When Pat Elflein saw Griffin Oakes' 20-yard field goal attempt careen through the uprights at Memorial Stadium to give Indiana a 24-21 overtime victory over then-No. 17 Michigan State near midnight on Saturday, he realized the Hoosiers are for real.
He also felt that way last season, when the Buckeyes escaped with a 34-27 road win on the back of Ezekiel Elliott, who ran for 274 yards and touchdown runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards. But a win against the defending Big Ten champion and the only team to beat the Buckeyes a year ago brings a different feel.
“I was pretty shocked that Indiana beat them. Michigan State is always tough, they always play us tough,” Elflein said on Monday. “I just watched some Indiana film and they're a good team. They're a good defense. They have a really good O-line. They always play us tough. I think every past few years they always play us tough. I expect the same.”
“We kind of knew that Indiana was good from last year. Just watching film on them now, they have a really good team.”– Chris Worley
Kevin Wilson is in his sixth year in Bloomington and owns a career 23-42 record. A brilliant offensive mind, he signed a major contract extension in January and fired his defensive coordinator. The Hoosiers won six games in 2016 and went to a bowl game for just the second time in 22 seasons.
However, the Hoosiers played Ohio State tough in each of the first four seasons of Urban Meyer's tenure. Last year, the Buckeyes needed to bat down a Zander Diamont pass in the end zone on the final play of the game to go home victorious. Two years ago, big plays were everywhere in a game Indiana led well into the third quarter before Jalin Marshall took over and led the Buckeyes to a 42-27 win.
“I mean, for four years in a row it's been a swing as hard as you can, because that's game is going to be — this is by far their best team,” Meyer said on Monday. “And that is being very respectful of the other teams we've played against.”
Defensive end Sam Hubbard said his coaches told him the Indiana offensive line is the best group the Buckeyes will have faced all year. Luke Fickell echoed that too, factoring in that the 3-1 Hoosiers average 176 rushing yards per game.
“They played us as good as anybody in the conference. Maybe Michigan State and The Team Up North would be the other two but the reality is they have a heckuva football team,” Fickell said. “They know how to attack you.”
Indiana lost four-year starter at left tackle Jason Spriggs, running back Jordan Howard and quarterback Nate Sudfield from last year's team but returned four of five starters on the offensive line. Devine Redding is in place of Howard at running back, a graduate of Cleveland Glenville High School who leads the Hoosiers with 413 yards on the ground. Wide receivers Nick Westbrook and Ricky Jones each have at least 350 yards receiving so far in 2016 and Indiana is allowing 21.8 points per game, a far cry from 37.6 per game it allowed a year earlier.
Sure, the Hoosiers have only played four games and lost to Wake Forest at home but the win against the Spartans is significant.
“We kind of knew that Indiana was good from last year,” linebacker Chris Worley said. “Just watching film on them now, they have a really good team.”
Outside of a trip to Oklahoma where the Buckeyes left Gaylord Oklahoma Family — Memorial Stadium with a 21-point victory, Ohio State has not been challenged in 2016. Wilson hasn't led his team to a winning record yet in his tenure but Meyer claims to know how easily the Buckeyes can slip up against a team with such a high-powered offense.
A victory over the only team that beat Ohio State last season is enough proof of that.
“In this college football game anybody can get beat any Saturday,” Worley said.
“I see an outstanding team,” Meyer added. “I think they got an excellent coaching staff and you can see some really positive, really good things on video tape. Their game Saturday, that was a great win for that program.”
