No. 5/4 IU football narrowly escaped the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 20-17 last Saturday in Lincoln. The victory improved the Hoosiers record to 6-0 on the season.
Indiana has now started 6-0 in each of Curt Cignetti’s first three seasons as head coach. The Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the FBS.
Things won’t get any easier for IU this week, as they will welcome in the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes to Bloomington for a rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game, which the Hoosiers won 13-10. Kickoff is scheduled for noon Eastern and will be televised on FOX.
Here are some notes, numbers and key matchups to know before the game kicks off at Memorial Stadium.
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NOTES
- Ohio State leads the all-time series over Indiana, 81-13-5. The last time these two teams faced off in Bloomington was 2023, a 23-3 victory for the Buckeyes. Before last year’s Big Ten Championship victory, the last time the Hoosiers had won a game in the series was 1988, when IU won 41-7 at Memorial Stadium.
- Saturday’s game will be the first ever top-5 matchup in the 66-year history of Memorial Stadium. It’s also the second consecutive top-5 tilt between IU and Ohio State.
- The Hoosiers haven’t lost at Memorial Stadium since November of 2023. IU’s 19-game home winning streak is the longest active streak in the FBS. Indiana has never lost at home under Cignetti.
- With its sixth victory of the season against Nebraska, IU football became the first bowl eligible team in 2026. It’s the second time in three years that the Hoosiers have been the first FBS team to reach the six-win mark.
- IU is one of nine remaining undefeated teams in the FBS, with No. 12 UCLA being the only other unbeaten Big Ten team.
- The Hoosiers are one win away from matching Ohio State’s 23-game winning streak from 2013-2014, which is the second-longest winning streak for a Big Ten team in the 21st century.
NUMBERS
- 5 – IU defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi has recorded at least sack in five consecutive games, including a massive fourth-down sack in the fourth quarter against Nebraska.
- 8 – Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith has recorded eight touchdown catches in his last three games. His 38 touchdown catches since 2024 are the most touchdowns by any receiver in the FBS over that span.
- 15 – Josh Hoover is one of two FBS quarterbacks who has at least 15 touchdown passes without throwing a single interception on the season. Darian Mensah of Miami (Fla.) is the other.
- 30 – The Hoosiers have either tied or won the turnover battle in 30 straight games, the longest streak in the FBS since at least 1995. Air Force previously held the longest streak, a 27-game stretch between 2007 and 2009.
- 33 – IU has won 33 games since the start of the 2024 season, the most wins the program has ever had across a three-year stretch.
- 187 – Nick Marsh’s 187 receiving yards vs. Nebraska are the most by any Hoosier in a single game this season. The last time any IU player had that many receiving yards in a game was September of 2025, when Omar Cooper Jr. had 207 receiving yards in a 73-0 victory over Indiana State.
KEY MATCHUPS
- IU pass rush vs. Ohio State offensive line – The Hoosiers’ 20 sacks on the season rank first in the Big Ten and seventh nationally. IU sacked Ohio State QB Julian Sayin five times in the Big Ten Championship Game last year. Sayin has been sacked 11 times so far this season.
- Jeremiah Smith vs. IU secondary – Smith has simply been uncoverable so far this season, already having over 900 yards and 11 touchdowns through half of the regular season. He had over 200 receiving yards in each of Ohio State’s first two conference games. The IU secondary will have its work cut out for them.
- Josh Hoover vs. Ohio State defense – As mentioned before, Hoover has yet to commit a turnover as an Indiana Hoosier. Under former NFL head coach Matt Patricia, Ohio State runs a pro-style defense that specializes in disguises. Protecting the football will be the biggest priority for the Hoosiers on Saturday, and that starts with IU’s signal-caller.
- Buckeye running backs vs. IU linebackers – Ohio State is averaging 165.7 yards per game on the ground. But their depth took a hit when Ja’Kobi Jackson was reported as out for this weekend’s game. He leads Ohio State with six rushing touchdowns along with 354 yards on 59 carries. They are going up against an IU defense that is exceptional at limiting big plays, allowing a Big Ten-best 75 rushing yards per game. Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy combined for 17 tackles against Nebraska, and will need to have big games once again on Saturday.
- Ohio State vs. crowd noise – A sellout crowd is expected at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, and a potential attendance record cannot be ruled out. The Buckeyes blew a 20-point lead on the road against Texas earlier this season. The crowd noise will create a major challenge for Ohio State’s offense, who likely will have to resort to a silent count for a majority of the contest. But the Buckeyes are battle-tested on the road, having also already played at Iowa.
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