Know Your Opponent: No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
/
Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
Head Coach: Ryan Day
Overall: Fourth Season, 43-4
Bowl Appearances at Ohio State: Three
2021 Record: 11-2
Mascot: Brutus Buckeye
Colors: Scarlet and Grey
Outfitter: Nike
National Titles: Eight
Conference Titles: 39 Big Ten titles
Heisman Winners: 7
Last Week: 21-7 win over Northwestern
Statistical Leaders
Passing: C.J. Stroud – 2453 yards with 67.9%, 29 touchdowns and 4 interceptions
Rushing: Miyan Williams – 636 yards with 6.24 yards per carry, 12 touchdowns
Receiving: Marvin Harrison Jr. – 53 catches for 834 yards with 10 touchdowns
Tackles: Tommy Eichenberg – 85 tackles with 53 solo
Stat of the Week: Last week’s game against Northwestern was played in extremely windy conditions and offensive play was mostly negated. Outside of that game, Ohio State has scored at least 44 points in each Big Ten game and has outscored conference opponents 248 to 92. That is an average margin of victory of 31.2 points per Big Ten contest. Add in the Buckeyes 26 game winning streak against the Hoosiers and the point spread of nearly 41 points make a lot of sense.
Buckeyes Talking Points
1. Irresistible Force vs. the Movable Object
Everyone knew the Ohio State offense was going to be a dynamite attack this season and they have not disappointed. Despite missing wideout Jaxson Smith-Njigba for much of the season, they are averaging 45.8 points per game and gaining 7.42 yards per play. C.J. Stroud has a good completion percentage and has an outrageous 29 touchdowns versus only four interceptions. IU’s defense has been good in spots but on the whole, the unit has been disappointing and they’ll face the biggest challenge of the season on Saturday.
2. Under Pressure
The biggest issue for Indiana’s offense is hard to pick out. On a list of many though, the one that stands out is the negative plays caused by a lack of blocking from the offensive line. That’s a major problem against a good defense like Ohio State’s. The Buckeyes have 22 sacks on the season and a very impressive 59 tackles for loss. JT Tuimoloau and Tommy Eichenberg both have eight TFLs and Michael Hall Jr. has 7.5. Whether or not the Indiana Hoosiers can get anything at all positive on offense will come down to the offensive line’s ability to prevent an attacking OSU defense from creating negative plays in the Hoosiers backfield.
3. Rushing Attack
The Indiana Hoosiers have struggled to run the ball. That’s really an understatement. For the most part, the rushing attack has been non-existent. The Indiana Hoosiers have an average of 2.64 yards per carry (which contributes to the meager 4.37 yards per play on offense) while the Ohio State Buckeyes are surrendering only 3.03 yards per carry to opponents. It figures to be a long day for the Indiana offense, no matter who is lined up at quarterback.