There's no denying what Indiana's hardest game of the 2026 regular season will be. The Ohio State Buckeyes will head to Bloomington on October 17, and the matchup between the two Big Ten heavyweights has serious Game of the Year potential.
Curt Cignetti's only Big Ten loss in his two seasons at Indiana came at the hands of Ryan Day and the Buckeyes back in 2024. The Hoosiers got their revenge in last December's Big Ten Championship Game in a 13-10 rock fight that secured the No. 1 seed in the CFP for Indiana.
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers have won each of the last two National Championships, meaning that all eyes of the college football world will be on Bloomington for this highly-anticipated matchup.
Ohio State's roster is stacked from top to bottom
Ohio State is the perennial college football power of the Big Ten. Day is an absurd 82-12 during his time in Columbus, and he has built arguably the nation's most talented roster heading into the 2026 season.
QB Julian Sayin is back after leading the nation with a completion percentage of 77.0% last season. In total, the redshirt freshman threw for 3,610 yards for 32 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions. His top receiver, Jeremiah Smith, is also back. Smith is the best wideout in the country, and he is poised to compete for the Heisman Trophy once again this season.
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1,000-yard rusher Bo Jackson is also returning, which gives the Buckeyes plenty of returning offensive production to boast. Along with an elite offensive line, this offense has scary potential.
Arthur Smith takes over as Ohio State's offensive coordinator
The Buckeyes will now have their third offensive coordinator in as many season. After Chip Kelly helped OSU win a national title in 2024, Brian Hartline took over as OC along with being the WR coach in 2025. Hartline is now the head coach at USF, and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator in Columbus.
Smith was a somewhat polarizing figures in the NFL, as his offensive scheme led to frustration among Falcons and Steelers fans over the past few seasons. However, he has so much talent to work with at Ohio State that it would be hard to mess it up. He will likely lean on the run game a bit more than the Buckeyes have in previous seasons, which should keep the OSU offense plenty balanced.
The Buckeye defense should be elite once again
Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is still running the defense in Columbus. His tenure at OSU has been wildly successful, and the Buckeye defense should be elite once again this season. Despite losing three defensive players in the first 11 picks of the NFL Draft, Patricia and company have made the right moves to not miss a beat.
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Superstar safety Caleb Downs is gone, but transfer additions Terry Moore (Duke) and Earl Little Jr. (UCF) is quite the combination. Alabama transfer DT James Smith also figures to play a hige role, and Jaylen McClain is one of the most underrated DBs in the entire country.
Indiana can learn a lot from Ohio State's Week 2 matchup against Texas
Indiana's schedule leading up to this October 17 contest is fairly manageable. The Hoosiers will face North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Nebraska in their first six games to start the season.
On the other side, Ohio State will take a trip to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns in Week 2. That is must-watch television for any college football fan, and Indiana can learn a lot about the Buckeyes in that game.
Indiana vs Ohio State score prediction
Ohio State: 31
Indiana: 30
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