Indiana is set to open 2026 Big Ten play under the Friday night lights.
The No. 4/5 Hoosiers (3-0) will take on Northwestern (2-0) Friday evening at p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington (FOX).
Indiana is 36-47-1 all-time against the Wildcats, and the Hoosiers won the last meeting 41-24 in Evanston in 2024. Overall IU has won two straight against Northwestern.
Northwestern is led by fourth-year head coach David Braun. He is 21-19 at the school, including 11-16 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats have made a bowl game in two of his three prior seasons.
The Wildcats are coming off an impressive 41-7 win over Colorado in Evanston on Saturday. They also beat South Dakota State from the FCS ranks 34-18 in week one. Northwestern had an unusual bye in week two.
Interesting note: Friday’s game against IU is Northwestern’s last game before opening their new home stadium, Ryan Field. They’ve been playing in a temporary campus facility the last two years, including the 2024 game against the Hoosiers.
Under the direction of new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the Wildcats are averaging 37.5 points per game, good for 45th in the nation, and they are giving up 12.5 a contest, which comes in at No. 20.
PFF grades Northwestern as having the No. 54 offense and No. 97 defense in the country.
Northwestern will line up a familiar quarterback against IU. Michigan State transfer Aiden Chiles played against the Hoosiers for the Spartans in both 2024 and 2025, and he’ll take the field for Northwestern on Friday.
The 6-foot-4 Chiles has completed 67.4% of his throws for 514 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The dual-threat has rushed for 20 yards and three more scores. Chiles was 27-of-33 passing against the Hoosiers in 2025 with a touchdown and no interceptions. He rushed for 48 yards against IU last year including sack adjustments.
So what’s the outlook for this Saturday in Bloomington? The oddsmakers and computers like Indiana by more than three touchdowns.
As of Monday morning, the gambling forecast is calling Indiana a 23.5 point favorite.
ESPN’s FPI model gives IU a 89.5% chance to win. The Hoosiers are No. 5 in FPI while Northwestern is No. 33 after moving up 24 spots following the Colordado win. ESPN’s SP+ model projects a 35-14 IU win, and gives them a 90% probability to pull it out.
The early weather forecast for Friday is calling for a partly cloudy day with a high temperature of 73 and a low of 50. 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, here are the gameday details:
GAMEDAY TIMELINE
- Noon – Tailgating lots open
- 5:35 p.m. – The Walk and gameday rally
- 6:30 p.m. – Stadium gates open
- 7:36 p.m. – Marching Hundred pregame show
- 8:00 p.m. – Kickoff
TICKETS AND PARKING
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