Indiana and Ohio State will open the 2017 season on Thursday night in Bloomington

If you’re not excited for the 2017 Indiana football season, well, um, here’s some news that may change your mind.

Indiana’s 2017 season opener against Ohio State has been moved to a THURSDAY NIGHT IN BLOOMINGTON.

From the Indiana release:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana and Ohio State will kick off the 2017 college football season on Thursday, Aug. 31, it was announced today by IU, OSU and the Big Ten. The two schools and the conference were in agreement to move the game from Saturday, Sept. 2. "Opening the season on a Thursday night against a great Big Ten opponent is quite an opportunity for our program," IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass said. "The atmosphere in Memorial Stadium will be electric as we usher in the 2017 season under the lights against the Buckeyes." The Hoosiers will open a campaign against Ohio State for the fifth time (1938, 1952-54) and for the first time in Bloomington. Indiana last started the year against a Big Ten foe in 1982, a 30-0 whitewashing of Northwestern on Sept. 11. IU will host the fourth Thursday night game in Memorial Stadium history: Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 3, 2009 (W, 19-13); Towson on Sept. 2, 2010 (W, 51-17) and Indiana State on Aug. 29, 2013 (W, 73-35). The Hoosiers jumpstarted their 2016 Foster Farms Bowl season with a Thursday evening 34-13 victory at Florida International on Sept. 1. The start time and television platform designation will be announced at a later date.

Pending unforseen departures, Indiana will return 18 of 22 starters off the 2016 team — and get back top weapons Simmie Cobbs, J-Shun Harris, and Camion Patrick from injury. Ohio State is, um, Ohio State.

Let’s have some fun.