"We’re turning the ball over at an alarming rate, and that’s obviously the difference in the game and sometime that’s going to come back and at some point that’s going to bite you. We’ve got to fix that" - Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer After 34-27 Win Over Indiana Source: Eleven Warriors
+ The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage for the Buckeyes, which was a positive, and the wide receivers were very good all game long.
+ Meyer gave a lot of credit to Indiana. Said the Hoosiers played their tails off. He said you can't draw up how to win games and he quit trying a long time ago.
+ Specials teams were solid according to Meyer. He said the defense at times was good, but backup quarterback Zander Diamont did damage with his legs.
+ "We're turning the ball over at an alarming rate." Meyer said that is making a difference in games and at some point that's going to bite you.
+ Meyer said his prayers are out to Corey Smith, who he said had a "tough injury."
+ The fourth and one call for Ezekiel Elliott's first touchdown jumpstarted the team. Meyer said they went gap blocking instead of zone blocking and the offensive line started punching off the ball. They need to get him to the second level and compliment his rushes with the pass game.
+ Cardale Jones' stats weren't bad according to Meyer. He did admit that guys were open and they just have to work at it. "We're getting better."
+ On the last play of the game, Meyer said the defense went real aggressive and he agreed with the call. "In that type of situation, go step up and make a play."
+ Meyer believes his team is going through the progression of a season. Meyer said the turnovers have to change now. His teams usually are tops in turnovers, but they aren't right now.
+ The head coach did not consider taking Jones out after his interception. Said he was playing okay.
+ Meyer believes Jalin Marshall is capable of making a big play but sometimes is trying too hard.
+ In the red zone, Meyer said they had a couple of opportunities to score if they were accurate with the throws. He also said they'd like to pound the ball with Elliott more in those situations.
+ Meyer said he's sick that he can't get Braxton Miller the ball more, but you get in the flow of the game and get caught up.
+ Meyer said he's learned to enjoy wins, even close ones. He's very frustrated with the turnovers right now.
Luke Fickell & Numeous Buckeyes Player Updates...
Luke Fickell following Ohio State's 34-27 win at Indiana Source: Eleven Warriors
Vonn Bell bats away QB Zander Diamont's pass to TE Jordan Fuchs, which would have tied the score on penultimate play of the game
Vonn Bell postgame Source: Eleven Warriors
"Coach Meyer made an emphasis that big plays are going to spark the team, and I knew we needed big plays. The O-line did a great job blocking and they made it easy for me." - Ezekiel Elliot
Ezekiel Elliott did everything he could to keep Ohio State's winning streak going. It still took a final goal-line stand for the top-ranked Buckeyes to hold off Indiana.
And now, Ohio State's grip on the No. 1 ranking could be slipping after Saturday's 34-27 win over the Hoosiers.
Elliott had an electrifying second half with touchdown runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards and finished with a career-best 274 yards as the Buckeyes narrowly won their 18th in a row - the longest current streak in the FBS.
Nothing came easy for Ohio State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten). Especially at the end, when Buckeyes cornerback Eli Apple batted away a desperation pass in the back of the end zone as time expired.
''I quit trying to draw up how to win games a long time ago, it doesn't always work as you plan,'' coach Urban Meyer said.
From the start, the game was full of surprises. Indiana (4-1, 0-1) gambled twice on fourth down in the first half - including a fake punt from its 16-yard line that failed. Ohio State fumbled four times and wound up with three turnovers and eight major penalties.
The teams combined for four scoring runs - three from Elliott - that went for more than 50 yards during a 13-minute stretch in the second half.
The Buckeyes also extended their Big Ten regular-season record streak to 25 in a row - and could tie Oklahoma for the most weeks ranked No. 1 (101), if they can hold onto it.
Cardale Jones finished 18 of 27 with 245 yard with one TD and one interception.
''We're turning the ball over at an alarming rate, and that's obviously the difference in the game and sometime that's going to come back and at some point that's going to bite you,'' Meyer said. ''We've got to fix that.''
Meyer paced the sideline, waved his arms and stared in disgust as Ohio State struggled to take the lead and then struggled to put it away when finally going up by 14 points in the fourth quarter.
The Hoosiers, who have not beaten the Buckeyes since 1988, made life miserable despite losing the nation's top rusher, Jordan Howard, in the first half, and starting quarterback, Nate Sudfeld, in the third quarter.
Elliott wiped out a 10-6 deficit with the 55-yard run, a 17-13 deficit with the 65-yard run and appeared to have sealed it when his 75-yarder made it 34-20.
But after Griffin Oakes kicked a 34-yard field goal and Elliot scored on the 75-yard run, Indiana's backup quarterback Zander Diamont beat the Buckeyes on a 79-yard run to make it 34-27 with 10:03 left in the game and marched them to the Ohio State 6 on the final series.
