Indiana opens Big Ten play Friday night with a matchup that already carries plenty of buzz: a ranked Hoosiers team riding a 19-game winning streak against a Northwestern squad that comes in 2-0 and fresh off a convincing win over Colorado.
The game is set for 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, and Fox will carry the broadcast. For listeners, Indiana football will be on 105.1 FM in Bloomington, 93.5 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, and SiriusXM Channels 84 on the IU feed and 262.
Indiana enters the night ranked No. 4 in the nation after opening the season with three straight wins: 52-16 over North Texas on Sept. 5, 55-0 over Howard on Sept. 12, and 38-0 over Western Kentucky on Sept. 19.
The Hoosiers have been spotless with the football, committing zero turnovers, and they’ve also posted back-to-back shutouts. Their passing game has been especially explosive, with 12.5 yards per pass leading the nation.
Josh Hoover has been the trigger man, completing 72.5% of his throws for 649 yards and 10 touchdowns. Turbo Richard has added 315 rushing yards and four scores, while Charlie Becker has turned 12 catches into 272 yards and six touchdowns.
Northwestern brings its own strengths into the game. The Wildcats have not turned the ball over and have forced five takeaways, and they’ve leaned heavily on the run with 51 carries per game.
Aiden Chiles has completed 67.4% of his passes for 514 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for three scores. Joseph Himon II has accounted for four total touchdowns, and Griffin Wilde has chipped in eight catches for 189 yards.
There are a few injury situations to keep an eye on before kickoff. Running back Khobie Martin (arm) is expected to miss several weeks.
Cornerback A.J. Harris has yet to play, and kicker Nico Radicic (back) has missed two games.
On the Northwestern side, guard Ezomo Oratokhai left the Colorado game with a lower body injury.
Indiana is listed as the favorite, according to BetMGM.
For fans heading to the stadium or planning around the game, Indiana is scheduled to host Northwestern at Memorial Stadium on Friday night. The Hoosiers’ 2026 slate continues after this one with a trip to Rutgers on Oct. 3, followed by games at Nebraska, against Ohio State, at Michigan, against Minnesota, a bye week, then USC, Washington and Purdue to close the regular season.
And yes, Indiana has already put its national title on the board. The Hoosiers went 16-0 in 2025 and beat Miami 27-21 on Jan. 19, 2026, to win the championship.
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