How can the Buckeyes beat Indiana? Three keys for Ohio State football game
The Ohio State football team hosts Indiana this week as the Buckeyes look to continue its march to the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 3 and the College Football Playoff National Semifinals on Dec. 31.
The game is the second-to-last home game on the year as the regular season narrows down to the final three weeks. And for the second week in a row, the Buckeyes face a last-place Big Ten team in the Hoosiers. Indiana is currently 3-6 on the season and 1-5 in Big Ten play, last in the Big Ten East Division.
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Here are three keys for No. 2 Ohio State against Indiana on Saturday:
Air it out
The expectation for clearer weather in Columbus on Saturday should help a passing game that was off in the rain and heavy winds at Northwestern. The Buckeyes’ 76 passing yards were their fewest since a loss to Michigan State in a downpour in 2015. In clearer skies, quarterback C.J. Stroud should take advantage and reestablish a connection with his receiving corps. The back end of Indiana’s defense is especially vulnerable, ranking 107th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in pass defense and giving up an average of 264 passing yards per game.
Start fast
It wasn’t until late in the second quarter last week that the Buckeyes got their first touchdown, held scoreless by the Wildcats for more than 27 minutes and marking the first time this season that they were shut out in the first quarter. As a result of the slow start, Northwestern was in no need to play catch-up. It milked clock and used a ball-control approach to keep the Buckeyes’ offense off the field. If Ohio State puts up its usual onslaught of points in the opening frame this week, it’ll put the Hoosiers in a less favorable position.
Prepare for deep balls
The Buckeyes should expect Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak to take some deep shots. Bazelak has attempted 43 passes of 20 yards or more, tied for the second-most among passers in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus. Though he has completed only a quarter of them, his willingness at least to push the ball downfield could test a secondary that has surrendered big plays in the air and seen its cornerback rotation disrupted by a variety of injuries. It’ll be a much different script than Northwestern’s run-heavy attack last week.
Key matchup for Ohio State
Ohio State rush offense vs. Indiana rush defense
The matchup in the trenches could be a bellwether of any improvement made by Ohio State’s running game. The Hoosiers’ rush defense isn’t as formidable as the ones the Buckeyes faced from Iowa or Penn State in previous weeks, nor will the conditions be as sloppy as at Northwestern, but Indiana’s front can be tough. It allows an average of only 3.6 yards per carry, ranking 31st out of 131 FBS teams. If Ohio State can move on the ground like it did in the first half of the season, it will be an encouraging development. If not, it could be stuck in another ugly game.
Key stat for Ohio State vs. Indiana
34: Years since Ohio State was last beaten by Indiana. Since a loss to the Hoosiers in 1988, it has won 28 out of 29 games in the series, including one tie in 1990.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football keys to beating Indiana on Saturday