Diamont scrambled on third-and-goal from the 10 and his final throw in the back of end zone was batted away. He led the Hoosiers with 98 yards on seven carries and Howard finished with 34 yards on 14 carries.
Ohio State also lost receiver Corey Smith, who was carted off the field with what appeared to be a lower right leg injury.
Ohio State vs Indiana (Oct 03, 2015) Source: OSU Official Site Scoring Summary, Team Statistics, Individual Statistics, Drive Chart, Defensive Statistics, Game Participation, Box Score, Play-by-Play, Play breakdown
• Star of the game: Ezekiel Elliott gained a career-high 274 yards rushing, tying Keith Byars for the second-best game at Ohio State behind the 314 of Eddie George against Illinois in 1995. More impressive, 243 of Elliott’s yards came in the second half, thanks to TD runs of 55, 65 and 75.
• Ezekiel Elliott is only player in last 10 seasons w/ trio of 50-yard Rush TD in 1 half.
• Ohio State has now won 15 consecutive true road games and 18 in a row overall. Both are the longest active streaks in the nation.
• Ohio State has now won 25 Big Ten regular season games in a row, extending its own Big Ten record.
• Ohio State is 71-12-1 all-time as the nation's No. 1-ranked team and 54-4 as a No. 1 team vs. unranked opponents.
• The Buckeyes have now won 20 consecutive games vs. Indiana and improve to 71-12-5 all-time vs. the Hoosiers.
• Running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a career-high 274 yards, which is tied for second on Ohio State's all-time single-game rushing list with Keith Byars vs. Illinois in 1984 (Record is 314 by Eddie George in 1995). Elliott rushed for three TDs on runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards.
• Elliott averaged 11.9 yards per carry on the day, an Ohio State record.
• Elliott has now rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 consecutive games. His 274 yards marks his fourth career game with at least 200 yards, a school record.
• The duo of Elliott (2,869/28 TDs) and Braxton Miller (3,204 yards/33 TDs) have combined for more than 6,000 yards rushing and 60 rushing TDs in their careers.
• Quarterback Cardale Jones improved to 8-0 as a starter in his career. He finished with 245 yards passing with a 23-yard TD pass to Michael Thomas.
• Wide receiver Michael Thomas has now caught a pass in 21 consecutive games. He finished with four catches for 54 yards and a score.
• H-B Jalin Marshall caught six passes for career high 110 yards. It was the first 100-yard game of his career. He also had six punt returns for 76 yards, including a long of 38.
• Ohio State's defense held Jordan Howard, the nation's leading rusher coming into the game (total rush yards), to 34 yards on 14 carries. They also held IU to more than 100 yards below their season average.
• Ohio State tallied 11.0 TFL on the day, led by a career-high 3.5 by DE Tyquan Lewis.
• DE Joey Bosa recorded a season-high 2.5 TFL.
• DE Adolphus Washington recorded a career-high 10 tackles.
• Linebacker Raekwon McMillan led the team in tackles for the second consecutive game with 14. He has 30 in his past two games.
• Urban Meyer improves to 147-26 in his career, and maintains the highest winning percentage (.849) among active coaches.
• Meyer is 15-0 in road games in his Ohio State coaching career.
Just wondering: Maybe Ohio State fans have this expectation thing all wrong: Everyone wants the 2014 Buckeyes and their high-powered offense. I get it. But might this be the 2002 version? Win close ones. Hand the ball to a really good tailback — Elliott is Clarett, minus the, well, you know — and rely on a bend-but-don’t-break defense. Worked out pretty well back then.
• The view
How the team sees it: Pinpointing our problem is like trying to locate reading glasses already sitting on top of your head. So close but so hard and frustrating to find.
How the pollsters will see it: Two schools of thought: 1. Remain No. 1 until you lose; 2. It was freakin’ Indiana. You’re dropping.
How Buckeye Nation will see it: Give the ball to Zeke. And when you tire of that, Urban, give it to him again.
• Urban dictionary
What he said: “Zeke is just such a good second-level runner.”
What it means: “Our passing game, meanwhile, remains at preschool level.”
• Numbers for dummies
95: The next big gain in store for Elliott? The tailback had rushes of 55, 65 and 75 against Indiana, to go with the 85-yarder he had against Alabama last season.
3: Touches for Braxton Miller. A run. A pass. A block below the waist that erased a 13-yard TD pass from Cardale Jones to Elliott.
1. Ohio State’s offense continues to struggle
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 274 yards, a career high, but even that performance can’t hide the fact that Ohio State has problems on offense. 195 of Zeke’s total rushing yards came on three big plays. Cardale Jones continued to miss receivers and threw a costly interception late in the game.
2. The Buckeyes make dumb mistakes
The title of this article couldn’t be more ironic, as the Hoosiers had three key takeaways from the Ohio State offense. Those three turnovers and 109 yards lost due to penalties were more than enough to make this fan unhappy. Jalin Marshall fumbled twice; once after a solid run-after-catch, and the other during the fourth quarter. He has had ball security issues since last season, and it would be nice to actually get that fixed. Cardale’s interception gave life back to the Hoosiers at a time when the Buckeyes were close to adding to their three-point lead late in the third quarter.
