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34-20
"When Braxton Miller's passing acumen catches up to his vast running skills--and it will--he will be the top QB in the B1G." - Tom Dienhart of BTN
"We could have definitely (done) a better job coming out with better energy and better pace. We finished the game, you know. It's not how you start the game it's how you finish." - Dan 'Boom' Herron
What it means for Ohio State: The Buckeyes’ third victory in a row keeps them in the thick of the Leaders Division race. But winning out—at Purdue; Penn State; at Michigan—will be tough unless Braxton Miller passes better. He ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Hoosiers but completed just 5-of-11 passes for 55 yards with an interception in a game that was tied 20-20 midway through the third quarter.
Sunday Observation: Indiana November 6, 2011 Source: BuckeyeSports.com - The Ohio State football team didn't enjoy its prettiest win of the season but got the much-needed victory over Indiana. Get all the observations and notes from the Buckeyes' win over the Hoosiers that keeps the team in the hunt for the Big Ten title...What happened to Stoneburner? It looked like the tight end was going to be the top target for Miller and he has almost dropped off the face of the earth recently. He is the most consistent pass-catcher on the team and there are a lot of short patterns they can run with him to help Miller gain confidence. I think they should get him more involved...
Stat of the game: 351: The Buckeyes ran for 351 yards (Indiana had just 333 total yards) on the heels of Miller, Herron, and Carlos Hyde. Miller had 105 yards and two touchdowns, Herron had 141 yards on just 14 carries with a score, and Hyde ran for 105 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. All in all, OSU averaged 8.2 yards per carry behind the dominating offensive line. Woody Hayes would be proud of the way this team runs the football.
Player of the game: Braxton Miller: The nod in yards goes to Boom Herron, but Miller made the huge plays when OSU needed it. An 81 yard touchdown when the Bucks were down 10, a touchdown on 3rd and 20, and a key first down run one play after being slightly injured. Miller was a warrior, running for 105 and going 5-11 for 55 yards in the passing game. Though he isn’t a developed passer yet, his shifty running and pure speed gives the OSU offense a huge jolt. Source: The Sports Bank Net)
Star of the game: Freshman Braxton Miller, because, like the week before against Wisconsin, this was an unexpected shootout that needed big plays and a quarterback not giving up the ball. He scored two rushing touchdowns and was one of three Buckeyes to rush for more than 100 yards, joining Daniel Herron and Carlos Hyde.
Turning point: An interception by Travis Howard with 4:07 to play. The Ohio State defense sought just such a big play to break the rhythm of Indiana and freshman quarterback Tre Roberson, and Howard’s came as the Buckeyes were clinging to a 27-20 lead. (I locked eyes with the receiver and the quarterback," Howard said. "I was just, like, 'There's no way he's going to throw that pass.' I was able to run over there and make a great interception." Source: Associated Press)
Repercussion: The only thing that matters in November is the W, and with three games left the Buckeyes still consider themselves in the thick of the Big Ten Leaders Division race. Now comes a trip to Purdue. Source: Columbus Dispatch
Braxton Miller shows "Wow Factor" again: But Saturday, his game also has had some down moments.
He fumbled on the Bucks third offensive play of the day, IU recovered and went on to score six plays later to up its lead to 10-0. Early in the second half, Miller was intercepted at the Hoosiers five yard line. He ended up being sacked six times Saturday.
Coach Luke Fickell, while he noted some things his kid quarterback had to improve on, had mostly praise afterward: "He’s getting better at everything."
OSU tailback Carlos Hyde took it farther than that: "It’s pretty exciting when he gets the ball and takes off. He just makes people miss like crazy. It’s pretty embarrassing how he does that." Source: Dayton Daily News)
Hyde was dormant against Wisconsin last week, which fueled talk that he might transfer. Several teammates spoke to him about being patient and biding his time. "Carlos (Hyde) is a great back," Boom Herron said. "He keeps getting better every week. He has a bright future. "I told him to be patient. His time is going to come."
