On paper, Ohio State has a clear talent advantage over Indiana. But that doesn’t mean the Hoosiers aren’t capable of beating the Buckeyes.
Indiana has performed well above its on-paper talent level all season, winning all of its first 10 games for the first 10-win season in school history. Yes, it’s true that Indiana hasn’t yet beaten a ranked opponent this season, but the Hoosiers have the third-highest average scoring margin in all of college football (25.2 points per game), rank second nationally in points scored per game (43.9) and third nationally in yards allowed per game (255.5).
That means Ohio State must be prepared for one of its biggest tests of the season in all phases of the game as it welcomes the fifth-ranked Hoosiers to Ohio Stadium for its third top-five matchup of the season on Saturday.
In particular, the following five positional matchups bear watching on Saturday. Which team wins the majority of these matchups will go a long way toward determining whether Indiana upsets the second-ranked Buckeyes or Ohio State hands the Hoosiers their first loss.
Ohio State Interior OL vs. Indiana DTs and LBs
Ohio State’s interior offensive line will be the position group under the microscope more than any other when Saturday’s game begins as the Buckeyes play their first game without star center Seth McLaughlin. Carson Hinzman will make his first start of the season at center with Austin Siereveld making his first start since non-conference play as he replaces Hinzman at left guard.
That makes all three positions along Ohio State’s interior offensive line a question mark entering this game as Tegra Tshabola has had plenty of ups and downs in his first season as the Buckeyes’ right guard. All of them have played enough that there’s reason for optimism they won’t be a complete liability, but the lack of the stabilizing veteran presence that McLaughlin provided is a cause for concern.
A bigger test for them specifically might come next week when they faced Michigan’s elite defensive tackle tandem of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but the Hoosiers’ interior defenders are plenty capable of challenging them, too. Kent State transfer defensive tackle CJ West has been one of the Big Ten’s best interior defensive linemen this season, recording 30 tackles with five tackles for loss and two sacks through 10 games, and he pairs with fellow starter James Carpenter and James Madison transfer Tyrique Tucker to give the Hoosiers a strong defensive tackle trio that’s combined for 61 quarterback pressures this season, per Pro Football Focus.
One of McLaughlin’s greatest strengths was his ability to get to the second level and make key blocks to spring Ohio State’s running backs up the middle, and Indiana has a quality linebacker group that will test the Buckeyes’ new-look middle of the offensive line in that regard, as well. Aiden Fisher is tied for second among all Big Ten defenders with 98 tackles this season while fellow starting linebacker Jailin Walker has also been productive, recording 59 tackles with four tackles for loss and six pass breakups.
Ohio State OTs vs. Indiana DE Mikail Kamara
Even without McLaughlin’s injury, Ohio State’s offensive line would have been one of the bigger question-mark positions entering this game because of the Hoosiers’ ability to bring pressure up front, especially off the edge.
Indiana leads the Big Ten with 31 sacks this season, and the biggest contributor to that total has been Mikail Kamara, who leads the conference with 9.5 quarterback takedowns. The 6-foot-1, 265-pound James Madison transfer leads the entire FBS with 53 quarterback pressures this season.
Donovan Jackson gave up two sacks to Penn State’s Abdul Carter in his first game at left tackle, and Kamara will be by far the best pass rusher he’s faced since. Right tackle Josh Fryar has been better in pass protection this year than he was last year, but pass blocking is still the weaker part of his game, so the Hoosiers will likely move Kamara around to test both tackles.
“He's a very talented player,” Jackson said of Kamara. “He knows how to use his abilities well in terms of using hands, being able to turn the corner, which is the reason why his numbers are so good as it is now. So I know that as a unit, we all got our work cut out for us. This is a very talented team, very talented defensive front, and they're all dialed into what they have to do. They rarely get out of gaps. So we just have to be dialed in on what we have to do to execute the game plan and do what we can to the best of our abilities.”
Ohio State CBs vs. Indiana WRs and Kurtis Rourke
On the other side of the ball, the key to the game for Ohio State could be whether Ohio State’s cornerbacks can keep Indiana’s wide receivers in check. Indiana’s passing offense has been one of the nation’s most effective this season, ranking third in the FBS with 9.9 yards per passing attempt, and the Hoosiers’ wideouts will be the best Ohio State has faced since Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson lit the Buckeyes up in a 341-yard passing day for Oregon.