Tyvis Powell dropped a goal-line interception that hit him in the chest, and later missed a key tackle against scrambling Hoosier quarterback Zander Diamont, who turned the play into a 79-yard touchdown run.
Multiple face mask penalties and pass interference/holding calls gave Indiana too many extended opportunities to stay in the game. Five games into the season I would have hoped to see more discipline from the number one overall team in the country, especially from guys that are returning starters.
3. You can’t confidently say we have a settled quarterback competition
With the offensive problems mentioned in point number one; Cardale has not been able to facilitate a consistent offensive attack. Some of that is to blame on the offensive line’s regression in being able to block, but Jones has simply not been a strong decision-maker. He waits in the pocket for too long, allowing pressure to reach him as he checks down his second or third reads. Despite what some may think, he is not a strong threat to run the football out of tight situations either, as he lacks breakaway speed.
If Cardale is ”the guy” he would have showed it today against what has been a weak Indiana defense up to this point. He didn’t.
17 /5 was J.T. Barrett‘s touchdown-to-interception ratio through the first five games of last season. Cardale’s is 5/5 through the first five games of this season.
Final Take:
Ohio State could have very easily lost this game had Indiana not snapped the ball over Diamont’s head on their final play. Both Nate Sudfeld; the Hoosiers’ starting quarterback, and Jordan Howard; the nation’s leading rusher, left the game for significant time due to injury. Despite key players being out for Indiana, Ohio State was not able to pull away. The Hoosiers are no weak team, having been 4-0, but the Buckeyes couldn’t even score a touchdown until the second half. If that’s number-one caliber football, I’d hate to see the rest of the country.
Ohio State vs. Indiana | The Bottom Line Columbus Dispatch - Offense (3 leaves) For the first time since the opener, Zeke Elliott looked like the same beast who tore through the 2014 postseason. The rest of the Buckeyes’ skill players did not fare so well, thanks to fumbles, picks and bad decisions. But a horse RB cures most ills.
Defense (3 leaves)
Indiana ran 91 offensive plays — seriously — so the OSU defenders were bound to run out of gas, and some of them did. The long TD run by a backup QB was a low point, and some careless penalties kept drives alive, but the defense came through at the end.
Special teams (4 leaves)
Special mention here to Joe Burger, who snuffed out a fake-punt try — what was Kevin Wilson thinking, anyway? — and gave OSU great field position. Jalin Marshall did, too, with some excellent punt returns. It’s not their fault the offense usually did little with it.
Coaching (3 leaves)
Yeah, yeah, never turn down a win on the road in the Big Ten. But at the risk of joining the complainers’ chorus, how long is Ohio State’s strong-armed power quarterback going to be allowed to run this finesse offense? When the big man runs, it flat doesn’t work.
Opponent (4 leaves)
For a team that had played Moe, Curly, Larry and Shemp in its first four games, the Hoosiers sure had a way of making Ohio State look like Stooges at times. Losing starting QB Nate Sudfeld to injury hurt the passing game, but IU countered with lots of heart.
Officiating (3 leaves)
John O’Neill’s crew should expect a memo from the B1G offices explaining that pass interference is a spot foul if the distance is less than 15 yards. Indiana gained 17 on a second-quarter march-off. Was IU’s second fumble recovery an illegal touch? Looked like maybe.
OFFENSIVE LINE GRADE: B- The front five gave Ezekiel Elliott a crease on a fourth-and-inches gamble from the OSU 35 late in the third quarter, and that's all he needed, tacking on a 65-yard TD run to the 55-yarder and 75-yarder he had in the second half. The Buckeyes were 1 for 7 on third down conversions in a first half where they only had 14 yards on 16 rushing attempts. Some of that is on the indecision of quarterback Cardale Jones, but the front five was still having trouble firing off the ball and opening holes. Were they out-numbered by the Hoosiers, who stacked the line? Yes. But you can count every season on IU having one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten. No excuse for needing an entire half to figure it out in the trenches.
RUNNING GAME GRADE: B Ezekiel Elliott's ridiculous second half saved OSU's perfect season. After giving him the ball only 16 times last week, the Buckeyes tried to feature Zeke early, which was the right move even if he was running up against a brick wall. The line failed the hard-luck back, who also had a TD reception wiped out by an illegal block from H-back Braxton Miller. We saw again that Cardale Jones cannot run the option, at least not well, and he just is not playing with confidence, which is paralyzing him as a runner as well as a passer. There were chances to open the running game with the passing attack, but there were too many misfires until Zeke took over in the second half and finished with his 10th straight 100-yard game (274 on 23 carries).
