Recap

Ohio State welcomed Indiana for the Hoosier’s first ranked game on the season, and the Buckeyes showed why they are one of the best teams in the country after handling business and defeating Indiana 38-15 in a game that could have been more of a blow out. The Buckeyes once again had a slow start in the first quarter, and made a few mistakes to prevent them from scoring until the 2nd quarters. Give a lot of credit to Indiana who gave the Buckeyes their best shot and slowed the game down after stopping the Buckeyes on their first drive, and drive down the field chewing over 6 and a half minutes of clock in the process to take the lead 7-0.

The Buckeye defense once more had issues getting off the field, allowing the Hoosiers to convert 4 of 4 third down conversions, and it was clear Indiana wanted to pick on Davison Igbinosun as he had 3 penalties for defensive pass interference, and helped keep the drives alive. It was hard to determine if Rourke was hurt going into the second half, but the Hoosiers could not pass against Ohio State, as he was sacked 5 times for the game. The defense stepped up in a big way after the first quarter, and held the Hoosiers to 151 total yards, 68 of which were passing, and 83 on the ground. The Buckeyes scored twice in the second quarter to take the lead 14-7 into halftime, and had a punt return for a touchdown by Caleb Downs at the start of the third quarter. The scored again on their next drive, and then had a field goal to score 31 total unanswered points. Indiana did drive the ball down in the 4th quarter but it was too little too late. Ohio State got one more touchdown to ice the game with a Will Howard rushing touchdown, and the Buckeyes might have eliminated the Hoosiers from the playoff altogether. Give credit to Curt Cignetti and his team, who were not afraid and gave the Buckeyes their best shot. Now the Buckeyes can turn their attention to TTUN, and try and beat them for the first time since 2019. Will Howard passed for 201 yards with 22 of 26 completions, and had 2 passing touchdowns and 1 interception. He also rushed 5 times and got a touchdown at the end of the game on the ground, but a sack took his yardage to -1 on the day. TreVeyon Henderson showed how having him healthy at this point of the season has been great, as he lead the team with 68 yards rushing on 9 carries and 1 touchdown. He also caught 3 passes for 5 yards. Quinshon Judkins has 36 yards on 14 carries, and it was a challenge to find holes against the Indiana defensive line that was one of the best in the country. He also caught 2 passes for 7 yards. Emeka Egbuka stepped up in this game, leading the team with 7 catches for 80 yards, and 1 touchdown. Carnell Tate was second on the team with 4 catches for 68 yards. Jeremiah Smith was 3rd with 3 catches for 34 yards. Jelani Thurman was the other Buckeye who caught a touchdown pass for 1 yard.

Turning Point

Ohio State stopped Indiana on a three and out at the start of the second half, and Caleb Downs took the punt return for  a touchdown, and gave the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter. The Hoosiers could not get any momentum until the game was decided in the 4th quarter when they scored one last time to make it 31-15, but that return was like a breath of fresh air for a team that had not returned a kickoff in 10 years.

Stars of the Game

As always, we rank the top stars of the game, with each Buckeye leaf representing a reward (3 leaves it the 1st place earner)

Cody Simon. The senior had 10 total tackles with 2.5 sacks on the day, leading the team, and was everywhere on the field. He showed up in this game against an Indiana offense that wanted to play their style, and he just needed a quarter to adjust,

Caleb Downs. The last time Ohio State returned a punt for a touchdown was 10 years ago against Indiana in the penultimate game of the season, and Downs took it too the house for 76 yards in front of his former head coach in the building.

Will Howard. The senior quarterback was outstanding in this game, and his interception was from a tipped pass. There were a few plays I am sure he would like back, including the decision to pass it to TreVeyon Henderson instead of Egbuka on the first drive, but you cant fault him for how well he preformed against a disciplined defense.

Playoff Picture

This was a nice win for the Buckeyes for their case to make the playoff, which should be a locked at this point even if they somehow lose next week. This also gets them a win away from making the Big Ten Championship Game, and they are hoping not only to make their first trip back since 2020, but also get revenge against Oregon in their only loss of the season. For the playoff committee, maybe there is some conversation about if they overtake Oregon, but I expect them to stay as the 2nd overall team and the 5th seed on Tuesday’s rankings.

Looking Ahead

 Ohio State (10-1) will host TTUN (5-5*) at Noon on FOX for their regular season game on Saturday November 30.

Indiana (10-1) will host Purdue (1-10) on Friday, November 29.

Photo Credit: Ohio State Football