6 things to watch for in the Ohio State football vs Indiana game

When I think of the Ohio State football team's matchup with undefeated Indiana, here are a few things to watch for.

Who ya played?

When you look at Indiana’s schedule, you come away unimpressed. Washington, who is 6-5, is the only team they’ve played with a winning record. The Buckeyes are far, far and away the best team the Hoosiers have faced all season. When it comes to Ohio State’s schedule, you can’t say the same about Indiana, because they most certainly are not the best team the Buckeyes have faced.

Re-tooling the trenches…again

The loss of center Seth McLaughlin has caused the Buckeyes to retool their offensive line for the second time this season. I don’t doubt Carson Hinzman will get the job done in his place. He was a starter there for 12 games last season, so I’m not really concerned.

My worry is Austin Siereveld, who will be stepping in at left guard. When Donovan Jackson was hurt to start the season, Siereveld made a couple of starts and played well. But when Jackson was moved out to tackle, it was Hinzman who took over and not Siereveld. Why didn’t Ryan Day and offensive line coach Justin Frye go back to Siereveld? This is an area that really concerns me.

Break their strength

Indiana’s run defense is considered one of the best in the country. The Buckeyes need to be relentless in attacking it because, while I think it is good, I also think that the 2.5 yards per carry they’re allowing is a product of their competition. The best running back the Hoosiers have faced this season, Jonah Coleman of Washington, ran for over 100 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry against them.

The Buckeyes have two running backs who are better than Coleman and the run blocking will be helped immensely by the return of tight end Will Kaczmarek, who has been out since the Oregon game. If OSU can establish the run, it’s going to be a very long afternoon for the Indiana defense.

Healthy phenom?

Ryan Day has assured us that freshman phenom receiver Jeremiah Smith will be fully healthy after a dirty play by a Northwestern player left him gimpy for the remainder of that game. Carnell Tate and Emeka Egbuka are dangerous, but Smith is another level of danger because a defense must account for him every play.

He has the ability to get behind a defense and stretch the field. If he is fully healthy, the Hoosiers are going to have a hard time sneaking a safety down into the box to help with run support. I’ll relax an awful lot once the game begins and Smith shows no ill effects of having his ankle blatantly twisted.

Get after him

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been outstanding so far this year. But against Michigan, he struggled when the Wolverines were able to put pressure on him. After some early success, Northwestern struggled to throw the ball because the Buckeyes were constantly forcing their quarterback to throw the ball before he wanted to.

In recent weeks, OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has been coming up with increasingly more creative blitzes. The Buckeyes need to be in Rourke’s face constantly and not let him get into any kind of rhythm.

Live up to the hype

Coming into the 2024 season, Ohio State cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun and Denzel Burke were considered the best duo in the country. Then came the Oregon game and they have both struggled to find the same form they showed last season. Against Indiana, they need to live up to the hype because Elijah Sarratt (38 catches, 18 yards per catch) and Omar Cooper, Jr. (24 catches, 22 yards per catch) are big play receivers.

When Rourke does have time to throw, Igbinosun and Burke have to blanket these two and force him to look elsewhere. One thing to watch is the amount of back-shoulder throws attempted by Rourke. Igbinosun and Burke have both spent extra time this week working on defending this type of throw.

Yes, Indiana is going to be a handful, but I fully expect the Buckeyes to come away with a comfortable win. Keep this in mind: there is a real reason oddsmakers have Ohio State listed as at least a 12-point favorite. It’s time for the Buckeyes to put an end to college football’s feel-good story.