PASSING GAME GRADE: D A 23-yard TD pass from Cardale Jones to Michael Thomas was something Jones desperately needed, but it's impossible to feel good about the way he played. You'll never see more misleading quarterback stats than the numbers put up by Jones and IU's Nate Sudfeld in the first half. Sudfeld clearly out-played Jones, but was only 9 of 17 for 113 yards because his receivers dropped four balls. Jones, while 13 of 17 for 200 yards missed Thomas and Jalin Marshall on what should have been touchdowns, both on the same series. He also tried to force a TD pass to tight end Nick Vannett against double coverage on another red zone failure. And Jalin Marshall, who had four touchdowns against IU last year, had the ball poked away inside the 10 after a catch-and-run. He had another fumble in the fourth quarter. He had a history of muffed punts, but had been sure-handed as a receiver. Instead of 28 points at the half, the Buckeyes had six. In the third quarter, after OSU had gained momentum, Jones threw a pick that IU converted into a go-ahead TD. Maybe the TD pass will turn around his season. It better.
DEFENSIVE LINE GRADE: C Tyquan Lewis had some success applying pressure against an offensive line that had been solid, allowing only two sacks going into the game while containing Joey Bosa on Saturday.The entire defense got help from national rushing leader Jordan Howard hurting his ankle early and being hobbled the rest of the afternoon. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld also aggravated an ankle injury and had to come out, but the Hoosiers capitalized on a Cardale Jones interception to drive 55 yards for a go-ahead score with backups at QB and TB. Not a shining moment, nor the 75-yard TD run by backup QB Zander Diamont where he turned the corner on end Sam Hubbard to keep IU in it.
LINEBACKERS GRADE: C For the second straight week, middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan had double-figure tackles before halftime. If sidekicks Darron Lee and Josh Perry were just as active, it wasn't as apparent. A facemask penalty on Lee aided an 80-yard, 15-play, 5-minute touchdown drive in the first half and another one kept IU's comeback bid alive in final minutes. The sustained TD drive was the fourth series of double-digit plays the Buckeyes had allowed in a span of six quarters. A busted coverage in the middle of the field resulted in a 38-yard reception by tight end Anthony Corsano that set up an early field goal.
DEFENSIVE BACKS GRADE: C Vonn Bell has a lot of pass breakups this season, none bigger than the one in corner of end zone with 16 seconds left. It's a good thing IU receivers had such a hard time hanging on to the ball because it helped keep the Hoosiers from capitalizing on the loss early of cornerback Gareon Conley, who returned in the second half after hurting his shoulder. Replacement Marcus Lattimore was picked on early and got off to a rough start, but seemed to settle down. A pass interference call on Eli Apple didn't prove costly as the Hoosiers stalled at the OSU 39. He was also called for holding late on IU's comeback bid, but atoned by batting away desperation heave on last play. On a day when the offense struggled again, a takeway would have given the Buckeyes a much needed spark. But the secondary came up zip in that department. Safety Tyvis Powell dropped an interception at the goal line, which might have sealed IU's fate, and also missed a tackle on a 79-yard TD run by backup QB Zander Diamont that kept IU hopes alives.
SPECIAL TEAMS GRADE: C When Jack Willoughby's 43-yard field goal at the end of the first half clanked off the right upright, it broke a streak of six conversions and epitomized the utter futility of the OSU offense to that point. Jalin Marshall fielded a punt at the 4, which is almost never a good decision. He later had a 37-yard return that helped OSU pad its fourth quarter lead. On punt coverage, Vonn Bell let Cameron Johnston's kick squirt through his hands at the 1 and into the end zone for a touchback. Chris Worley was flagged for a block to the back on a Marshall return. The coverage unit, which has been excellent this season, saw one of its leaders, Corey Smith, suffer a right arm injury and later get carted off with a right leg injury. The best play on special teams was the open-field tackle by Joe Burger on a fake punt at the IU 13, but the best the offense could do with that gift was a field goal.
COACHING GRADE: C- I've said for two weeks I don't know what Urban Meyer was seeing to stick with Cardale Jones at quarterback and that song isn't going to change after another shaky performance Saturday. I'm going to be nice and blame some of his woes on extremely conservative play-calling at the start of the game, which fed into the emotion IU came out with on defense. There were no worries about Jones underthrowing passes for a second straight week since a vertical attack was mostly non-existent. Instead we got wide-left, wide-right and too hard from Jones, who completely came apart in the second half. But by committing to Jones, Meyer seems to have painted himself into a corner. Sorry, but we all know this game against injury-wracked foe should have never come down to the last play.
