Ohio State vs Indiana: “Definitely didn’t see this coming”

The #3 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) play host to the #9 Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) on Saturday. Indiana looks to be OSU’s biggest test of the regular season.

2020 has been full of surprises, and the Big Ten East is just a microcosm of 2020’s unpredictability.  Indiana sits atop the division at 4-0, while Michigan and Penn State are the cellar-dwellers with just one combined win between the two. Who would have thought Indiana would have the 9th ranked football team in the country?

“I definitely didn’t see this coming,” said Ohio State DE Tyler Friday during his press conference. “the whole Big Ten is unpredictable this year.” 

The biggest component of the Hoosiers’ success has been their defense. IU allows just 19.3 points per game and ranks in the top four of Big Ten teams in rushing defense, passing defense, and total defense.

Nothing stands out more than Indiana’s +8 turnover margin. In just four games the Hoosiers have recorded 10 interceptions, good for the seventh-most in the country, and have forced and recovered two fumbles.

The other biggest reason for IU’s success is QB Michael Penix Jr. Penix has thrown three interceptions this season, by Justin Fields‘ standards that’s a season’s worth of picks, but Ryan Day praised Penix during his Tuesday press conference, saying  “He’s fearless, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. Right now, he’s playing almost perfectly” and added “He’s a very competitive player.”

Statistically speaking, Penix is the second-best QB in the Big Ten. He ranks second in passing yards-per-game as well as touchdown passes, behind Justin Fields. In week two it seemed Ohio State’s match-up with Penn State would feature the two best QB’s in the conference, but this time around- there are stats to back-up the claim that Fields and Penix are the two best in the Big Ten.

Ohio State’s secondary must be able to shut down star WR Ty Fryfogle, who leads the Big Ten in receiving yards, as well as Whop Philyor, Penix’s two favorite targets. As for the defensive line, Tyler Friday added they must make Penix uncomfortable and bring the pressure.

Justin Fields, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and the rest of the Buckeyes’ offense can potentially outscore anyone in the country, but will undoubtedly face their toughest defensive test yet. “They have a lot of great athletes on defense,” said Justin Fields “they bring so many different blitzes.” Blitzes are a big part of Indiana’s defensive scheme and the reason why they lead the Big Ten in sacks with 12.

While Ohio State sits as a 21-point favorite against Indiana, this game could very well be much closer. Indiana seeks their first win over OSU since 1988, a 25-game losing streak to the Scarlet and Gray.

Big Ten East supremacy is on the line, and kickoff is scheduled for noon ET and will be televised on Fox.