Ohio State and Indiana are still on a collision course for October 17 in Bloomington, and the matchup already has the feel of a top-10 headliner. But first, both teams have to survive a conference game that could reshape the whole thing.
For the Buckeyes, that means Maryland. For the Hoosiers, it’s Nebraska. And only one of those feels like a true danger spot.
Ohio State’s job this week is simple on paper and tricky in the way these games always are: don’t let the scoreboard get uncomfortable, even if the outcome should be secure. You never completely dismiss a Division I opponent, especially one from the Power 4 with a foothold in the DMV region. Still, this is about as close as the Buckeyes can get to a game they’re expected to control from start to finish.
Maryland has dropped its last two games by a combined 76 points, and another lopsided loss could put Mike Locksley’s program in real trouble. Ohio State, meanwhile, is riding high after what may have been its most satisfying win of the season at Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium. The week before that, the Buckeyes handled TTUN, and then they went into Iowa and looked overwhelming against a Hawkeyes team that had little to offer.
Nebraska is a different story.
Indiana may be tempted to treat this as a warm-up act before Ohio State arrives, but that would be a mistake. Matt Rhule’s home record against Big Ten opponents still has room to grow, yet this looks like the best Cornhuskers team he’s had since taking over in Lincoln. The offensive line is seasoned, and UNLV transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea is fitting the system far better than Dylan Raiola did.
The Hoosiers have not yet shown the same defensive force they had a year ago. Missed tackles and a pass rush that hasn’t struck fear into opponents have already let Northwestern hang around.
That’s part of why Curt Cignetti was careful Monday when he talked about Nebraska.
"We've got a tremendous challenge this week in Nebraska," Cignetti said. "Very impressive team on tape. A lot of respect for Coach Rhule, what he's accomplished throughout his career, the kind of person he is, what he represents, and what they put on tape.
"Impressive football team. We'll have to play really well."
Cignetti had warned before that Northwestern was more dangerous than it looked, and that call aged well after the Wildcats knocked off Penn State. The Nittany Lions may not be world-beaters, but Northwestern has clearly been better than plenty of people expected.
Some have even floated them as a CFP sleeper. We’ll see about that one.
The larger point is that Cignetti knows how to spot a team that’s better than its reputation. Nebraska fits that description right now. The Huskers are 5-0 and still unranked, which means they could spend Saturday forcing plenty of people to take a second look.
If Nebraska pulls it off, Indiana’s showdown with Ohio State becomes a much tougher sell as a must-win type of game. Lose twice in a row, and the Hoosiers’ CFP path gets narrow in a hurry, with perfection needed the rest of the way.
And if that happens, Ohio State could end up with the real late-November challenge in front of it, since Michigan’s 3-2 start doesn’t suggest the Wolverines are lining up to play that role.
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Urban Meyer has now added his voice to that debate, questioning how much weight should go to wins over weaker competition when evaluating Indianas resume. For Buckeyes fans, it is another reminder that the matchup with Indiana is carrying more than usual stakes, because this is no longer just about a hot start - it is about whether the Hoosiers are as legitimate as their record suggests. [Read more 🡒]
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Lee Corso Started A College Football Tradition Fans Still Miss
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Corso eventually made 431 headgear picks before retiring from College GameDay, and his last one came in Columbus in 2025. The show is now moving through its 40th season without him, which leaves a noticeable gap on fall Saturdays for viewers who came to expect the headgear reveal as part of the pageantry, especially when the Buckeyes were in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]