andy Kotelnickis time running that attack.
Cignetti said the concept came from that Kansas era and specifically from a fourth-and-1 idea that had become one of the calling cards of Kotelnickis record-setting offense. For Indiana, it was a reminder that big moments can come from borrowed ideas as much as bold execution, and the larger question now is how often the Hoosiers can keep turning that kind of creativity into game-changing touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Showed Real Promise In One Area Fans Still Cant Ignore
Indianas exhibition win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse offered a useful early look at what this group can already do well. The Hoosiers controlled the boards, with Aiden Sherrell pulling down nine rebounds, and they also showed some promising perimeter touch in a 96-68 victory that gave plenty of reasons for optimism before the games start counting.
Still, the same outing also reminded everyone of a familiar concern. Multiple players found themselves in foul trouble, and that kind of issue can quickly limit rotations and disrupt rhythm once the competition tightens, even as Indianas shooting from deep and contributions from Darren Harris and Markus Burton point to a team with more offensive balance than it has had in recent years. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have One Opening Against Ohio State They Can't Waste
Indiana heads into its Week 7 showdown with Ohio State in a fairly clean spot physically, a useful advantage at this stage of the season. The Hoosiers did not have any regular starters miss their previous game, which means they should be able to line up close to full strength for one of the biggest tests on their schedule.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is dealing with a much messier injury picture after several starters sat out the Maryland game and more issues cropped up during that contest. The biggest concern is up front, where the Buckeyes offensive line could be under real stress, and for Indiana that creates the kind of opening it cannot afford to let slip if it wants a shot at pulling the upset. [Read more 🡒]