Indiana is set to take care of its own business in Week 2 against Howard, but Hoosier fans who want a fuller picture of the college football landscape have a few worthwhile games to watch while the afternoon unfolds.
The biggest one on the board is Ohio State at Texas. It’s a top-five showdown with the Buckeyes ranked No. 1 and the Longhorns sitting at No. 4, and it brings together two teams with championship expectations.
Ohio State won last year’s meeting in Columbus, 14-7, and now Ryan Day’s group has to handle the trip to Austin. Julian Sayin and Arch Manning are both among the early favorites in the Heisman Trophy conversation, and the talent level on both rosters makes this one an obvious national draw.
Indiana gets Ohio State on October 17, so this is a useful first look at the Buckeyes before they come to Bloomington. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
ET on ABC.
Another game worth tracking is Oklahoma at Michigan. Michigan was shaky in Week 1 against Western Michigan and, in the aftermath, dropped from No. 16 in the AP Poll to unranked.
Now the Wolverines have to respond quickly with the 11th-ranked Sooners coming to Ann Arbor. Oklahoma’s defense is one of the best in the country, and Brent Venables should have a strong plan ready for Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood.
After that opening-week showing, this is a much better measuring stick for Michigan. Kick-off is scheduled for Noon ET on FOX.
Indiana visits The Big House later this season on October 24, one week after hosting Ohio State.
For fans looking for something a little less obvious but still intriguing, Mississippi State at Minnesota fits the bill. It’s an SEC-Big Ten matchup that could have more pop than people expect.
Jeff Lebby has Mississippi State moving in the right direction, and this is a chance for the Bulldogs to grab a quality win over a solid Big Ten team. Minnesota has been steady under P.J.
Fleck, including back-to-back 8-win seasons, and quarterback Drake Lindsey is viewed as a player with star potential. The Golden Gophers also have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country.
Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Indiana will host Minnesota later this season on Halloween night.
In Other News...
Indiana Is Gaining Early Momentum With A Tackle Recruit To Watch
The early-season opener at Indiana did more than give fans their first look at Curt Cignettis second act in Bloomington. It also brought in one of the more interesting underclassmen on the recruiting board, as 2028 offensive lineman Jacob Van der Kooy made the trip from Oconomowoc High School to watch the Hoosiers face North Texas and got a closer look at what the program is building.
Van der Kooy came away impressed by the staff, pointing to Cignetti along with Bob Bostad and Zack Leeds, and he also liked the gameday feel around the program as well as the academic side of Indiana. He does not have an offer from the Hoosiers yet, but he left the visit believing that continued strong play could keep him on the schools radar, which is the kind of early traction Indiana is hoping to stack up with young linemen. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Still Faces An Eligibility Fight With Two Key Players
The eligibility picture around Indianas football team is still moving, with a court hearing involving several athletes pushed back to Monday. For now, a temporary restraining order remains in place, giving those players an extra year of eligibility and clearing the way for them to suit up this weekend.
At the center of the case is an NCAA rule tied to athletes from the high school class of 2022, and two Hoosiers are among the players affected. Indiana is left waiting on a ruling that could matter well beyond one game, since the decision will help define whether those players can keep taking the field while the legal fight unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Dominant Rise Is Turning Into A Debate Fans Will Hate
Curt Cignettis arrival has completely changed the conversation around Indiana football. Since taking over before the 2024 season, he has pushed the Hoosiers from a breakthrough 11-2 run and a College Football Playoff berth into a full-blown powerhouse, capped by a 16-0 season and a national championship. Even this fall, the expectation level is obvious: Indiana opened ranked No. 6 and wasted little time looking the part in a 52-16 win over North Texas.
Josh Hoover was sharp in that opener, completing 13 of 16 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns, another sign that Indiana already has the kind of offensive punch that makes it feel different from the program fans knew a few years ago. The only problem with this kind of success is what comes with it, because when a team rises this fast, the debate tends to shift from whether it belongs to how long it can stay there. [Read more 🡒]