COLUMBUS, Ohio — Looking at Ohio State’s schedule at the start of this season, the game against Indiana in late November didn’t stand out.
The Hoosiers haven’t been a contender in the Big Ten Conference for decades and were terrible last year, so it was logical to think about this game as a throwaway, one that wouldn’t require a lot of heavy lifting for Ohio State as it schemed for revenge against archrival Michigan the following week.
Instead, the college football world will get a potential treat instead of a certain dud Saturday when undefeated No. 5 Indiana visits the No. 2 Buckeyes at the Horseshoe, a place where the Hoosiers haven’t won a game since Ronald Reagan was president.
The tale of Indiana (10-0, 7-0), which is also No. 5 in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings, is one the most uplifting stories of the season. Behind quarterback Kurtis Rourke — a transfer from Ohio University — and Curt Cignetti, their first-year head coach, the Hoosiers are enjoying their best season since 1967, when they finished 9-2 and shared the Big Ten title with Minnesota and in-state rival Purdue.
They haven’t even sniffed a conference crown since. Until now, that is.