After a thrilling victory on the road at Nebraska last week, there is no slowing down for IU football. Up next is the game that has been circled on the calendar for months.
It’s the rematch of the Big Ten championship game. It’s a meeting between the last two national champions. It’s a top-five matchup.
It’s the biggest game in the history of Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
It’s Indiana vs. Ohio State.
Here’s everything you need to know for the highly anticipated showdown.
Game information
Who: No. 5 Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten)
Where: Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
When: Saturday, October 17, 2026. 12 p.m. EST
TV: FOX, Gus Johnson (Play-By-Play), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Jenny Taft (Sideline)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Buck Suhr (Analyst)
The line: Ohio State -3.5, O/U 50.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction (rounded): Indiana 26, Ohio State 26 (49 percent chance of an IU win)
Meet the Buckeyes
Ohio State enters the weekend at 5-1, with its lone loss coming on the road at Texas. The Buckeyes blew a second-half lead in that game.
Ryan Day’s group leads the Big Ten in points per game at 44.2 and ranks second in points allowed per game at 13.2, trailing only Indiana. Ohio State’s offense is led by 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Julian Sayin and 2026 Heisman Trophy frontrunner wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Sayin has completed over 71 percent of his passes for 1772 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. Smith has 48 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Defensively, Ohio State lost significant talent to the NFL, including Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Caden Curry. As expected, the Buckeyes reloaded.
Day has two coordinators from the NFL ranks who can scheme with the best, Arthur Smith on offense and Matt Patricia on defense.
In its one major test so far this season, Ohio State came up short in Austin. It has cruised in the rest of its games. Now, the second top-five matchup on the road for the Buckeyes will be a reevaluation.
Injury update
The following comes from the Big Ten availability report as of Thursday:
Indiana
Out: TE Andrew Barker
Doubtful: RB Khobie Martin
Martin is listed with a designation other than out for the first time since his broken forearm injury sustained in Week 1. Cignetti expected him back around midseason and here we are.
Ohio State
Out: S Leroy Roker III, RB Jakobi Jackson, WR Amari Valerio-Hudson, S Khamari Bing, OL Jaxon Powell, OL Austin Siereveld
Questionable: WR Brock Boyd, RB Anthony “Turbo” Rogers
Two big names to notice here are Jackson and Siereveld. Jackson is the Buckeyes’ second-leading rusher behind Bo Jackson. Siereveld is the Buckeyes’ starting right tackle and will miss his second consecutive game.
Storylines
The Jeremiah Smith game plan
No player in college football commands as much weekly attention as Smith.
“He’s a freak,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said.
He has eight receiving touchdowns in his last three games, scoring at least two in all three.
Last year’s recipe to stop, or at least manage, Smith was simple when these teams met in the Big Ten championship game: stick All-American cornerback D’Angelo Ponds on him. Still, Smith caught eight passes for 144 yards, but Ohio State managed only 10 points.
Smith will do what he does every game. He will produce. It comes down to how Indiana handles the rest of Ohio State’s offense. How much pressure can it get on Sayin? How well can it stop the run? How well can it defend Ohio State’s other receivers?
It is a tough balance to strike. Indiana will have to strike that balance to prevail.
A historical matchup
This game provides for a multitude of records and firsts.
Indiana is in the midst of a 22-game winning streak. A win over the Buckeyes would tie a mark of 23 – the second-longest in Big Ten history. Ohio State set that mark in 2014 and 2015.
Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium has never hosted a matchup between two top-five teams. It has never even hosted a matchup between two top-10 teams. This will be the first.
Day and Cignetti have a combined 115-15 record in their time at Ohio State and Indiana, respectively. They are 1-1 against each other.
This game also has major implications for playoff seeding and a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game. The winner will have a much easier path to both.
The importance of the trenches
This game has all the makings of an old-school, hard-nosed, ugly Big Ten game. How has the Big Ten built that reputation for its style of play?
Physical play along the lines.
Last year, these teams proved to be two of the best on both sides of the football. They have trended in that direction again this season, but Indiana has the edge so far.
Indiana ranks third nationally in sacks, eighth in tackles for loss and seventh in rushing yards allowed per game. It is also ninth nationally in rushing yards per game and has only allowed nine sacks.
Ohio State is tied for 89th nationally in sacks, 87th in tackles for loss and 20th in rushing defense. It is 60th in rushing yards per game and has allowed 11 sacks.
Combine this with the note that Ohio State’s starting right tackle and second-leading rusher will miss the game and this becomes an area to really consider important.
Outlook
You might have better luck assigning each team to the sides of a coin and flipping it. This is as much of a toss-up as can be.
Indiana certainly does gain advantages in certain spots. The Hoosiers are healthier and are playing at home. That goes a long way.
At the end of the day, Ohio State is still Ohio State and Indiana is still Indiana. These are two of the best programs in college football and they’ll decide it on the field.
Physicality will be on full display, playbooks will be opened deeper and every coaching decision will be under a microscope. The crowd will be rocking and national attention will be on the matchup.
