No. 2 Ohio State is looking for a sharper performance Saturday when Indiana visits the Horseshoe.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
After struggling to win at Northwestern last week, Ohio State has some issues to work out. The Buckeyes' passing game was grounded in high winds as they gutted out a 21-7 win. They also had trouble running the ball for the third straight week. They look to be sharper against the Hoosiers, who are coming off a 45-14 loss to Penn State and have dropped six straight.
KEY MATCHUP
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud vs. Indiana defense. High winds limited Stroud to a career-low 76 yards on 10-of-26 passing against Northwestern, but he had a critical 44-yard scramble to set up the Buckeyes' final touchdown. Indiana's defense is struggling all around. The unit allowed 483 yards to Penn State, including 304 through the air.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Indiana: QB Connor Bazelak returns as starter after missing last week's game with an undisclosed injury. Bazelak averages a Big Ten-high 47 pass attempts per game and is completing a conference-low 54.9%.
Ohio State: LB Tommy Eichenberg is on a roll, following a 15-tackle game against Penn State with 13 more against Northwestern. He leads the Big Ten with 53 solo tackles, including 10 last week.
FACTS & FIGURES
Indiana hasn't beaten Ohio State since 1988. ... The Buckeyes' 283 total yards against Northwestern were its fewest since their 2017 Cotton Bowl win over Southern California. ... Hoosiers CB Tiawan Mullen's interception against Penn State last week gave him 11 career takeaways, most on the team. ... Indiana's Charles Campbell has kicked four field goals of 50 yards or longer, second in program history to longtime NFL kicker Pete Stoyanovich's six. ... Since replacing the injured Cam Jones Jr., Hoosiers LB Bradley Jennings Jr. has 34 tackles, four pass breakups, two tackles for loss and two double-digit tackle games in four starts. ... Ohio State's sixth-year offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was Indiana’s head coach from 2011-16. ... An Ohio State win Saturday will give the program a 10th consecutive season with at least 10 wins, not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