"That's a really good football team, very good, they're the No. 1 team in the country, they've won a boatload of games in a row and they're good. We've got to keep moving forward." - Kevin Wilson, IU Head Coach
GAME OF THE WEEK in the Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State at Indiana. Stretches of unimpressive football in September left lots of people wondering if the unbeaten Buckeyes truly are the best team in the land. The Big Ten opener takes them to Indiana — 4-0 for the first time since 1990 — for the most anticipated game in Bloomington in years. It's hard to imagine Ohio State's 19-game win streak over Indiana ending here. The Hoosiers can take heart even with a loss. They need only two more wins to become eligible for their first bowl since 2007.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Ohio State has the nation's longest active winning streak (17). Indiana's five-game winning streak is the school's longest since 1987. Hoosiers fans have waited decades to prove they can compete with the Big Ten's best, and now they'll get a chance.
KEY MATCHUP
Ohio State run defense vs. RB Jordan Howard. Howard leads the Big Ten in yards rushing (675), averages 6.1 yards per carry and has topped the 140-yard mark in each of his first four games with Indiana. Ohio State's usually stout defense is allowing 121.8 yards per game. If Howard runs wild, the Hoosiers may have a chance to pull the upset.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ohio State: DL Joey Bosa. The 2014 All-American and Big Ten defensive player of the year is averaging 4.3 tackles per game and has just half a sack after missing the opener due to a suspension. Ohio State could use Bosa to assert himself against a good offense.
Indiana: Howard. The UAB transfer finished in the top 10 nationally last season in yards rushing per game and has been every bit as good in 2015. This could be his first, last and best chance to take advantage of the national stage.
FACTS & FIGURES
Ohio State was one of the most consistent third-down teams in the FBS last season, but the Buckeyes have struggled mightily on third down in 2015. Entering this week, Ohio State ranks outside the FBS top 100 in third-down yards per play (110th), conversion rate (T-102nd), and percentage of plays going for five yards or more (T-119th).
The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 76-16 in the second half of their games so far this season. That +60-point margin is sixth best in the FBS. Their +29 point margin (62-33) in the first half, meanwhile, is only 45th in the FBS.
Ohio State takes a 20-game winning streak in the series into Saturday.
The Buckeyes have only lost twice to Indiana since 1952.
The Hoosiers are 0-15 all-time against No. 1 teams including 0-5 against the Buckeyes when they hold the nation's top spot.
Ohio State has won 14 straight road games and a Big Ten record 24 consecutive regular-season league games.
Indiana is 4-0 for the first time since 1990.
0 — Number of times that Indiana and Ohio State have played when both teams were undefeated at least four
games into a season.
Buckeyes RB Ezekiel Elliott has nine straight 100-yard games.
Indiana has outscored opponents 51-0 in the third quarter this season.
With its road victory over Wake Forest last week, Indiana (4-0) has equaled its win total from the entire 2014 season (4-8). The Hoosiers are now looking for their first 5-0 start to a season since 1967, when they started 8-0 on their way to a 9-2 season.
Jordan Howard had 168 yards rushing last week, surpassing 3000 for his career. The junior, who has run for 140+ yards in each of his last eight games, is second in the FBS in rushing yards per game (168.8), putting the Hoosiers in line to have a player finish in the top two for a second straight year (Tevin Coleman finished second in the FBS in 2014 at 169.7).
The Hoosiers have had a player rush for 100 yards in 16 of the past 17 games and rushed for more than 200 yards in 14 of 16 contests.
Quarterback Nate Sudfeld, returning from a should injury that ended his season early last year, is second in the Big Ten with an average of 285.8 yards passing. He has thrown for 1,143 yards and seven touchdowns. His primary target is Ricky Jones, who has averaged 4.5 catches per game for 411 yards and three TDs on the season..
Indiana is 0-15 all-time vs. teams ranked No. 1, including an 0-5 mark to Ohio State in that situation. The Hoosiers’ last games vs. No. 1 at home (1998) and on the road (2006) were against the Buckeyes.
(Sources: Associated Press, STATS & Columbus Dispatch)
1. Take control early
Indiana is riding high with a 4-0 record for the first time in 25 years. Memorial Stadium usually becomes Ohio Stadium West when the Buckeyes come to town, but Hoosiers fans are thinking that maybe — just maybe — their team could beat Ohio State for the first time since 1988. It would behoove the Buckeyes to jump on Indiana early. But Indiana has played the Buckeyes tough in recent years, so Ohio State can’t assume the Hoosiers will wilt if they fall behind early.
2. Eliminate turnovers
Ohio State has committed 16 turnovers in its past six games (a minus-3 differential). The Buckeyes have won all those, but they’re pushing their luck if they expect to keep winning while being careless with the football. Indiana’s defense isn’t good enough to stop the Buckeyes consistently unless Ohio State stops itself. If the Buckeyes can protect the ball, the outcome shouldn’t be that close.
3. Contain Jordan Howard
The UAB transfer has done what few expected the Hoosiers to be able to do — replace star running back Tevin Coleman. Howard has gained 675 yards and is averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He has done so against inferior competition. Southern Illinois and Florida International are not Ohio State. But the Buckeyes had trouble against the inside run game of Western Michigan last week, so they have something to prove.
