The date has been set for the most-anticipated game of the 2026 season, but the kickoff time is yet to be determined.
We know that Ohio State will travel to Indiana on October 17 for the first matchup between national champions from the previous two seasons since... Ohio State traveled to Michigan this past season. What we don't know is what time the kickoff will be...although we can make a safe assumption.
🚨 ONE WEEK FROM TODAY - THE BIG TEN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE WILL BE REVEALED
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) January 20, 2026
We'll give you one game for now...
National champion @IndianaFootball will host @OhioStateFB in a Big Ten championship game rematch on October 17‼️ pic.twitter.com/O4qqB5Ye8r
Ohio State-Indiana must be FOX's noon game
This is not only a rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game, but this will arguably be the Hoosiers' biggest home game in the history of their program, and it could very possibly be the third time that the Buckeyes are involved in an in-season No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup since August 2025.
That's all we need to know about why FOX is taking this game. They will revolve their entire coverage day around the Buckeyes and Hoosiers, including the Big Noon Kickoff pre-game show. Whether ESPN's College GameDay joins the party is more of a discussion, but there's little doubt this game is happening at noon on FOX.
The other options would be the 3:30 kickoff slot on CBS or the 7:30 kickoff slot on NBC, but if it falls in either one of those windows, that would mean that either Ohio State or Indiana has fallen well below expectations.
The Buckeyes have dominated this series
This will be the 99th game between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers, with Ohio State holding an 80-13-5 record on the field against Indiana. This includes win streaks of 23 games from (1960-1986) and 30 games (on-field) from 1991 through 2024, although the 2016 win was vacated.
But those days feel like a lifetime ago. Indiana is a different beast these days. Curt Cignetti turned that program around overnight and on Monday the Hoosiers became the first program to go 16-0 since 1894. This is a battle of the classic blue blood against the upstart new rich and a chance for Ohio State to show that the new boss of the Big Ten is the same boss.
October 17 can't get here soon enough!