The Buckeyes prepare for their third top 5 showdown of the season as they host Indiana after defeating Northwestern 31-7. Here are our top questions going into this critical game as the Buckeyes look to win and move ahead of the Hoosiers for a chance in the Big Ten Championship, and end their perfect record.

1. Will Jeremiah Smith be healthy?

I am sure most people saw by now, but at the end of the 68 yard reception for Jeremiah Smith, the defender for Northwestern gave Smith some extra twists at his ankle after he was already down, and Jeremiah Smith had a notacable limp when he was walking on the sideline. This is a big game coming up, and you want your stars to be as healthy as possible, but since Smith is a Freshman, how much scheming and game planning does he need to be a part of or can he rest up as much as possible during the week to be at his best on Saturday.

2. Is Indiana for real or is this a 2021 Michigan State repeat?

Indiana enters the game with a perfect record, and had a bye week before this game to have that extra time to prepare for the Buckeyes. At the moment, the Hoosiers dont have a win against anyone who is bowl eligible after 10 games, and you start to wonder if this team is a legit contender or more like the 2021 Michigan State Spartans who surpassed expectations under Mel Tucker during his first season, including a win against Michigan, but were blown out by Ohio State the second to last week of the season, Like Tucker as well, Curt Cignetti just signed a multiyear contract extension, that could earn up between $8-9 million a year.

3. Will we see Will Howard run more?

Howard broke his streak of having a rushing touchdown in a game after not scoring one last week, but he also only had 2 real attempts at a run, and let his two headed monster at running back to the running for him. One of the things we saw though against Oregon and Penn State is that Howard needed to run to give the Buckeyes an extra element to their offense, and came up critical in key moments. Will we see him do the same this week?

4. Do the Buckeyes have a Heisman contender?

At the moment, no Buckeye is listed in the top 10 for Heisman odds, and its looks like it could be a three player race between Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter, and Dillon Gabriel. The Buckeyes arguably have one of the best rosters in the country, and are getting recognitions for other individual awards, but none of them are on a path for New York at this time. Do we see someone step up this week if the Buckeyes win, and start making a push for their candidacy?

5. Should this have been a night or 3:30pm kick?

Alot of the conversation for the past week and a half has been about how the Buckeyes close out their season with 6 straight noon games, and are carrying the load for Big Noon Kickoff in 5 of those games. With a top 5 showdown where you want to get any advantage you can, especially the home crowd, is noon the best time window for this game, or would there have been better energy for a 3:30pm kick or 7;30pm kick?

What are your top questions entering the game?