Buckeyes to host night games against Penn State, Minnesota

Published Apr. 24, 2015 12:26 p.m. ET

Marcus Hartman

Ohio State announced this week starting times for three games, all affairs to be held in prime time during a four-week span to begin the second half of the season.

First is a visit from Penn State on Oct. 17. That game will begin at 8 p.m., making it the fourth consecutive in the series to start at 5:30 p.m. or later. The Buckeyes have won all three, including an 31-24 overtime thriller at Beaver Stadium last season and a 63-14 laugher in Ohio Stadium in 2013. They won 35-23 at Penn State in 2012 en route to an undefeated season.

On Oct. 24, Ohio State will travel to Rutgers for a game that will start at 8 p.m., and the Buckeyes will play host to Minnesota on Nov. 7 in prime-time after taking Halloween Weekend off. The clash between the Golden Gophers and Buckeyes will start at 7 or 8 p.m.

Night games were at one time in the not-too-distant past a hot topic for Ohio State, but they have become fairly commonplace in the past decade. This will mark the eighth season in a row Ohio Stadium has hosted at least one night game and the third year in a row there have been at least two, something that had not happened prior to 2013.

Although the start time for the season-opener at Virginia Tech on Labor Day (Sept. 7) is still officially listed as "TBD", that is almost certain to be a night game as well.

Start times for Ohio State's other eight games are yet to be announced.

(h/t OhioStateBuckeyes.com)