BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After eight long months, Ohio State football is back. The Buckeyes open the season against the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington this afternoon. And while it’s an away game, plenty of OSU fans made the trip.
What You Need To Know
- OSU fans are well-known for traveling, but many tend to make the trip to Bloomington, Indiana
- Indiana University is among the closest Big Ten schools to Ohio State
- Fans say they enjoy a change in pace and are treated with little hostility, like they may be at Michigan
- Fans hope to make a difference for OSU players in their first game of the season
Despite the Hoosier pride in Bloomington ahead of week one of college football, you’ll still find plenty of Buckeye fans.
“This one came up first on the schedule and it was a well let’s go," Gary McClellan an OSU fan said.
That’s how it typically is for Buckeye fans when they see they’re playing the Hoosiers in Bloomington.
“It’s a nice change of pace to see a different town, a different stadium," Jim Carter and OSU fan said. "Kind of see how they do things here and just a little variety.”
Indiana is among the closest Big Ten schools to Ohio State, just under a four-hour drive away, so it’s common to see plenty of scarlet and gray in Southern Indiana.
“This is usually the one we come to because it’s easier to get tickets, it’s not that far as compared to some of the other places," Carter said. "Like I don’t think I’ll be going to Rutgers any time soon. And, you know, I’ll try to be humble about this, usually we win when we come so that makes it fun.”
The other bonus? Hoosier fans don’t tend to give Buckeye fans a hard time.
“We’re pretty good here and as long as we don’t go to Ann Arbor, we’re alright," Carter said.
And for one former Buckeye player, he’s here to cheer on his alma matter while his daughter is a Hoosier.
“I actually came here six years ago with a couple of my buddies," said Steve Moberger a former Ohio State player in the 1970s. "We just love to travel, be part of all this, but now I have her [his daughter] so I have to come!”
This is the first of three games OSU will play in the state of Indiana, traveling to Notre Dame and Purdue later this season. And the possibility of a fourth if the Buckeyes make it to the Big ten Championship for the first time since 2020. Fans say the Buckeyes win streak against the Hoosiers helps too.
“Easy to get in and out of and usually the Buckeyes win when they come down here," McClellan said.
The Buckeyes kick off their 134th season this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.