Indiana has won 22 games in a row, owns the national championship trophy, and is hosting Ohio State in Bloomington with both teams ranked in the top five.
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teams → win → top
The last time these two met, the Hoosiers upset the Buckeyes 13-10 in the Big Ten title game, ending Ohio State's unbeaten season.
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Hoosiers → meet → season
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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that → create → newsroom
Now the 5-1 Buckeyes are coming back as 3.5-point favorites against an undefeated Indiana team that has plenty to prove all over again.
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that → come → plenty
Sure, I went to the University of Tennessee.
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I → go → Tennessee
But Indiana is my home state, and I grew up spending my summers on Lake Monroe.
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I → grow → Monroe
But Southern Indiana in mid-October — with the hills lit up in red and gold — is hard to beat.
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hills → light → red
Bloomington sits right in the middle of it.
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Bloomington → sit → it
Let's get into it.
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's → let → it
Indiana's largest state park covers roughly 16,000 acres of rugged hills and ridges, and people call it the "Little Smokies" for a reason.
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people → cover → reason
Hike to a scenic overlook like Hesitation Point, climb the fire tower, or just drive the park roads and pull off at the viewpoints if you'd rather stay warm.
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you → hike → viewpoints
The park gets busy on peak foliage weekends and the entrance can back up, so get there early.
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entrance → get → weekends
Nashville, Ind., is right outside the gate, which makes it easy to turn this into a full day.
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it → make → day
Indiana's first state park is also home to one of the few waterfalls in a state not exactly known for them.
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park → know → them
The Wolf Cave Trail is a roughly 2-mile moderate loop through a wooded nature preserve to a small cave, rated 4.6 stars across more than 1,200 AllTrails reviews.
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Trail → rat → reviews
It's the closest of the big state parks to Bloomington, which makes it a good fit for a shorter window.
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it → make → window
About 30 minutes from Memorial Stadium | Moderate
The 110-foot Hickory Ridge Fire Tower has 133 steps and is open to climb, with views over the forest and Lake Monroe.
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Tower → have → forest
It's the last fire tower standing in Hoosier National Forest.
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It → stand → Forest
The surrounding Charles C. Deam Wilderness, Indiana's only wilderness area, covers nearly 13,000 acres and about 36 miles of trails.
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Wilderness → surround → trails
Canoe or kayak rental from about $42 for four hours, plus a state entrance fee
Indiana's largest lake is nearly 11,000 acres, and in October the fall color reflects right off the water.
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color → reflect → water
Lake Monroe Boat Rental at Paynetown State Recreation Area rents canoes and kayaks that seat one or two people for $41.73 for four hours or $53.50 for eight.
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that → rent → eight
A state entrance fee applies at Paynetown.
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fee → apply → Paynetown
Call ahead to confirm hours this late in the season, and keep in mind the water is cold, so dress for it.
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water → call → it
There are also hiking trails along the lake if you'd rather stay off the water.
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you → be → water
The city's boathouse rents canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on a 109-acre lake, with hiking trails through the surrounding preserve.
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boathouse → rent → preserve
There's a two-hour limit on weekend rentals, and you'll need a photo ID.
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you → be → ID
In October the boathouse is open Saturdays and Sundays only, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., so it won't work for a pregame paddle with a noon kickoff.
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it → work → kickoff
If you've got an extra day, or even an extra afternoon, spend it in Nashville.
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you → get → Nashville
The small downtown in the heart of Brown County is made for wandering, with art galleries, craft shops and homemade fudge packed into a few walkable blocks.
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downtown → make → blocks
There's a couple of wineries, too, if you're into that sort of thing.
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you → be → thing
For something a little more adventurous (and super fun), Hard Truth Distilling Co. sits on 325 wooded acres just outside town and runs its Get Lost ATV Tour.
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Co. → sit → Tour
Staff drive you through the property in an off-road vehicle with stops for tastings along the way.
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Staff → drive → way
The tour runs 45 to 60 minutes, costs $70 per person, and you have to be at least 21.
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you → run → person
It is weather dependent, though, so rain can cancel it.
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rain → cancel → it
So there you have it.
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you → have → it
Even if the football game doesn't go your way, you'll still get to see a corner of Indiana that doesn't get nearly enough credit.
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that → go → credit
Because as that animated crow in a commercial from my childhood always said, "There’s more than corn in Indiana!"
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crow → say → Indiana
Every week this season, OutKick OutDoors is finding the best ways to touch grass before you touch down at the tailgate.
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you → find → tailgate
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
