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Indiana and Ohio State fans probably have different measurements for successful seasons. For the No. 2 Buckeyes, success means contending for (or winning) the national championship. For the Hoosiers, success means building on last year's six-win bowl bid and getting into a better long-term position in the Big Ten East.
So far, so good for both programs. The Buckeyes look strikingly like the best team in college football at a perfect 4-0, while Indiana is a nice little 3-1 after beating Michigan State to win the highly peculiar Old Brass Spittoon a week ago. Everything in this sport is relative, but both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers are off to ideal starts. Things look pretty good.
The Buckeyes are a massive favorite to give Indiana a loss on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. That'll probably happen, because they're better. But IU has shown some moxie under head coach Kevin Wilson, and the Hoosiers might yet find some good plays against one of the most brutal opponents any team will face this year.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. The broadcasters are Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams.
Radio: Indiana and Ohio State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Ohio State opened as a 32-point favorite, but that margin has gotten a bit smaller.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation's team blog chats for this game at Crimson Quarry (for IU fans) and Land-Grant Holy Land (for OSU fans).
Three big things to know
1. Urban Meyer thinks Indiana's is the best defense the Buckeyes have faced so far, and the wild thing is that he's probably right. The Hoosiers have been better than the Oklahoma unit the Buckeyes thrashed a few weeks ago in Norman, and they've outperformed expectations to put together a perfectly respectable Big Ten defense. Ohio State's offense is so good that there should still be plenty of points, but give the Hoosiers credit for their growth.
2. Conversely, Ohio State's absolutely the best offense Indiana's faced so far. The Buckeyes are elite in so many ways, and their offense has looked like a buzzsaw behind veteran quarterback JT Barrett. This team's scoring 57 points per game, and it's giving up nine. Those rank No. 3 and No. 1 nationally. The Buckeyes are good.
3. Indiana might be able to keep this thing kind of close. It'd be lunacy to pick against this Ohio State team right now, so I'm not doing that. But Indiana has looked quite respectable, and if the Hoosiers can play defense at the level they've played it so far, Ohio State might have a mildly more difficult time pulling away than usual.