No. 4 Ohio State (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) visits No. 5 Indiana (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday, October 17, at noon ET on FOX. It’s a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, which Indiana won 13-10 for its first win over Ohio State since 1988.
Two top-five teams, one of them the defending national champion, and a coach who just spent a postgame press conference listing his team’s mistakes. That’s what makes this week a perfect storm. Here’s what’s swirling around the Buckeyes, and what they need to do to come out of it.
Ohio State vs. Indiana at a Glance
| Ohio State | Indiana | |
|---|---|---|
| AP rank | No. 4 | No. 5 |
| Record | 5-1 (3-0 Big Ten) | 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten) |
| Last game | 45-16 win over Maryland | 20-17 win at Nebraska |
| Winning streak | 4 games | 22 games |
| Head coach | Ryan Day | Curt Cignetti |
Indiana’s 22-game streak is the longest in the Big Ten since Ohio State won 23 straight in 2013-14, and the Hoosiers are 27-0 against unranked opponents under Cignetti.
Storm Cloud No. 1: Ryan Day’s Cleanup List
Ohio State won by 29 against Maryland, but Day left unhappy. The Buckeyes committed eight penalties for 65 yards and turned the ball over twice. Day said some penalties, like late hits on the quarterback, don’t always come up in practice and have to be addressed. His message afterward was blunt: “There’s too much at stake here.”
That’s the point. Against Maryland, mistakes were an annoyance. Against an Indiana team that beat Ohio State by controlling the details, they can decide the game.
Storm Cloud No. 2: The Injury Report
Six starters missed the Maryland game: receivers Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin, linemen Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, linebacker Christian Alliegro and nickelback Jay Timmons. On Monday, Day said he expects most of them back, but not all. Reports point to McCuin and Timmons as the most likely returns, and Day said Daniels is on track to return after missing four games.
The line matters most. Siereveld was ruled out hours before kickoff against Maryland because of an illness, and the right side struggled with pressure. Getting even one tackle back would help against Indiana’s front.
Storm Cloud No. 3: Indiana’s Revenge Tour
Indiana beat Ohio State in the Big Ten title game while sacking Julian Sayin five times and holding the Buckeyes to 2.2 yards per carry. The Hoosiers went on to win the national championship.
They’ve changed since then. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is now in the NFL, and quarterback Josh Hoover is leading the offense.
But Indiana Isn’t Perfect
Last Saturday, Indiana trailed Nebraska 17-6 in the fourth quarter and needed two quick touchdown passes to Nick Marsh, a 75-yarder and a 44-yarder, to win. It was the Hoosiers’ first deficit of the season. They finished with season lows of 65 rushing yards and 328 total yards.
That’s a sign Indiana can be rattled. It’s also a warning: this team has won 22 straight because it finds ways to finish.
What Ohio State Has to Do
- Play a clean game. Cut the penalties, protect the football, and don’t give Indiana free yards.
- Protect Sayin. Pass protection is the biggest swing factor after last year’s five sacks.
- Keep the run honest. Ohio State ran for 207 yards against Maryland, but Indiana’s defense is a much tougher test.
- Get Jeremiah Smith the ball. The Heisman favorite had four catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns last week, and Ohio State’s passing game is averaging 337.8 yards per game.
My Take
This game has everything: rank, revenge, a streak on the line and a coach demanding better. Oddsmakers see it as close to a coin flip, and I agree. I lean Ohio State by a small margin, but only if the penalties and turnovers disappear and the line holds. If the Buckeyes play like they did last Saturday, Indiana will punish them.
Who wins in Bloomington? Drop your pick and score in the comments, and subscribe for my game-day breakdown.