4. Harass Nate Sudfeld
The Indiana quarterback has returned from a 2014 shoulder injury and is a talented thrower. The key will be not allowing him to have time to sit in the pocket. He has been intercepted only once and sacked just twice this year, though that may be reflective of Indiana’s competition so far. If Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington, Darron Lee and others can force Sudfeld into hurried decisions, the Buckeyes are talented enough in the secondary to take advantage.
Indiana QB Nate Sudfeld vs. Ohio State DE Joey Bosa:
Sudfeld was shelved by injuries last year when the Hoosiers lost to Ohio State, 41-27. Sudfeld has averaged 286 yards passing per game, while completing 61 percent of his passes. Keep an eye on OSU end Bosa. He hasn’t had a breakout game yet and is due. The Buckeyes need to rattle Sudfield a little.
Ohio State LBs Raekwon McMillan and Joshua Perry vs. Indiana RB Jordan Howard:
Tevin Coleman shredded OSU’s defense for 228 yards rushing and three touchdowns last year. Howard is averaging 169 yards rushing per game. Coach Urban Meyer expressed concern how the interior of his defense got gouged on the run last week against Western Michigan. McMillan and Perry are in charge of making sure that doesn’t happen again.
Ohio State QB Cardale Jones vs. Indiana’s DBs:
The Hoosiers have given up an average of 360 yards passing per game. Jones could have a monster day throwing the ball. Expect OSU to connect on some deep balls they missed on last week — or at least try valiantly to do so.
Indiana LBs Clyde Newton and Marcus Oliver vs. Ohio State H-back Braxton Miller:
Miller hasn’t been much of a factor the last few weeks. This could be a breakout opportunity for him. If the Buckeyes can get him the ball in space on the edges, he can make plays the way Jalin Marshall ripped through the Hoosiers last year on jets.
Source: OSU Official Site
"The interior of our defense, we were exposed a little bit. That’s something that’s going to be a lot of our emphasis right now." - Urban Meyer 9/28
"Everybody is going to try us each and every way this year so we’ve gotta come into the game knowing that they’re going to try us and they’re gonna give us different stuff, different looks that we haven’t seen yet." - Raekwon McMillan 9/28
• Ohio State enters the game having won 14 consecutive road games and 17 in a row overall, the longest active streaks in the nation.
• Ohio State has won 24 Big Ten regular season games in a row, going 8-0 in each of the past three seasons. The streak is a Big Ten record.
• The last time Ohio State and Indiana faced one another with an undefeated record was in 1942 when both teams were 1-0.
• Running back Ezekiel Elliott has a current streak of nine consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing. He is third in the Big Ten with 113.8 ypg.
• Safety Vonn Bell is second in the Big Ten with seven passes defended. He has six pass break-ups and one interception.
• Ohio State is one of only two teams from a Power 5 conference to not allow a rush of 20 yards or more this season (Missouri). The Buckeyes have given up just one rushing TD this season (NIU).
• Ohio State is tied for ninth in the FBS with 3.5 sacks per game (14 total).
• In the win over Western Michigan, Ohio State scored a defensive TD for the third time this season.
• Urban Meyer has the highest winning percentage (.848) among active coaches.
• Meyer is 15-0 in road games in his Ohio State coaching career. Under Meyer, Ohio State's defense has given up the second-fewest rushing yards in the FBS in road games since 2012 at 110.3 ypg.
• Ohio State features two of the NCAA's top 11 active rushers in Braxton Miller and Ezekiel Elliot. Miller is third among all players with 3,190 rushing yards and 33 TDs while Elliott is 11th with 2,595 yards and 25 TDs.
• Ohio State has two players from Indiana: DT Joel Hale (Greenwood Center Grove), WR Terry McLaurin (Indianapolis Cathedral).
Series History
Ohio State leads the all-time series, which dates to 1901, at 71-12-5. That includes a 25-2-1 edge all-time in Bloomington. Ohio State has won the last 20 games in the series, dating to a tie in 1990 (27-27). OSU lost back-to-back games to Indiana at home in 1987 (31-10) and at Bloomington in 1988 (41-7). OSU’s record against Indiana since 1952 is 51-2-2.
ADOLPHUS, SAMUEL, ELFLEIN LEAD CHAMPIONS
Offensive lineman Pat Elflein and hybrid back Curtis Samuel led a nine-man champions group on offense by being named co-players of the game on that side of the ball while Adolphus Washington was named defensive player of the game against Western Michigan. Weekly champions vs. the Broncos included Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas, Corey Smith, Ezekiel Elliott, Jacoby Boren, Billy Price, Taylor Decker and Marcus Baugh. Special teams player of the game awards went to Corey Smith and Cameron Johnston. The scout team player of the week was Jared Drake.
JOHNSTON NAMED B1G SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior punter Cameron Johnston was recognized by the Big Ten on Monday for his outstanding play vs. Western Michigan.