None of Indiana’s individual receivers are quite as dynamic as Stewart, who had seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State, but Elijah Sarratt has been one of the Big Ten’s most productive wideouts with 38 catches for 685 yards and six touchdowns. And the Buckeyes can’t key in on just slowing down Sarratt as the Hoosiers have five wide receivers who have all caught at least 24 passes for 289 yards this season.
Denzel Burke has a lot to prove this week after his nightmare of a game in Eugene while Davison Igbinosun has continued to struggle with penalties in his second year with the Buckeyes. They’re both projected to be higher NFL draft picks than any of Indiana’s wide receivers, so they should be capable of winning their matchups along with Jordan Hancock in the slot, but their inconsistency this season makes this matchup one to watch as Kurtis Rourke’s play all season has demonstrated he won’t be afraid to attack any weak spots he can find in the Buckeyes’ defense.
“He's extremely efficient,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said of Rourke. “Calm in the pocket and very efficient. Makes all the throws, gets rid of the ball quickly. In that type of offense, he's very smart and figures out where the holes of the defense are and takes advantage.”
Ohio State WRs vs. Indiana DBs
While Ohio State’s cornerbacks will be put to the test by Indiana’s receivers, the Buckeyes’ biggest advantage over the Hoosiers may be the matchup between their wideouts and Indiana’s secondary.
Indiana’s passing defense has been good this season, ranking 21st in the FBS with only 183.3 passing yards allowed per game, but the Hoosiers haven’t faced any group of weapons like Ohio State’s trio of Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate. Maryland, the best passing offense Indiana has faced so far this season, threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-28 loss to the Hoosiers.
James Madison transfer D’Angelo Ponds has been excellent as Indiana’s top cornerback this season, holding opponents to only 25 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown on 45 targets (per PFF) with two interceptions and six pass breakups, but he’ll give up significant size to OSU’s receivers at only 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. That said, he does have the advantage of familiarity with Smith as he was Smith’s high school teammate at Chaminade-Madonna.
D’Angelo Ponds (5) will likely spend most of Saturday’s game covering his former high school teammate, Jeremiah Smith. (Photo: Jacob Musselman – Imagn Images)
Indiana’s run defense has been dominant this season, holding opponents to only 72.2 rushing yards per game, so Ohio State is going to need to be able to make plays in the downfield passing game to open up running lanes. There’s reason to believe the Buckeyes should be well-equipped to do so with their receiving talent, though the ability of Ohio State’s aforementioned offensive line to hold up in pass protection as well as Will Howard’s consistency throwing deep will be factors in whether the Buckeyes can exploit their talent advantage on the perimeter.
Indiana OTs vs. Ohio State DEs
If Ohio State could pick one player from Indiana’s roster to add to its roster right now, it would probably pick Indiana left tackle Carter Smith – who the Buckeyes very likely could have gotten as a recruit if they had offered him out of nearby Olentangy Liberty High School. Instead, the three-star prospect has developed into one of the Big Ten’s best offensive tackles in Bloomington, teaming with Wisconsin transfer right tackle Trey Wedig to give the Hoosiers an excellent tandem on the edge.
For Ohio State to slow down Indiana’s passing attack, it won’t just be about the aforementioned cornerback winning their one-on-one matchups; the Buckeyes also need their pass rush to be much better than it was against Oregon, where Ohio State recorded zero sacks. Ohio State’s pass rush has been better since then, but it’s typically been big games where the Buckeyes have struggled to generate pressure in recent years, and Smith and Wedig will be the best offensive tackle tandem they’ve faced since the trip to Eugene.
Jack Sawyer enters this game on a wave of momentum, having recorded 12 tackles with nine quarterback pressures, a forced fumble and a fumble return for a touchdown in Ohio State’s last two games, while JT Tuimoloau has six tackles for loss in the Buckeyes’ last five games. It would go a long way for Ohio State’s efforts to slow down the Hoosiers’ offense if they can continue to wreak havoc off the edge; if they have a quiet game like they did against the Ducks, Ohio State will be at risk of suffering another loss.
