3 crucial matchups that will decide Indiana football vs Ohio State

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Indiana football is set to host Ohio State in one of if not the biggest home game in program history this Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.

The game’s going to come down to matchups, from position groups to the individual level. The Hoosiers more than proved they can compete with the Buckeyes at each level last season and they’ll have a huge challenge in doing so again this weekend.

Here’s some especially crucial matchups to keep an eye on this week:

Indiana’s defensive line vs Ohio State’s offensive line

Duh, right?

Football generally comes down to who wins the trenches, you can’t do much through the air or on the ground without solid blocking and you can’t hold off an offense unless you can stop plays before they develop. It’s especially true here, with Indiana winning aforementioned Big Ten Championship Game thanks to the pressure it was able to generate on Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.

The Hoosiers sacked Sayin five times last December with all five sacks coming courtesy of returners who will take the field on Saturday as well. Indiana’s relentless pressure was able to keep the Ohio State offense at bay long enough for Fernando Mendoza and company to take, and cement, the lead.

The Buckeye offensive line has largely held up well through six games, with Sayin taking 11 sacks so far. Iowa gave it the most trouble, getting to Sayin and bringing him to the turf four times. There’s still vulnerabilities to that unit and Indiana’s line is going to have to find ways to exploit them early to keep Ohio State from finding any rhythm.

Indiana’s defensive secondary vs Jeremiah Smith

It’s not gonna be a one-man job.

Smith is one of the very best wide receivers to ever play college football, there’s no doubt. He gave Indiana all it could handle in the Big Ten Championship Game last season and that was with D’Angelo Ponds, who brought extra familiarity with Smith thanks to the pair’s past as high school teammates.

Look for Jamari Sharpe, the Hoosiers’ top cornerback, to earn the Smith assignment with extra safety help over the top to limit his explosiveness as best as possible. There’s a lot of ways Smith can win on a given rep, from his finesse to his strength and control at the point of the catch.

He’s going to get his, that’s just how it is. Indiana’s going to have to keep it from deciding the game and that means strong, disciplined play from every member of the defensive backfield.

Mike Shanahan vs Matt Patricia

Last, but certainly not least, the chess match between coordinators.

Bryant Haines’ ability as a defensive coordinator, from his preparation to his play-calling, speaks for itself. Mike Shanahan, despite performing at an exceptionally high level is his dual roles as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator and play caller, hasn’t earned as much luster.

He’ll have yet another chance to really prove himself this Saturday against Patricia, who led one of the best defensive units in the sport last year and has another strong group on his hands in his second season at Ohio State this year.

Patricia will have to contend with Shanahan’s balanced usage of Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh alongside a more explosive rushing attack led by Turbo Richard. Shanahan’s going to have to be at his best from the moment the ball is kicked.

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