No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana are set for a massive rematch this Saturday, hitting the field at noon ET on FOX. This isn’t just any game, it’s the first time these two have clashed since Indiana snagged the 2025 Big Ten Championship with a nail-biting 13-10 win and then went on to claim the national title. Indiana rolls into this one with a ridiculous 22-game winning streak. Talk about high stakes, right?
Ryan Day Isn’t Dwelling on the Past, But He’s Not Forgetting It Either
Ohio State coach Ryan Day isn’t letting last year’s championship loss hang over his squad. He told the press Tuesday the Buckeyes talked about it on Sunday and again in their team meeting, but his message was clear: “Nothing that happened in the past has anything to do with what’s going on this weekend.” Day stressed that while they can learn from “all the reasons why we came up short,” the focus has to be “on right now.” He pinpointed those “reasons” to one thing: situational football.
Think about it, Ohio State hit the red zone four times in that December game and only punched in one touchdown. “You’re not gonna win many games if you do that,” Day admitted. He gave major props to Indiana, saying they “does as good a job as anybody in the country of winning situations.” Day also saluted Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti for building a roster that fits his culture. He knows Indiana “hasn’t lost a game in a long time” and warned his team a loud Memorial Stadium will force them into a silent snap count. Day’s message is simple: “It’s just that you have to stay focused for 60 minutes.” That’s the key, right?
Cignetti Knows the Challenge: Jeremiah Smith Is a ‘Freak’
On the Indiana sideline, coach Curt Cignetti had one player on his mind during his Monday presser: Ohio State’s superstar wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith. Cignetti couldn’t stop talking about him, saying, “They move Jeremiah around quite a bit. He’s taken it up a notch without question.” He didn’t mince words either: “There is no one like him right now playing at this level. … He’s a freak. We’re going to have to do a great job on him.”
And Cignetti isn’t wrong. Smith is an absolute legend already, leading Ohio State’s career records with 211 receptions, 3,474 receiving yards, and 38 receiving touchdowns. Get this: he’s only two touchdown catches away from blowing past Braylon Edwards for the Big Ten record! This season alone, he’s second in the FBS with 916 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Indiana did manage to keep him out of the end zone last December, but he still hauled in eight catches for 144 yards. Cignetti called Ohio State “as strong a brand as there is in America” but sees his own team as “developing still.” He’s definitely leaning on the home crowd, too: “Oh, I’m glad we’re playing at home. We really need our crowd to be loud and very involved. We got to give them reasons to be.” Sounds like he’s expecting a battle!
This game is huge for both teams, who are currently unbeaten in Big Ten play. Ohio State’s only stumble this season was a tight 24-23 loss at Texas. Despite Indiana’s perfect Big Ten record and national title status, Ohio State is actually favored by 3.5 points in FOX Sports’ Week 7 picks. If Indiana pulls off a win, they’d push their insane streak to 23 straight, which would tie the second-longest winning streak in Big Ten history, a record Ohio State themselves set back in 2014 and 2015. With quarterbacks Julian Sayin for Ohio State and Josh H for Indiana set to duel, this one is gonna be electric.
So, what are we looking at for Saturday? A national champion riding a 22-game winning streak against a fiercely competitive Ohio State squad eager for revenge. Can Indiana’s crowd make enough noise to slow down Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes? And will Jeremiah Smith finally break that Big Ten touchdown record? You know you won’t want to miss a second of this noon ET FOX showdown!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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