Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer: No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers at No. 2 Ohio State
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Written by: TJ Inman
What: #5 Indiana Hoosiers (10-0) at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1)
When: Saturday, November 23 at Noon
Where: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.
Series History
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers have met 96 times in series history. In a surprise to absolutely no one, the Ohio State Buckeyes have dominated this series. The Hoosiers last beat the Buckeyes in 1988 and have fallen in 28 straight contests against OSU. The 28-game streak is the longest in series history and IU has a grand total of two wins over Ohio State since 1951.
What’s at Stake
In a word: everything. In the long history of this series, no game has had more on the line. The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked #2 but they already have one loss and cannot afford a second defeat. This is, essentially, a play-in game for the Big Ten Championship Game with the winner nearly locking up a bid to play the Oregon Ducks in Indianapolis. In addition, there are major College Football Playoff implications. IU is currently the 7-seed and a win would essentially lock-up a bid and set the floor at hosting a first-round playoff game. A loss would open up a lot of possibilities. If Indiana is beaten soundly by the Buckeyes, does that drop Indiana below the gaggle of two-loss SEC teams and out of the playoff bracket? If IU is competitive and narrowly loses or covers the spread, where will the committee place the Hoosiers? The postseason picture will achieve much more clarification this weekend.
A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Protecting the Quarterback
The Ohio State Buckeyes are on of the best teams in the country at sacking the quarterback. On the season, they are getting to the quarterback on more than 10 percent of drop-backs, good for top ten nationally. In the second half of the Michigan game, IU’s offense was bogged down as the Wolverines were able to overwhelm Indiana’s offensive line. The Hoosiers have had two full weeks to figure out what went wrong against Michigan and how to fix those issues. IU’s offensive line will be severely tested against the Buckeyes’ loaded defensive front. Ohio State has two likely first-round draft picks and at least another two defensive linemen that will be selected in the first or second rounds. Indiana’s offensive line is not the only one that will be under fire. Ohio State lost starting center and likely All-American Seth McLaughlin in practice this past week and the Buckeyes will now be without two starting offensive linemen. The Hoosiers use a lot of stunts and movement on the front and Mikail Kamara and crew are very capable of causing issues. Whichever offensive line can give their quarterback more time is going to have a big edge.
2. Red Zone Showdown
The Indiana Hoosiers have the best red zone offense in the country, converting on 97.92 percent of scoring opportunities this season. The Ohio State Buckeyes are second in that metric and they are first in the nation in red zone defense, giving up a remarkable 52.17% of conversions to opponents. That is more than three full percentage points better than the second-place team nationally. In a game this huge, the Hoosiers will have to capitalize on every scoring chance they have and each red zone trip will be a major strategic battle.
3. Be Yourself
The Indiana Hoosiers are 10-0 and have gotten there by playing Curt Cignetti’s brand of football: fast, physical and relentless. This is the biggest game for Indiana football since at least 1967 and everyone is well-aware of the stakes. IU cannot fall victim to trying to be something they are not on Saturday in the Horseshoe. The Hoosiers do not need to “play the perfect game”. Each player does not need to elevate his play and try to find a way to do more. Attempting to play differently because of the opponent is a surefire way to make mistakes and hand the game to the Buckeyes. Indiana has been aggressive on offense all season and I don’t expect that to change just because of the stage they now find themselves on. From the coaching staff to the players, Indiana just needs to play IU football and trust it will give them a chance to win in the fourth quarter.