"I'm surprised (it's a record)," the soft-spoken Miller said. "It's a blessing to be in the Ohio State record book."
Herron had key blocks that sprung Miller on both of his touchdown runs. "I just told him that, too," Herron joked.
Miller completed 5 of 11 passes. He passed for 55 yards, threw one interception and was sacked six times — the most by the Hoosiers in a Big Ten game since they had nine against Iowa in 2007. Source: The News Herald
Big Ten helmet stickers: Week 10: Ohio State's offensive backfield: Quarterback Braxton Miller (14 carries, 105 yards, two touchdowns) and tailbacks Dan Herron (14 carries, 141 yards and a touchdown) and Carlos Hyde (15 carries for 105 yards and a score) were the three horsemen of the apocalypse against Indiana. It was the first time three Buckeyes players ran for 100 yards in the same game since 1989, when Scottie Graham, Carlos Snow and Dante Lee did so against Northwestern. And Ohio State needed almost all of it to hold off the Hoosiers.
Ohio State once again had trouble passing the ball. Miller was 5 of 11 for 55 yards with an interception. He also lost a fumble.
Source: ESPN
Exposed: The Hoosiers were in the pistol formation a lot, allowing Roberson to make quick handoffs or keep the ball himself. He had a team-leading 20 carries for a net of 70 yards after four sacks. The Buckeyes had trouble with that again, just like at Nebraska.
Unsung workers: The Ohio State offensive line, which dealt with a gambling Indiana defense. The line, along with fullback Zach Boren, produced enough space to launch the running game. And on defense, John Simon continued his never-ending pursuit of the ball, leading with 10 tackles, including a sack among his three tackles for loss. It was a frustrating day for the defense as a whole, however, until Howard’s interception.
Injury report: Offensive right tackle J.B. Shugarts was helped off the field midway through the third quarter because of an apparent injury to his lower right leg. Coach Luke Fickell said he did not yet know the severity of the injury. Shugarts was replaced by freshman Antonio Underwood. Herron (ankle) and Miller (hip) both got up slowly in the fourth quarter but continued to play. Source: Columbus Dispatch
The game marked the first time Ohio State had three 100-yard rushers (Miller, Herron & Hyde) since Nov. 4, 1989 at Northwestern (Dante Lee 157, Scottie Graham 102, Carlos Snow 100). It was the fourth game for Ohio State with three 100-yard rushers. The first was in 1956 against Indiana (Galen Cisco 160, James Roseboro 157, Donald Clark 112) and the second was in 1970 vs. Duke (Leophus Hayden 1965, John Brockington 117, Rex Kern 113).
Braxton Miller’s 81-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest play from scrimmage for the Buckeyes this year and longest run of Miller’s career. The run was the longest by an Ohio State quarterback and the sixth-longest rush in school history. The previous long by a quarterback was a 76-yard run by Rex Kern in 1970. (Told that his 81-yard touchdown run was the longest by an OSU quarterback in school history, he was taken aback. "Really?" he said with an unsure laugh. "Wow! ... There’s just been a whole bunch of great quarterbacks to come through here. ... Dang, that’s a surprise." Source: Associated Press)
Senior linebacker Andrew Sweat added to his team-leading tackle total with nine vs. the Hoosiers. He now has 66 this year. Sweat has now had at least six tackles in seven games this season.
Junior defensive end John Simon led the team with a career-high 10 tackles against Indiana. He now has 39 stops this season. Simon claimed his team-high sixth sack of the season in the first half on an eight-yard tackle for loss on Hoosier freshman quarterback Tre Roberson. He has at least two tackles-for-loss in the last four games for the Buckeyes after posting three against Indiana Saturday. He leads the team with 12.5 total tackles for loss. Source: OSU Official Site
If Indiana, tied with the Buckeyes as their game Saturday moved close to the final quarter, had managed to craft the upset, it would have been the most stunning moment of the college football season. It would have been "Hoosiers" the movie with a gridiron script that even Hollywood could not concoct.
