Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

Shortly after kickoff, it became clear that things would be very difficult offensively for the Hoosiers against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are always talented, but this year’s squad looks to be on a mission for the playoff. Simply put, it wouldn’t have mattered if Michael Penix was able to play today. The promising redshirt freshman is dealing with an apparently insignificant, although undisclosed injury that will have Penix’s status as week-to-week. Ohio State’s defense is much improved from a unit last year that gave up loads up explosive plays. Led by standout defensive end Chase Young who had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss by himself, the Buckeyes defense held Indiana to just 10 points on the day.

Indiana’s first six plays combined for negative-seven yards: three running plays for negative-four yards, a pass behind the line of scrimmage that lost three, and two incompletions. The Hoosiers third drive provided a brief moment of hope as Peyton Ramsey was able to complete four passes in a row followed by a 20-yard run. The drive stalled out at the 11-yard line, however, as the field tightened up in the red zone. Logan Justus connected on a 29-yard field goal. One potential cause for concern has been Indiana’s complete inability to run the ball despite a very experienced offensive line and talented running back corps. “It's not good enough,” coach Tom Allen said. “Three games in you've got a chance to get a pretty decent test case on where you're at, and it's got to be more effective, there's no doubt about it. It starts up front, ends up front.”

After forcing a punt, the Hoosiers failed to capitalize, going three-and-out on their next drive. IU gained yardage on a pass interference penalty, but Ramsey was stuffed on a busted jet sweep on third down. The following drive lasted just three plays, resulting in negative five yards and two points for the Buckeyes. Two incomplete passes and a sack from Chase Young forced another three-and-out. The Hoosiers would finish the day an embarrassing 3-for-17 on third down conversions. Indiana’s sixth drive of the day began with a 28-yard pass to Whop Philyor. The Hoosiers promptly went no where after that, with Ramsey completing a pass behind the line of scrimmage and losing one yard on consecutive runs. Whitehead would end this drive with a shanked punt that travelled just 12-yards.

When Indiana got the ball back for their seventh drive, they were trailing 30-3 and the game was effectively over. Indiana took the ball 78-yards for a touchdown in eight plays, culminating with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Donavan Hale to Peyton Hendershot on a nifty trick play. It would be the lone highlight of the day for Indiana’s offense. After a punt on their opening drive in the second half, Indiana drove the ball 68 yards on a methodical 12-play drive, setting up 1st and goal at the OSU 6-yard line. As was the story of the day, Indiana couldn’t get the job done. Ramsey threw an ill-advised pass that was returned 96-yards for a touchdown.

During the rest of the game, Indiana had four more drives, accumulating just 13 yards on 15 plays. It was that kind of a day for the Hoosiers. It’s always difficult evaluating a team after a total annihilation against a severely overmatched opponent. Indiana must prioritize the run-game against UConn next week. IU will have to rely on a respectable rushing attack if they want to earn a trip to a bowl game this season. The other thing Indiana must do is out of their control: they need to get Michael Penix back healthy as soon as possible. While fans certainly have a right to be embarrassed by Saturday’s performance, the Hoosiers are still sitting at 2-1 with a good chance of securing three wins before October.

The Huddle

Hoosiers Offense Overmatched, Sputters Without Penix

Hoosier Huddle