Ohio State Beats Indiana, But At What Cost?
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The number-four Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to the number-five Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. It was the third consecutive top-five matchup between the two programs and the first-ever top-five matchup at Indiana’s Memorial Stadium. It wasn’t the cleanest game for either team; Ohio State made a host of mistakes, and Indiana’s special teams looked even worse.
It didn’t look like a matchup of two of the best teams in college football; that’s for sure.
Either way, when 00:00 showed on the scoreboard, Ohio State escaped with a 19-15 win over Indiana.
Ohio State Beats Indiana, But At What Cost?
Ryan Day’s Biggest Test
In Ryan Day’s career, he has been criticized for not being able to put away top opponents and for struggling against Michigan. Both criticisms are valid, considering how his career has fared to this point.
However, one underrated aspect that hasn’t come up is the quarterback position, specifically, the backup quarterback position.
In his time, Justin Fields started every game, CJ Stroud missed one game, Kyle McCord started every game, including the one where he stepped in for Stroud, and Will Howard started every game. Ohio State will be without Julian Sayin for a while.
In the fourth quarter, Sayin got hit on a strip sack, causing his right arm to fold back into his shoulder awkwardly. He eventually emerged from the locker room without his helmet, wearing a sling. After the game, Day said that the Buckeyes will be without their Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback for several weeks.
Luke Fahey stepped in for Sayin, and Arthur Smith didn’t have him do much. In total, the first-year quarterback finished with no completions on two passing attempts. At no point did he look comfortable back there.
The QB2 competition seemingly went to Fahey, but with the bye week ahead, Ohio State should look to see if Tavien St. Clair can step in. Cardale Jones and Dwayne Haskins; Fahey is not.
A Rare Day For Special Teams
Ohio State had the better special teams on the day; when was the last time anyone could say that? Sure, it was mostly due to the Hoosiers’ inability to do anything, but that counts!
Connor Hawkins lined up for a pair of chip-shot field goals and converted both, much to the relief of Buckeye fans. Joe McGuire had to punt the ball five times on the day, and he averaged 44.4 yards per. He pinned Indiana back inside the 20 three times and launched a 52-yard punt to boot.
Indiana, meanwhile, missed both of its field goal attempts. The first was a doink off the left upright, and the second was short on what would have been a career-long for Nick Radicic.
Considering the game ended with a four-point spread, those two missed field goals were the difference.
The Running Back Conversation
Ja’Kobi Jackson was unavailable due to injury, so it was all on Bo Jackson. While he had a few decent runs en route to a 56-yard day, Isaiah West was the better back on the day. He turned six runs into 45 yards. Legend Bey entered the game for a couple of drives, but could not make an impact.
There is plenty to say about the offensive line, and its inability to open running lanes has to be the bigger issue. Indiana’s defensive line is solid…but so are the defensive lines of a handful of the rest of the schedule.
With the bye week looming, Carlos Locklyn has to get the best out of his group. If the Buckeyes’ quarterback situation is in flux, it’s going to be on the running backs to carry the load.
Silver Bullets Reloaded
Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the Ohio State defense. While it was gashed for a pair of touchdowns, overall, Matt Patricia’s unit did a fine job.
Jay Timmons, Jaylen McClain, and Earl Little Jr. starred. Timmons and McClain forced fumbles, resulting in Ohio State getting the ball, and Little pounced on one of those fumbles while registering another pass breakup.
There may need to be a conversation regarding Devin Sanchez, however. The second-year corner with high aspirations struggled against the Hoosiers’ impressive receiver corps. Of course, overall, it was a bit concerning that the secondary, no matter how well it played, was not able to haul in an interception as Josh Hoover was all over the place.
The Last Word
Survive and advance, right? Ohio State wins the game and earns an inside track to what may be the final Big Ten Championship Game. However, there are all kinds of questions on offense. Jeremiah Smith may have to test how quarterback-proof he is. He finished the day with 68 yards and a touchdown on four catches, but will a quarterback change benefit or hurt his Heisman Trophy chances?
The bye week comes at a great time. Ohio State can get healthy with a break, but playing USC at the Coliseum is going to be a test. There’s a lot of football left to play, so we will have to see how the Buckeyes respond after this ugly, ugly win.
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