No. 4 Ohio State travels to Bloomington on Saturday, Oct. 17, to face No. 5 Indiana in the biggest Big Ten game of Week 7, a noon ET kickoff at Memorial Stadium with conference title implications all over it. DraftKings lists the Buckeyes as 3.5-point road favorites, with the over/under set at 50.5, according to CBS Sports.
The stakes are hard to overstate. Indiana is unbeaten at 6-0 and arrives as the defending national champion, riding a 22-game winning streak that dates back to the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff. Ohio State has been dominant outside of a narrow September loss at Texas, and the Buckeyes have trailed for exactly eight seconds all season.
Why This Matchup Matters for the Big Ten
This is the 100th all-time meeting in a series that began in 1901, and it carries historical weight beyond the rivalry itself. It is the third straight AP Top Five matchup between the two programs, after zero such meetings in the first 97 games, according to CBS Sports.
The coaching matchup is also one for the record books. Indiana's Curt Cignetti (.897 career win percentage) and Ohio State's Ryan Day (.870) bring the highest combined career win percentage for head coaches entering a regular-season game in the FBS era, minimum 30 games coached.
Indiana won the last high-stakes meeting, defeating Ohio State in the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game. That result gives Saturday's rematch a level of urgency for a Buckeyes program that has otherwise looked like the most complete team in the country outside of its trip to Austin.
Jeremiah Smith Chasing Big Ten History
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith needs one receiving touchdown to tie the Big Ten career record of 39, and he currently sits atop the Heisman Trophy odds. Quarterback Julian Sayin brings a perfect 12-0 record as a starter in regular-season Big Ten games.
Sayin and Smith have been the engine of an offense that cruised past Maryland 45-16 last week. The Buckeyes have rarely been tested, but their resume includes a road win at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, where they shut down the Hawkeyes in what many Iowa fans remember as one of the more lopsided afternoons of the season.
Indiana's 22-Game Streak Faces Its Toughest Test
The Hoosiers needed a comeback last week, beating Nebraska 20-17 on the road after trailing for more than 41 minutes of game clock. It was the kind of win that keeps a streak alive but raises questions about how the team will hold up against elite opponents.
Those questions are exactly why oddsmakers have installed Ohio State as a road favorite against an unbeaten, top-five defending champion, a rare spot in college football.
What the Experts Are Picking
SportsLine expert Brad Thomas, whose college football picks have produced strong returns for followers, is backing the Buckeyes, according to CBS Sports.
“I grabbed Ohio State -3 on Monday, but with that number gone, I'm comfortable taking the moneyline at anything under -185,” Thomas said. “Yes, Indiana is 6-0, but there are some concerns. The Hoosiers are allowing a 63% completion rate and rank 127th nationally in explosive plays allowed. That could be free eats for Jeremiah Smith, who is playing like the best player on the planet.”
The logic is straightforward. Indiana's defense has been vulnerable through the air, and Smith is the kind of receiver who punishes soft coverage. Thomas also pointed to Ohio State's body of work, noting the Buckeyes already went into Kinnick Stadium and shut down Iowa, a result that carries weight with anyone who watched it happen in person.
How to Watch and What to Watch For
Kickoff is set for noon ET Saturday from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The game will go a long way toward deciding the Big Ten race, with the winner positioned as the clear favorite to reach the conference championship game in December.
Watch the first quarter closely. Indiana has lived on the edge the last two weeks, and a slow start against an Ohio State team that has trailed for eight seconds all season could put the Hoosiers in a hole they cannot climb out of. On the other side, if the Buckeyes fall behind early on the road, it would be their first real test of adversity since the Texas loss.
Smith's chase of the Big Ten receiving touchdowns record adds an individual storyline to a game already full of them. One catch in the end zone ties the mark, and given Indiana's struggles against explosive plays, the smart money says it happens Saturday.
FAQ
Who is favored between Ohio State and Indiana?
Ohio State is a 3.5-point road favorite at DraftKings, with the over/under set at 50.5, according to CBS Sports.
When does Ohio State play Indiana?
Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 17, at noon ET from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
What is Jeremiah Smith's Big Ten record chase?
Smith needs one receiving touchdown to tie the Big Ten career record of 39 receiving touchdowns.
How long is Indiana's winning streak?
Indiana has won 22 consecutive games, with its last loss coming in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff.