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It is here. It is finally here.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2017 Ohio State football season is upon us.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are ready to face off against the Indiana Hoosiers to open the 128th season in program history. The Buckeyes lead the series by a 72-12-5 margin, and are currently on a 21-game win streak dating back to 1991.
Tonight’s matchup will be the first game back on the field for a team who was most recently shutout at the paws of the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff semifinal. But it is a team that returns a large number of starters on both sides of the ball, and looks to boast a new-and-improved offense under former Indiana head coach, Kevin Wilson. With running back Mike Weber back for his second season as a starter and a variety of high-potential receivers, the offense has a lot of firepower heading into tonight’s game. And that’s not even counting the contributions of senior quarterback J.T. Barrett.
More impressive than the offense, however, is the return of a stifling defense on the part of the Buckeyes. Even with a depleted secondary which lost three first round selections in this year’s NFL Draft, the defensive line, which was so outstanding last season, returns intact and ready to terrorize opposing offenses. Chief among the group is defensive end Tyquan Lewis, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
After all the preseason madness, football is finally upon us.
When is the Ohio State vs. Indiana game and how can I watch?
Game Date/Time: Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.
Location: Bloomington, IN
TV: ESPN
Online: WatchESPN
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM
Where is ‘College GameDay’ today?
For the first time in the show’s more than 20 year history, ESPN’s College GameDay is heading to Bloomington ahead of Ohio State’s matchup with Indiana for a special Thursday night edition of the program. Saturday, GameDay is scheduled to go to Atlanta for a top-three matchup between Alabama and Florida State.
What’s the rest of the Big Ten up to this week?
With all 14 teams in action, it’s a busy slate for the Big Ten. Just ahead of Ohio State-Indiana Thursday night, Minnesota is scheduled to take on Buffalo on BTN. Friday, Rutgers faces No. 8 Washington at 8 p.m. on FS1, while No. 9 Wisconsin has Utah State at 9 p.m. on ESPN. For Saturday’s noon matchups, No. 6 Penn State plays Akron on ABC, Maryland heads to No. 23 Texas on FS1, Michigan State has Bowling Green on ESPNU, and Illinois takes on Ball State while Iowa gets Wyoming, both on BTN. At 3:30 p.m., No. 11 Michigan faces No. 13 Florida in Arlington on ABC, while Northwestern takes on Nevada on ESPN. Later that night, Purdue gets No. 16 Louisville at 7:30 p.m. on FOX. Nebraska then faces Arkansas State at 8 p.m. on BTN for the last conference game of week one.
Join the conversation
Below is your Ohio State-Indiana GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and as always, keep it classy. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s start the season off strong. Go Bucks.