"In the end, we can be happy that we got the win, but not happy about how we played," senior defensive back Tyler Moeller said. "We won, but it bothers me that it was all of us not really playing up to our potential. We all have to be better."
"I don’t think we played up to our standards today," senior linebacker Andrew Sweat said, "but the key is winning and moving on. Anytime you don’t play all that well but still win the game, you have to be grateful about that."
"That felt great, to get that touchdown that finally put the game away," Hyde said. "To have three guys go over 100 yards in the same game is huge. We did a great job running the ball today."
"We thought it was an opportunity," Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said about flirting with a major upset. " . . . comparing the way they played and the way we played, if we played up to our capabilities, then we’d win." Source: Toledo Blade
The view How the team sees it: It’s not a beauty contest.
How the pollsters will see it: We’re the Kim Kardashian of voters. We loved you for a week.
How Buckeye Nation will see it: Could be worse, like that mess at Penn State.
Gospel according to Luke What he said: "I don’t know. I’m not the doctor." — addressing Daniel Herron’s injury
What he meant: "But even I could tell my heart stopped there for a second."
Just wondering: What would it be like if Ohio State’s play calling was as creative as Indiana’s? It’s hard to knock the Buckeyes when they rush for 346 yards and win. They do what they do well, but would it hurt to inject some raspberry swirl into this vanilla ice cream world?
Source: Columbus Dispatch
The Hoosiers entered ranked 117th in the nation at stopping the run, allowing teams to run for more than 234 yards per game. The Buckeyes passed on the chance to work on a faulty passing game and stuck with the run, ripping off nine carries of 10 yards or more and four of 40 or more. "It’s not like we can’t pass," left tackle Mike Adams said. "But if we can run the ball, why stop?"
The Hoosiers converted 10 out of 17 times on third down, sacked Miller six times and, at times, tormented an Ohio State secondary that continues to get victimized by big plays. That is, until Howard made the biggest play on defense. "I read the receiver’s and quarterback’s eyes," he said. "The coaches kept screaming at us to step up and make a play, so I did." Source: Akron Beacon Journal
Ohio State-Indiana report card
November 5, 2011 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - A -- Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde...B -- Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson...D -- Ohio State's defense on Indiana's game-tying touchdown pass...
The Bottom Line November 6, 2011 Source: Columbus Dispatch - Ohio State Report Card Offense (3 leaves), Defense (2 leaves), Special teams (3 leaves), Coaching (3 leaves), Opponent (3 leaves), Officiating (3 leaves)
Jon Spencer's Ohio State-Indiana report card November 7, 2011 Source: Mansfield News Journal - Offensive Line Grade: B..., Running Game Grade: A..., Passing Game Grade: D..., Defensive Line Grade: C..., Linebackers Grade: C..., Defensive Backs Grade: C..., Special Teams Grade: B..., Coaching Grade: C...
FINAL: A one-two punch in the backfield from Braxton Miller and Dan Herron helped Ohio State to a 34-20 victory over Indiana on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Miller ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Herron added 148 yards and one touchdown to pace Ohio State (6-3). Home run plays keyed the Buckeyes’ scoring attack. Ohio State had eight plays of 20 yards or more on its way to victory. With 6:12 to go in the first quarter, Miller scrambled for an 81-yard touchdown run, the Buckeyes’ longest play on the day. The score cut Indiana’s (1-9) lead to 10-7. Ohio State racked up 420 total yards. The Buckeyes’ rushing attack contributed 365 yards on 45 carries in addition to Miller’s passing effort. The Hoosiers’ Tre Roberson passed for 173 yards, completing 11 of 21 throws. He threw one touchdown and one interception. Roberson was also a threat on the ground, as he rushed for 70 yards on 20 attempts. Roberson had a good connection with receiver Kofi Hughes. He caught eight passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. Indiana’s offense finished the game having gained 334 yards. In addition to Roberson’s efforts through the air, the Hoosiers also rushed 49 times for 161 yards.
