Ohio State vs. Indiana: spread, kickoff time, everything to know for Big Ten title game

The Ohio State Buckeyes will finally meet the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday night from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (8 p.m. ET, Fox) to determine a conference championship representative from the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes and Hoosiers stand alone as the top two teams in the nation, as neither has tasted defeat all year. The uniqueness of the game is quite fascinating, as it marks the first time the nation's top two teams will play each other in the history of the Big Ten title game.

Ohio State, led by its coach, Ryan Day, and a cast of superstars in quarterback Julian Sayin, the wideout duo of Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, and the dominant defensive stars Arvell Reese and Sony Styles, has wreaked havoc all season.

The Buckeyes tend to pummel teams into submission when they least expect it, closing the gap rather quickly as they did this past Saturday against the Michigan Wolverines, 27-9.

Day has immense respect for Hoosiers' coach Curt Cignetti, who has single-handedly turned a once non-factor in football into a perennial juggernaut.

“Look at what he’s done,” Day told reporters this week. “I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s put on the field. I mean, this is a really good team and it’s going to be a great atmosphere."

Cignetti suggests, however that it's only a football game with a little added flare the Hoosiers need to do all they can to win.

“I don’t expect any handouts,” Cignetti said. “We’ve earned everything up until this point and we’ve got to earn it on Saturday.”

Of course, the game may as well come down to whether Sayin or Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza can make enough key throws late in the game to come out victorious.

“I really respect Julian. He is so effective and he fits the offense perfectly,” Mendoza said. “Every QB prides himself on completion percentage and his completion percentage is out of this world.”

The game marks Ohio State's first Big Ten title berth since 2020, while the Hoosiers are attempting to shock the college football world by beating the Hoosiers for the first time since 1988.

With hours until kickoff, FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Buckeyes as a four-point favorite, meaning if the Buckeyes were to cover the number, they would have to do so by at least five. By contrast, the Hoosiers would have to lose by three or fewer points or win the game outright.