Perhaps the biggest game in Memorial Stadium history is finally here. And the teams have delivered with a top-five matchup.
The polls can’t even agree on which team is better.
No. 5 (AP) / 4 (coaches) Indiana (6-0) will take on No. 4/5 Ohio State (5-1) Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington (Noon ET, FOX).
Indiana is 13-81-5 all-time against the Buckeyes, but the Hoosiers won the last meeting 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship game last December. IU has not defeated Ohio State two games in a row since 1987-88. This will be Ohio State’s first game in Bloomington since a 23-3 win over the Hoosiers to open the 2023 season.
Ohio State is led by ninth-year head coach Ryan Day. He is 87-13 at the school, including 58-5 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have never lost more than two games in a season during his tenure.
OSU cruised to a 45-16 home win over Maryland in its last outing. Saturday won’t be the first difficult road venue they’ve encountered. The Buckeyes lost at Texas 24-23, and won at Iowa 31-14. Ohio State also has home wins over Ball State, Kent State and Illinois to start the season.
Under the direction of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Buckeyes are averaging 42.7 points per game, good for 7th in the nation. Matt Patricia is back for his second year as defensive coordinator. OSU is giving up 13.2 a contest, which comes in at No. 8.
PFF grades Ohio State as having the No. 4 offense and No. 5 defense in the country.
Indiana fans already know Ohio State’s quarterback. Julian Sayin is back as the starter for a second season. He was invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in 2025 along with IU’s Fernando Mendoza. Sayin was 21 of 29 for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Indiana last season.
The 6-foot-1 Sayin has completed 71.2% of his throws for 1,772 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. Sayin can run but he’s not a big time dual-threat athlete. He has just 17 rushing yards (including sack yards) on the season.
This time it’s Sayin’s teammate as an early favorite to get the Heisman ceremony invite. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith already has 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns.
So what’s the outlook for this Saturday in Bloomington? The oddsmakers and computers like Ohio State in a tight contest.
As of Monday morning, the gambling forecast is calling OSU around a 3.5-point favorite.
ESPN’s FPI model gives Ohio State a 52.2% chance to win. The Hoosiers are No. 7 in FPI while the Buckeyes are No. 3. ESPN’s SP+ model has to get down to decimal points. That model projects a 26.4 to 26.2 OSU win, and gives them a 51% probability to pull it out.
The early weather forecast for Saturday is calling for a sunny day with a high temperature of 58 and a low of 36. Obviously you’ll want to check back on that later in the week.
We will of course have much more on this game in the days to come.
To help you plan for this Saturday in Bloomington, here are the gameday details:
GAMEDAY TIMELINE
- 7 a.m. – Tailgating & Parking Lots Open
- 9 a.m. – AAA Championship Tailgate Opens
- 9:35 a.m. – The Walk & Gameday Rally
- 10:30 a.m. – Stadium Gates Open
- 11:30 a.m. – Marching Hundred Pregame Show
- 12 p.m. – Kickoff vs. Ohio State
TICKETS AND PARKING
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