FOURTH QUARTER: Ohio State racked up 68 rushing yards in the fourth, and the Buckeyes closed the door on Indiana 34-20. Ohio State ended the game on a 14-point run. The Buckeyes added to their advantage when Carlos Hyde ran two yards to paydirt, the finishing touch on a four-play, 58-yard drive to give Ohio State the lead, 34-20. The Buckeyes’ drive was keyed by Hyde’s 47-yard run. Ohio State’s Hyde reached the 100-yard rushing mark for the game thanks to 63 in the quarter, and ended his day with 116 yards in all.
THIRD QUARTER: Indiana is hanging tough with Ohio State, down 27-20 at the end of the third quarter despite a matchup most presumed to be a blowout. A four-play, 48-yard scoring drive by the Buckeyes snapped the 13-13 deadlock, as Dan Herron pounded in a 15-yard touchdown run. Ohio State started in good field position when the Buckeyes returned a punt. The Hoosiers got even after Tre Roberson and Kofi Hughes hooked up for a 34-yard touchdown to end a seven-play, 64-yard drive that tied the score at 20. Ohio State broke the 20-20 stalemate when Braxton Miller scrambled for a 20-yard touchdown run to polish off an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive. The Buckeyes threw just one time during that series. Ohio State’s Herron hit 100 yards rushing for the game in the quarter, part of his 146-yard rushing performance thus far. Hughes clinched a 100-yard receiving game with 43 yards in the quarter, part of his six-catch, 114-yard day through three quarters for Indiana. The Hoosiers will start the fourth quarter with possession at their own 27-yard line.
SECOND QUARTER: Indiana’s Kofi Hughes ran for nine yards and caught two passes for 57 yards in the quarter, and the two teams are tied 13-13 at the end of the second. Ohio State tied things up at 10 when a seven-play, 40-yard drive ended after Drew Basil kicked a 36-yard field goal. The Buckeyes broke the 10-10 tie when Basil made a 45-yard field goal to put a bow on a five-play, 52-yard scoring drive. The key play on Ohio State’s drive was Dan Herron’s 48-yard run. The Hoosiers tied the game at 13 after Mitch Ewald kicked a 25-yard field goal to end an 11-play, 72-yard drive. Indiana used Tre Roberson’s 43-yard pass to Hughes to fuel the drive. The Buckeyes are set to receive to start the second half.
FIRST QUARTER: A potential upset is brewing as Indiana leads Ohio State 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Hoosiers took the game’s first lead after Mitch Ewald drilled a 35-yard field goal on the last play of an 11-play, 42-yard drive. Indiana made its lead 10-0 when Stephen Houston ran five yards to paydirt on the last play of a six-play, 41-yard drive. A fumble recovery by the Hoosiers set Indiana up to start the drive. The Buckeyes closed the gap to 10-7 when Braxton Miller kept it himself for an 81-yard touchdown run to clinch a 79-yard drive. Ohio State is in a prime position for points on the Hoosiers’ 17-yard line to open the second quarter. Source: Big Ten Network
Too good not to watch again! Braxton Miller's 81yd TD run vs IU
Five Things: Indiana November 6, 2011 Source: Eleven Warriors - Hyde vs. Hall...I certainly appreciate the versatility Hall brings to the table and I've been in his corner from day one but it looks like it's time for El Guapo be Boom's primary backup. With that, Bollman needs to figure out a way to get Hall the ball in space because I still believe he can help the team if he gets touches that aren't typically between the tackles...
10 Things We Learned from Beating Indiana November 5, 2011 Source: The Ozone - 1. It’s tough to play with a hangover. It’s hard to call this game a trap game considering the Buckeyes have Purdue next week, but it was the perfect scenario for a letdown. If I were coaching Indiana, I would have done exactly what Kevin Wilson did. Come in aggressive, play up-tempo on offense and hope to catch the Buckeyes in a daze after last week’s big win. Ohio State exerted a lot of energy and emotion in that win over Wisconsin. It was at home, under the lights, on national television. It was a revenge game and it was one of the most exciting finished in years. There was no way this week’s game could measure up. It was at noon against a 1-8 team that, on paper, posed very little threat...
