Indiana’s next big test is already on deck, and it comes with a kickoff time plenty of fans won’t love.
The Hoosiers are heading to Nebraska in Week 6, and that trip to Lincoln is the toughest challenge they’ve faced so far this season. Curt Cignetti’s team can’t afford to treat the Cornhuskers lightly, but the bigger spotlight arrives one week later.
On Oct. 17, Indiana hosts Ohio State in a matchup that already has plenty of juice.
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers have developed a real on-field rivalry over the last few seasons, and both teams are still being talked about as National Championship contenders after five weeks. This one also lands as a Top-10 showdown, with Ohio State at No. 5 and Indiana at No. 7 in this week’s AP Top-25 Poll.
It will also be the first time the Hoosiers have hosted the Buckeyes in the Cignetti era. Ohio State is still Cignetti’s only Big Ten loss at Indiana, a defeat that came in Columbus in 2024. Indiana got its payback in last December’s Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.
The setting should be electric at Memorial Stadium, but there’s one wrinkle that takes some of the shine off: kickoff is set for Noon ET. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will be there, which means the game will be in front of a massive audience. Still, it’s hard not to feel like this one belongs under the lights.
That’s the problem with so many of these marquee Big Ten games now. FOX’s broadcast window has turned the biggest matchups of the week into early starts, even when the game itself feels built for a prime-time stage.
A night game would have given Indiana-Ohio State a different kind of energy. It would have let the atmosphere build all day and made the whole thing feel even bigger. Fans would have had hours to tailgate and settle in, and that usually means a louder, more chaotic crowd.
Noon kickoffs can swing the other way, too. They can take a little edge off the home-field advantage and make it easier for the visiting team to get comfortable early. That’s the part Indiana fans probably dislike most about this slot.
Still, Memorial Stadium should be loud when these two meet. Hoosier fans will be ready for it, and the place will have plenty of buzz on Saturday afternoon. It just would have been something else entirely if this one were happening after dark.
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Indianas Ohio State Showdown Just Lost The Atmosphere Fans Wanted
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Urban Meyer added another layer to that debate this week by casting doubt on how much weight should be given to Indianas record, arguing that games against lower-tier opponents should not all count the same when measuring the Hoosiers. For Indiana fans, the bigger issue is not the skepticism itself but what comes next, because the real chance to answer it is still waiting on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]