Ohio State football vs. Indiana: Three bold predictions
The Ohio State football team welcomes the Indiana Hoosiers to Columbus on Saturday afternoon. Here are three predictions for the game.
The Ohio State football team puts its perfect 9-0 record on the line Saturday in Ohio Stadium as the Indiana Hoosiers invade Columbus for a Big Noon Kickoff on Fox. The Buckeyes, despite their lackluster performance against Northwestern last week, remain No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Indiana comes in at a disappointing 3-6 and had a humiliating 45-14 loss against Penn State last Saturday. Head coach Tom Allen has had this program headed in the wrong direction ever since its breakout 2020 season a few years back.
Quarterback Connor Bazelak will start against Ohio State after being out for a few weeks due to injury. He can sling it a bit having thrown for over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season thus far. Junior receiver Cam Camper leads IU with 46 receptions for 569 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
But this Hoosier team has been a major bust in 2022. Having lost five games in a row, with only one Big Ten win, some are wondering if Tom Allen is the right man for the job. But that’s for another day as its time to make three predictions for the game.
Prediction 1: A new role within the Ohio State football team for Emeka Egbuka
The Ohio State offense was stagnant on Saturday. Despite the blistering wind, the Buckeyes could not run the ball particularly well. TreVeyon Henderson was a surprise scratch and Miyan Williams looked a bit banged up, even though his offensive line did him no favors. With a major lack of depth due to injury behind them, Ryan Day needs to get creative to help the run game.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is having a breakout season. With 49 receptions for 794 yards and seven touchdowns, Egbuka has been an awesome asset for C.J. Stroud in the passing game. Egbuka has also been dynamic with jet sweeps this season averaging 10 yards per carry and two touchdowns on the ground.
Having been in the backfield in high school, it might be time to explore his versatility for this Ohio State offense. Egbuka could be a real weapon in the screen game and appears to have the strength to take a few traditional carries per game to relieve Henderson and Williams. He could be used in a Curtis Samuel-type role for the Buckeyes.
With only two more games before Michigan, now would be the time to see if Egbuka could handle it. Look for him to possibly get time in this role on Saturday against Indiana.