When it comes to the air game, perhaps the Buckeyes should just pass: Doug Lesmerises' skull session November 5, 2011 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - Saturday's 34-20 win over Indiana may have been the final sign. It's time to stop waiting for the passing game to find itself. Let go of the dream. It's not Braxton Miller's fault entirely. He still doesn't have anyone to catch the ball, at least not on the kind of routes the Buckeyes are running. "We could have thrown the ball a little more, but hey, the run was working," fullback Zach Boren said. "The line controlled things up front, which made it easier." This all sounds very familiar. Miller finished 5-of-11 for 55 yards. Last week against Wisconsin, he finished 7-of-12. Before the Wisconsin game, I wrote that seven completions a game might be the number Ohio State needed for the offense to work. It seemed like Saturday might be the exception to the rule. It did not seem like the type of game in which the number of completions would go down...
OSU can be overconfident, but not like annoyingly and smugly overconfident: You must refuse to buy into the cliche that the Buckeyes can't afford to look past Indiana. Yes, they can.
The Hoosiers have shown some flashes offensively, but they're starting a true freshman quarterback, Tre Roberson, for just the third time; they're missing two of their best receivers; and the defense hasn't stopped anyone since Penn State.
You can see the future for the Hoosiers, but they're paying the price now. The Buckeyes haven't lost to Indiana since going 1-2-1 against the Hoosiers in a four-year stretch from 1987 to '90. Not including last year's vacated victory, OSU holds a 46-2-2 edge in the series since 1952.
The most recent time the Buckeyes were victims of a big upset, losing as two-touchdown favorites at Purdue in 2009, you could tell they were overconfident and that problems might be looming. Plus, the Boilermakers got a dominant game from future NFL first-round draft pick Ryan Kerrigan.
Not this year. The Buckeyes are 27 1/2-point favorites, and as OSU coach Luke Fickell said, "We're in no place to look past anything."
No three-loss team should be overconfident. But they could be.
More Than the Score Important for Buckeyes on Saturday November 4, 2011 Source: 10TV.com - While it’s true that winning is the only thing that matters, I think the way that the Buckeyes win tomorrow is more important than the final score. Ohio State has an incredible amount of momentum, following those last two wins. It’s the first time in school history (okay, since 1936 when the AP poll was first used), that an unranked Buckeye team defeated two ranked schools in back to back games...
Buckeyes going with jumbo defensive front November 3, 2011 Source: The News-Herald - In many cases last Saturday against Wisconsin, the Buckeyes went with four jumbo-sized defensive linemen against the Badgers' bruising running game. Quite often, OSU's front four included Jonathon Hankins (6-foot-3, 335 pounds) and Garrett Goebel (6-3, 290) in the middle as defensive tackles, with end postions manned by John Simon (6-2, 270) and Adam Bellamy (6-4, 302). The strategy worked. Wisconsin was held to 89 yards rushing — nearly 160 fewer than its season average. A week earlier at Illinois, OSU held the Illini to 116 yards on 35 carries (3.3 yards per carry)...
Head Coach Luke Fickell talks about Jordan Hall's injury, depth at RB, Zach Boren on defense, Boom Herron's emotional return to Ohio Stadium, game captains and more at his Thursday press conference. November 3, 2011 Source: The Ozone
C.J. Barnett interview November 3, 2011 Source: Bucknuts.com
Corey "Philly" Brown interview November 3, 2011 Source: Bucknuts.com
Mike Adams interview November 3, 2011 Source: Bucknuts.com
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Indiana 66-12-5. The Buckeyes have won 15 straight from the Hoosiers since a 41-7 loss in 1988 in Bloomington that represents the most lopsided setback for Ohio State in the 109-year-old series
The Buckeyes are 14-1 in November games since the start of the 2005 season (not including 2010).
