Recap

Ohio State made sure that this was not going to be a let down game. For the first road game, they had a solid performance, but there is a lot to take away to work on to get better. But to win 51-10 and still can get better, this team can be scary, and the playoffs become a very realistic possibility. To be fair, Indiana was without their star freshman quarterback Michael Penix, so this game might have turned out different, but the Silver Bullets seemed prepared for whoever was under center for the Hoosiers.

The Buckeyes started off slow, leading only 7-3 at the end of the first quarter, but after a pass to Chris Olave  for a touchdown, and then a blocked punt for a safety, Ohio State scored on their next two possessions. Indiana’s only touchdown came at the end of the second quarter on a trick play, but still the Buckeyes held a 30-10 lead at halftime, and the Buckeyes never let Indiana score again. 

The only time the Hoosiers threatened was in the third quarter, with the second winding down, Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey threw and interception to Damon Arnette, who took it back 96 yards for a touchdown. This return was the 4th longest interception return in Ohio State history. After that score, Ohio State led 51-10, and sent in their backups for the 4th quarter. 

Justin Fields did not have his best game, and still accounted for 4 touchdowns. He has 13 total touchdowns now for the year. He passed for 199 yards, and three touchdowns, while adding 11 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. With the run support he had, Fields did not need to make plays with his feet other than to escape some of the pressure in the pocket. There were several dropped passes, and a few players Fields missed, but 14 of 24 is a ok day. 

Dobbins had a near perfect day. On the ground, he showed America why he is a threat to be one of the best backs in the country with 193 yards on 22 carries, and a touchdown. He also caught 2 passes for 14 yards and a touchdown. The near perfect is that he had a chance for a second receiving touchdown in the first quarter, but could not hang onto the pass from Fields. 

It wasn’t only Dobbins who had a great day carrying the ball. Master Teague showed some impressive runs, including a 40 yard run for a touchdown. He finished the day with 106 yards on 10 carries. Ohio State must have found a weakness in the Hoosier run defense because they finished the day with 306 yards. 

Chase Young also added 2 sacks to his season total, making it 5 sacks in 3 games.

Turning Point

The day didn’t start off great for Ohio State, leading only 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. Fields missed some open players early on, but the second quarter was a game changer. And really the turning point was within a span of 73 game time seconds. On Ohio State’s first possession of the second quarter, Justin Fields hit Chris Olave for a 37 yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-3. When Indiana got the ball back, the defense held them to a three and out, and on the punt attempt, Chris Olave came up big again and blocked the punt, which resulted in a safety, making it 16-3. From that point, Ohio State never looked back.

Star of the Game

JK Dobbins. After a rough first game against FAU, Dobbins has really turned it around, and proving he is one of the best backs in the Big Ten, and country. He finished an impressive day with 193 yards rushing and a touchdown, and 14 yards receiving with a touchdown to start the third quarter. The only person that could bring him down was a referee. If he can keep this up, he will start getting some Heisman consideration.

Playoff Picture

Ohio State dominated once more, even after a sloppy first quarter. A few people saw this as a potential trap game given the recent history between the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes but Ohio State was able to silence those doubts by halftime. the rest of the top 10 all won as well, and impressively, so there wont be much chance of Ohio State moving up in the polls, however, they have proven they are the best chance the Big Ten has for a playoff team with Maryland and Michigan State losing against lesser opponents. 

Looking Ahead

Ohio State (3-0)  returns home to host Miami (OH) (1-2) at 3:30pm.

Indiana (2-1) will host UCONN (1-1)