Indiana Offensive Keys to the Game: Ohio State

Written By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

“Making history all the time,” Coach Allen said as he addressed his team postgame in the locker room Saturday. “They gave me another list of things, it’s unbelievable the things you guys keep doing. Every time we finish a game, they give me a list of stuff, and all the things you guys are doing that we haven’t done in 30, 40, 50 years.”

Five straight Big Ten conference wins (1967), third-best start in program history (4-0), three straight Big Ten road wins (1982), and first season ever beating Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State… I’m sure these were just a few of the highlights included on the list that was handed to Tom Allen, as the list grows more expansive with each week.

But this week will be different. Tom Allen and his Hoosiers will face their toughest test of the season when they travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes’ offense is what immediately jumps out at you on tape, but today we’re going to focus on what Indiana’s offense must do against the Ohio State defense to continue Tom Allen’s list of impressive accomplishments.

Attack their Weakness

Ohio State hasn’t shown many weaknesses thus far, but an early question mark for the Buckeyes is their defensive secondary. After losing Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette to the NFL last season, Shaun Wade is left leading a group that is relatively inexperienced. Early on this season they’ve shown they have a tendency to hold or interfere when they feel uncomfortable, so that’s exactly what Michael Penix and his stud group of receivers need to do: unleash an aerial attack with Ty Fryfogle, Whop Philyor, and Peyton Hendershot getting a healthy number of touches and forcing their secondary to make plays.

“You have to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your own team and of your opponent and how you can put your players in the best positions to be successful,” said offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan on Monday. “When you are playing the caliber of a team that we are this weekend, there are very little weaknesses that they have. So, you are spending tireless hours trying to find the best edge you can have to put your players in the best position to be successful.”

Convert in the Red Zone

After coming into the Michigan State game a perfect 16 of 16 in converting red zone drives into points, the Indiana offense faltered against the Spartans. Despite the offense starting drives at their own 47 or better eight times, they managed only 24 points. Some of these drives may have been converted with field goals in a closer game, but either way the offensive performance in prime territory will have to be better.

“Did not feel like we finished well offensively, especially in the red zone,” said Tom Allen on Monday.

“As a coach, you look at the game as a whole and you feel that there were moments, especially in the second half and in the red zone, where I did not do a good enough job,” added Sheridan. “You are able to look at it and identify the things you made progress with and did a nice job with, but ultimately you are trying to address the issues that you had.

I am excited for our players, and we always enjoy winning, but at the same time we know that we have to be a lot better in those areas and it starts with me.”

Protect the Ball

Indiana has been dominant in the turnover category early on: their defense continues to force takeaways, while the few takeaways their offense has allowed have rarely turned into productive drives for their opponent. They’re unlikely to be this fortunate against the Buckeyes – if the offense turns the ball over, the Buckeyes will make them pay.

“There is a reason why they are where they are, defending Big Ten champions,” said Allen. “It has gone through Columbus here for a long, long time, so no different this year.”

Much of protecting the ball will come down to two areas: first, the play of Michael Penix. He was a bit loose with the ball against the Spartans and will have to be better this week. This is Penix’s third year with the Hoosiers, but it will be the first time he’s played against Ohio State due to injuries in his first two seasons.

“Oh, he is excited,” Allen said about his quarterback. “So this will be his first opportunity against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he has a chance to play against some of the best players in America.”

And second, the play of the offensive line.

“If you cannot establish physicality at the line of scrimmage, that makes running the football very difficult and then throwing the football very difficult as well. We have to continue to elevate, build off of what we have done in the past and rise to the challenge.

Our defensive line versus their offensive line and their D-line versus ours. That is the matchup that will probably be at the focal point of both sides of the ball's success.”

Hard to argue with that, Coach.