September is in the books, and Ohio State has weathered two of the biggest perceived challenges that were predicted before the 2018 season began. Now Indiana comes to town for Ohio State’s homecoming weekend, and many Buckeye fans are looking at this game as a ‘back to pretty easy mode,’ kind of like how Oregon State and Rutgers were perceived in weeks one and two.
Considering what happened the last time Ohio State eked out a one point victory in a comeback win over Penn State...and how Indiana has played Ohio State very tough in Ohio Stadium over the last few seasons…and how Urban Meyer was a graduate assistant back in 1987, the last time Indiana defeated Ohio State in Ohio Stadium…I believe Ohio State is not going to be looking at Indiana as anything but easy.
Here are three things to keep an eye on from Indiana, as the Hoosiers try to recreate some of the magic that allowed them to defeat the Buckeyes in 1987 and 1988, while tying them in 1990.
Will Ohio State’s Defense Be ‘McSorleyed’ by Peyton Ramsey?
If anything, look for teams with a mobile quarterback from here on out to try to duplicate the success of Penn State’s Trace McSorley. Rushing for 175 yards, throwing for 286 yards, it’s not a bad formula to try and achieve success. With Peyton Ramsey, the Hoosiers have a more efficient quarterback as a passer, but not as dynamic of a running threat as McSorley. Even so, look for some designed quarterback draws, as well as for Ramsey to take off for positive yardage if the opportunities present themselves.
Indiana’s Pass Defense Versus Ohio State’s Passing Offense
Something has to give. I want to give credit to my man Michael Citro (@Mike36fan) for pointing this out the other day on the most recent version of The Silver Bullets Podcast — Indiana is currently ranked 14th in the country in passing yards allowed, only giving up 163.6 yards per game. Ohio State’s arsenal of wide receivers is deep, and Dwayne Haskins has shown he can focus in on the open receivers, as opposed to forcing passes into coverage. Indiana has intercepted five passes this season so far, while Haskins has only thrown two interceptions.
Indiana Is Good At Recovering Fumbles
Besides the highly-ranked pass defense, the Hoosiers are solid at recovering fumbles. Tied for 12th with multiple teams, the Hoosiers have recovered a fumble in every game so far this season. Fortunately for Ohio State, the Buckeyes rank among the nation’s best at protecting the football in 2018.