Johnston repeatedly put Western Michigan's offense in a tough position by averaging 51.5 yards off four punts with three of them inside the 20 and two of those inside the 10 (at the 1 and 8 yard lines; his other I20 was downed at the 13). The Buckeyes gave up zero punt return yards on the day for a fine 51.5 net average per punt. Johnston now has 64 punts downed I20 for his career, a mark that is second in Ohio State history to A.J. Trapasso who had 78 from 2005-08.
THE SILVER BULLET DEFENSE
Ohio State's defense has been nothing short of dominant this season, living up to its "Silver Bullets" billing. The Buckeyes are giving up just 253.0 total yards per game and 12.2 points, including just 25 total points in the past three games.
Three of the six touchdowns scored by opponents this season have been a result of short fields. NIU's only TD drive started at the Ohio State 22-yard line and two of Virginia Tech's scoring drives started at the Ohio State 38- and 41-yard lines.
Here is a breakdown of what Ohio State's defense has done so far this season and where they rank:
• No. 6 in the FBS and No. 2 in the Big Ten in fewest yards allowed (253.3 ypg).
• No. 8 in the FBS and No. 2 in the Big Ten in total passing yards allowed (131.5 ypg).
• No. 5 in the FBS in opponent completion percentage (.451).
• No. 8 in the FBS and No. 2 in the Big Ten in opponent passer rating (90.1).
• T-9th in the FBS with 14 sacks.
• Are one of only two teams from a Power 5 conference to not allow a rush of 20 yards or more this season (Missouri).
• No. 3 in the Big Ten in fewest first downs allowed (15.0).
• Tied for 1st in the Big Ten with 6 interceptions.
• Vonn Bell: No. 2 in the Big Ten in passes defended (7).
• Three Buckeyes (Darron Lee, Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis) rank in the Top 15 in the Big Ten in sacks.
• Ohio State has scored a defensive touchdown in three of four games this season, including two straight games with a pick-6.
• Held NIU to 404 yards below its season average.
• The 38-0 win over Hawai'i marked the fifth shutout for the Buckeyes in the Meyer era.
• The Silver Bullets have recorded at least two shutouts in a season in each of the past two years. The Buckeyes shut out Kent State (66-0) and Wisconsin (59-0) in 2014 and Florida A&M (76-0) and Purdue (56-0) in 2013.
Indiana has the nation's leading rusher. The Hoosiers can thank UAB for that. After UAB folded its program, its running back, Jordan Howard was left looking for a place to play. He landed at Indiana. And he's thriving there through four games.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Alabama native leads the nation with 675 rushing yards, and is averaging 6.1 yards on 111 carries. This is nothing new for Howard, who had 1,587 yards and 13 touchdowns last year as a sophomore at UAB.
But he could be a problem for Ohio State, which gave up some big rushing yards last week against Western Michigan and struggled with some big-time backs last year. Indiana's Tevin Coleman had 228 yards and three touchdowns against the Buckeyes last year.
IU QB Nate Sudfeld is 29th in the country and second in the Big Ten in passer rating. Sudfeld has completed 77-of-126 passes for 1,143 yards seven touchdowns and one interception.
Ohio State's connection to Glenville High School is well-known. Indiana's had some Glenville guys, too, and they have another this year in running back Devine Redding.
Shane Wynn is a former Glenville guy who made big plays for Indiana during his college career that ended last year, now he's in the NFL trying to catch on. Redding is just getting started as the backup to Howard.
You'll see Redding on Saturday. He has 65 carries for 237 yards and three touchdowns
Sudfeld, Howard and leading receiver Ricky Jones are the guys you should keep an eye on. But somebody else who could have an impact on the game is receiver Mitchell Paige.
Paige has 11 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns, and a 91-yard punt return for a touchdown this year. Indiana has talent, probably more offensive talent than any team Ohio State has played this year.
But to pull off the upset, they'll need someone else to step up. Paige could be that guy.
Noah Brown out for season. Parris Campbell, who suffered a knee injury against Northern Illinois will not play for the second straight week.
They have nothing to lose. Very few people expected the Hoosiers to be 4-0. After struggling against FCS opponent Southern Illinois, who is typically known for basketball (and hasn't even been good at that recently), the Hoosiers looked like they would be in for a very long season. After getting a win against Wake Forest, the Hoosiers look to break Ohio State's win streak against them, which currently sits at 19 games. Indiana hasn't been 5-0 since 1967 (their current coach was just 6 years old at the time).
The Hoosiers can shoot their shots. We have seen plenty of times this college football season when underdogs had the chance to potentially upset teams (see: Jacksonville State vs. Auburn), and have played not to lose as opposed to playing to win the game. Indiana is on their home field, and have garnered so much support and excitement in Bloomington that is typically only seen from the basketball program. Shoot, even SB Nation's Indiana site, Crimson Quarry, helped get this game consideration for College GameDay. The Hoosiers know going into this one that they have nothing to lose, and per usual, will give the top team in the nation their best game.