Braxton Miller is the reigning Big Ten freshman of the week after posting 188 yards and 3 TDs in the win over Wisconsin.
Junior DL John Simon has 7.0 TFL in the past three games and 4.0 sacks in his last two -- both against ranked opponents. Ohio State coach Luke Fickell said of Simon: "He is as good on his 75th snap as he is on his first."
The Buckeyes are 20-1 in Herron’s career when he has rushed for at least 55 yards. He totaled 91 yards in the loss on Oct. 16, 2010 at Wisconsin.
Wisconsin came into the game averaging 252.1 rushing yards per game, eighth-best nationally. Well ... Montee Ball and Co. ran into a wall in Columbus, as the Buckeyes limited the Badgers to just 89 yards and a 3.1 yards per carry average. The rushing total was the fewest in two years for Wisconsin, or since Iowa held UW to 87 yards in 2009.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Bradley Roby is tied for second in the Big Ten with three interceptions this season.
Ohio State has scored 21 of 24 times (87.5 percent) this season inside the 20 with 15 touchdowns and six field goals. The only three times the Buckeyes have failed to score came on a fumble and on two end-of-game possessions against Akron and Colorado while running out the clock.
This week's captains: Zach Boren, Tyler Moeller, Mike Adams and Andrew Sweat
Jordan Hall suffered on that kickoff return to set up OSU’s dramatic victory over Wisconsin late Saturday night. Insiders told The Dispatch today Hall’s status is questionable for Saturday, though there has been no public proclamation by coach Luke Fickell to that effect.
Senior defensive end Nathan Williams had surgery a few weeks ago, a microfracture procedure intended to promote the growth of cartilage in his injured knee. The usual recovery time is estimated at 12 weeks before an athlete can start to work out again. Whether Williams and Ohio State will petition the NCAA for medical hardship waiver, allowing him to play next season, hasn’t been decided, though his chances are receiving an extra year are considered good, a source close to the situation said. Source: Columbus Dispatch
Game Data: Indiana at Ohio State October 26, 2011 Source: Bucknuts - Breaking It Down: When Ohio State Has The Ball...When Indiana Has The Ball...
Preview: Indiana at Ohio State November 4, 2011 Source: Eleven Warriors - meet the 2011 Indiana Hoosiers football team! Pretty easily the worst team in the Big Ten this year, they are 1-8, with their one victory coming over South Carolina State. They've given up more than 40 points in each of their last 4 games, opponents are rushing for an average of 235 yards on them, and I'm pretty sure one of their linebackers is actually a Denny's Grand Slam breakfast...
Ohio State vs. Indiana
Preview November 4, 2011 Source: The Ozone -Indiana is one of the youngest teams in the nation. Last week they started five freshmen (four true freshmen) on offense and seven (four true freshmen) on defense. They have had 46 different starters this season. Two weeks ago at Iowa, Tre Roberson became the first true freshman quarterback to ever start a game for the Hoosiers. All he did was throw for 197 yards and rush for another 84 yards in a 45-24 loss to the Hawkeyes. He earned the Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award for his troubles...
2011 Wisconsin Badgers Game Preview November 3, 2011 Source: Buckeye Planet - The Hoosiers are not an awful team, but they have come up short in several close games and been blown out a couple of times. The ratings are based on the current state of the squad, but with the number of defections and injuries and the new coaching staff, it was hard to expect anything else. Coach Wilson is trying to change the culture at Indiana, which will take time. He has played a lot of freshmen and walk-ons this year, which may pay off down the line in experience and future depth. The current start chart looks like a laundry list of players at virtually every position, so the chances of the Hoosiers giving the Buckeyes a serious scare are slim...
"When Braxton Miller's passing acumen catches up to his vast running skills--and it will--he will be the top QB in the B1G."
