Conference championship week has arrived, and the Hoosiers are gearing up for their biggest test of the season. This Saturday (Dec. 6), No. 2 Indiana will square off with No. 1 Ohio State in a clash loaded with high-powered offenses and punishing defenses. For many Hoosiers, it will be their first taste of the Buckeyes. For offensive line transfer Pat Coogan, it will feel like familiar territory.
“It’s tough because it’s a new defense,” Coogan said Monday during the player’s media availability. “It’s a new defensive coordinator and a lot of new players. This is my fourth time playing Ohio State in five years. Each time has been a different type of game but they’re all incredibly intense and they’re all incredibly close. Anytime you have familiarity with a situation it’s nice… but again it’s different because it’s a new defense, new team. But just the atmosphere of those games that I’ve been in with them, incredibly intense and incredibly physical. You really got to be on your P’s and Q’s.”
Coogan has been a major asset for Indiana this season, emerging as both a physical tone setter and a steadying presence for the offense. He gained valuable experience last year while playing for Notre Dame, where he helped anchor a line that powered the Irish to a National Championship appearance. That title run came to an end against Ohio State, a loss that still fuels him as he enters another showdown with the Buckeyes.
Saturday will mark his fourth career meeting with Ohio State, and he is determined to rewrite his 0-3 record against them. Although he has faced Ryan Day’s program several times, this week brings new wrinkles in the form of a first year defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, and a fresh batch of talent on the Buckeye roster. Coogan knows what kind of fight awaits him and he wants to cap his redshirt senior season with a statement. He is embracing the challenge, confident in what a strong week of preparation can do.
“We got to have a great plan in place to attack on the early downs, be efficient, really run the ball efficiently so we can set ourselves up for success and stay out of those third and long situations which no one enjoys being in,” Coogan said. “It is absolutely crucial and I know our coaches are upstairs right now grinding to put together a great plan in place. We got to follow that plan. We got to execute that plan, but it starts in practice.”
Indiana’s coaching staff has preached a simple approach all season: win the week. Coogan said he fully trusts the staff to craft a plan that puts the Hoosiers in position to compete at the highest level. Now it comes down to preparation. With their toughest opponent ahead of them, the Hoosiers know that the work they put in over the next few days will decide how ready they are when the ball is kicked in Lucas Oil Stadium.