Ohio State vs. Indiana CFB Live Updates, Highlights and Analysis for Oct. 17

Yeah, it's been bad so far.

Julian Sayin has consistently made plays the past two years, but he hasn't been his best in the biggest games.

When you heat him up, he sweats. The Hoosiers are trying to do that today.

Amare Ferrell nearly had an interception, and the Buckeyes are punting again.

Following that first Ohio State scoring drive that resulted in a field goal, this has been a game dominated by defenses.

IU had a little something going on this past drive with Josh Hoover's first completion to Charlie Becker and a couple of first downs, but the drive stalled around midfield.

Hoover tried a deep slant on third down but didn't see OSU defensive back Earl Little, who nearly intercepted the ball, and the Hoosiers are punting again.

Points may be at a premium.

Josh Hoover missed two WIDE-OPEN receivers on that first drive, and Indiana goes three-and-out to start the game.

That's not quite danger-zone area yet, but Hoover hasn't ever played a game of this magnitude in his career.

It's worth at least bringing up the question of whether the lights are just too bright for the TCU transfer? We're not saying that, of course, but this is a major opportunity for him. He's got to perform.

Those were two rough passes to start, and we have a Hoosiers punt.

With so much focus on the nation's top player (can we please think of different ways to say this 1,000 times, Gus and Joel??), Julian Sayin comes out and cooks by going to the Buckeyes' supporting cast.

No Jeremiah Smith on that first drive, no problem for Ohio State.

Tight end Mason Williams came into this game with just five catches this year but had a pair for 46 yards on the first two plays. Sayin then found Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss to get inside the 10-yard line.

The Hoosiers were able to keep them out of the end zone with a big stand, but Sayin going 4-for-5 for 67 yards and none of those being to Smith is a good start.

It's 3-0 Ohio State.

Pregame, FOX asks Curt Cignetti how you slow down Jeremiah Smith: "By hitting the quarterback before he throws the ball."

He also added, "This ought to be a heavyweight fight."

We're so ready!

I'm a SEC guy, having graduated from Tennessee and watched SEC football my entire life. I'm slow to learn when the Big Ten is better.

I'm not sure they are this year when it comes to depth. But there's no question these two teams are top-five programs right now (after all, they're the past two national champions) and teams in 2026. Along that same vein, I've doubted Indiana too often over the past couple of years.

Every time I think the Hoosiers won't, they do. Every time I believe Curt Cignetti can't, he does.

I believe Josh Hoover makes enough plays today, the Hoosiers running game takes over at times, the receivers do the little things like blocking down field and Charlie Becker makes a huge play. Also, while Jeremiah Smith will make plenty of plays, IU's defense is going to make a game-changer to overcome.

I'm expecting an old-school, Big Ten slobberknocker, and I'm expecting IU to pull out the win at home, 27-23.

The past few years, most of the national talk has been primary about the deep-and-rugged SEC. Quietly throughout the season, though, the top-of-the-heap teams belonged in the Big Ten.

Whether that's happening this year or not, we're about to find out.

Ohio State had a chance to flip that narrative for 2026 early but lost in a fourth-quarter comeback by Texas. Indiana has really yet to be challenged other than an upstart Northwestern team.

The Hoosiers' schedule has been, to put it lightly, unchallenging. The Buckeyes haven't had a tough tilt since Texas.

All that changes today. Are the Buckeyes a national title contender? Is Indiana still worthy of being called college football's top program? Let's go find out.

It's been a smoking start for Indiana QB transfer Josh Hoover, and it's been a bit under-the-radar, too.

Today, he's tested for the first time in a huge way.