Running the rock. Jordan Howard has done a fine job in replacing Tevin Coleman, who was one of the best backs in the nation last season. Howard, a transfer out of UAB, rushed for 1,587 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Blazers, so his transfer to Indiana was welcomed warmly by those in Bloomington. Thus far this season, Howard has 675 yards and four touchdowns, averaging an efficient 6.1 yards per carry in the process. With his 6-1, 230 pound frame, Howard is the most intimidating part of the Indiana Hoosiers team...
Wilson's club is without star tailback Tevin Coleman, the man who shredded Ohio State's defense for 228 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-27 loss last November at Ohio Stadium. Coleman is currently trying to make an impact with the Atlanta Falcons. Replacing him is Jordan Howard, a UAB transfer and the nation's leading rusher through four games with 675 yards.
"This guy’s a little different style runner, but he's got a lot of yards and leading the Big Ten in rushing," Meyer said of Howard Wednesday. "Quarterback's very accurate and they play the numbers game with you. If you load the box, they'll throw screens and get the ball out fast. I love their style of offense."
Sudfield returns for his final season of eligibility after missing the bulk of the 2014 season with a shoulder injury. Another injury to his backup left true freshman Zander Diamont to deal with Ohio State one season ago, who didn't play too poorly considering the circumstances.
Sudfield is on a different level, though, and has talented guys on the outside to get the ball to like Ricky Jones and Simmie Cobbs Jr. Indiana's offense currently sits atop the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 522.3 yards per game.
"I think that it has a lot to do with the quarterback," senior linebacker Joshua Perry said. "I know he's a really good player and he makes those guys go, he's a great leader."...
The Buckeyes struggled to stop the rushing attack of Western Michigan in a 38-12 victory Saturday, allowing 169 yards on the ground. The interior defensive line did not perform well, an area Meyer said multiple times was a big focus this week in practice.
"Last week I feel like we got exposed a little bit and we’ve just gotta come to play," defensive tackle Adolphus Washington said. "This is the best offense we’re going to face so far this year. They put up a lot of yards and we’ve just gotta step up to the challenge."...
• Riding a five-game winning streak, Indiana hosts No. 1/1 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium (52,929; FieldTurf)
on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. EDT and ABC (ESPN2 reverse mirror) will broadcast the game.
• IU is 0-15 all-time against top-ranked teams, including an 0-5 mark against OSU.
• The last time the Hoosiers faced a No. 1 ranked team came on Oct. 21, 2006, in Columbus. They also lined up
against the Buckeyes the last time a No. 1 team traveled to Bloomington on Oct. 31, 1998.
• IU’s staff and players will “go pink” in support of breast cancer awareness.
QUICK HITS
• Indiana is 4-0 for the first time since 1990 and the sixth time in school history.
• The Hoosiers are on a five-game winning streak, the program’s longest since 1987 (five). The streak is tied for
the sixth-longest in program history.
• IU has outscored its opponents 51-0 in the third quarter this season. The Hoosiers own advantages in rushing
(72.3-35.0), passing (64.3-38.5) and total yardage (136.5-73.5) in addition to turnover margin (plus-2).
• Indiana leads the Big Ten in total (522.3, 18th nationally) and scoring offense (38.3, 30th), and sits second in
rushing (236.5, 21st) and passing offense (285.8, 30th).
• The Hoosiers share the top spot in the Big Ten at plus-6 in turnover margin (T-7th nationally) and are tied for
third with four fumble recoveries (T-16th) and eight takeaways (T-28th).
• IU has scored 48 points off of the eight turnovers, including two INT touchdown returns.
• Indiana has recorded at least two takeaways in five of its last six games and at least one in 10 consecutive.
• The Hoosiers have only turned it over twice (one interception and one fumble recovery), which is also tied for
the conference lead and fifth nationally.
• IU has had a 100-yard rusher in 16 of their last 17 games, including each game this year.
• Since the start of 2014, Indiana has rushed for 200-plus yards in 14 of 16 games - tied for fifth nationally.
• Dating back to the start of the 2012 campaign, the Hoosiers rank first in the Big Ten in passing yardage,
second in total yardage and fourth in rushing yardage per game.
• Fifteen Indiana players are from Ohio. Notables include LB Dawson Fletcher (West Chester Lakota West), NT Nate Hoff (Solon), LG Wes Martin (West Milton Milton-Union), WLB Marcus Oliver (Hamilton), RB Devine Redding (Cleveland Glenville), WLB Tegray Scales (Cincinnati Colerain) and BLB Zack Shaw (Coshocton).
• Indiana redshirt freshman Tim Gardner originally signed with Ohio State in 2013. But he did not end up with the squad that fall and enrolled instead at Indiana in 2014.
"We’re turning the ball over at an alarming rate, and that’s obviously the difference in the game and sometime that’s going to come back and at some point that’s going to bite you. We’ve got to fix that" - Urban Meyer
