Inside the Numbers: Ohio State at Indiana
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By David Sugarman (@David_Sugarman2)
Game week is rolling right along and there’s just four days standing between us and Indiana’s biggest game in program history. With the season back so is Inside the Numbers. Let’s take a look at the numbers that matter the most for the opening night matchup between Indiana and #2 Ohio State.
5 - Indiana has won five openers in a row. The last time the Hoosiers dropped their first game was 2011 against Ball State, a season where they finished 1-11. Take into consideration that their opponents have been Indiana State (3 times), SIU and Florida International, but it’s a flattering statistic nonetheless.
71.4% - Last season Indiana moved the ball well between the 20s, finishing third in the conference in total offense, but the red zone offense left a lot to be desired. Indiana scored just 71.4% of the time in the red zone. The only team who was worse in the Big Ten was Rutgers. IU had two lost fumbles, two interceptions and four missed field goals all inside the red zone in 2016. Despite Ohio State’s inexperience on defense in spots, they should be strong. Indiana will have to take advantage of their chances in the red zone when they present themselves and finish drives if they want to win.
100 - Despite finishing 11th in the Big Ten in rushing offense last season, much of IU’s success was contingent upon their run game. Indiana went 6-3 when they ran for over 100 yards and didn’t win a game (0-4) when they ran for less. Indiana has some talent at running back, but it’ll be Mike Majette and others first taste of a heavy workload. Majette has never carried the ball more than 11 times in a game and he’s the presumed started. Indiana’s running game doesn’t have to blow anyone away, but it has to be good enough to keep the defense honest and keep the pass game open.
17 - After coming from the JUCO level Richard Lagow stepped under center last season as somewhat of an unknown commodity. He played well in his first season especially considering he never got to throw to his best receiver Simmie Cobbs after his season ending ankle injury in his first game. Lagow has a good arm and finished second in the Big Ten in passing yards, but gave the ball away way too much. Lagow threw 17 interceptions last year including two in the red zone. Many of those interceptions came from forcing the ball into coverage and trying to thread the needle. If Lagow is more willing to throw the ball out of bounds or check it down this season, his interceptions should go down and Indiana’s offense should take a step up. If not, you know a team like Ohio State will take advantage of those mistakes.
1988 - This game is big for any number of reasons, but playing Ohio State is always big considering IU hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1988. In 1987 Indiana beat Ohio State in what head coach Earle Bruce called the darkest day in Ohio State football history. A 31-10 loss at home. A year later Indiana delivered an even bigger defeat, a 41-7 trouncing at Memorial Stadium. IU will look to give Ohio State another dark day to compete with those two on Thursday.
2 - It’s hardly the elephant in the room. In fact quite a lot of people are talking about it. Ohio State is touted as the number two team in the country coming into the 2017 season. There is no doubt that an Indiana win would be the greatest in program history and be start of the breakthrough that Tom Allen has harped on so much. It’s opening night and a win or loss doesn’t make or break Indiana’s season, but a win has a chance to start a whole new era of Indiana Football and really set the tone for what the Tom Allen era could be.