Indiana’s defense is staring down a history-making chance, but Ohio State brings the kind of offense that can wreck a nice storyline in a hurry.
When the No. 5 Hoosiers meet No.
4 Ohio State in Saturday’s Week 7 showdown, Indiana will be trying to extend a remarkable run that has already stretched to 22 straight games. The Hoosiers have won all 22 while allowing 24 points or fewer in every one of them, a stretch that has them tied for the longest such streak in college football history.
That benchmark is no small thing. Per Novig, Florida owns the standard at 22 consecutive games from 2008-09, with Alabama next on the list at 19 straight from 2009-10. Indiana, after going 16-0 last season and opening this year 6-0, has put itself one strong defensive effort away from standing alone at the top.
Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has guided the unit through a dominant first half of the season, and the Hoosiers have every reason to believe they can keep the streak alive. But this is the one test that can expose even the best defense.
Ohio State comes into Week 7 ranked 8th nationally in yards per game at 503.5 and 7th in scoring at 42.7 points per game. Julian Sayin has been sharp from the start, completing 71.2% of his passes for 1,772 yards and 17 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
He also has Jeremiah Smith, and that changes everything. The Buckeyes’ top target has 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns through six games, with all three totals ranking 2nd in the country. At 6'4" and 255 pounds, Smith gives Ohio State a weapon that can tilt matchups all by himself.
The Buckeyes can hurt teams on the ground, too. Bo Jackson has run for 460 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries, while Ja'Kobi Jackson has added 354 yards, a team-best 6.0 yards per carry, and six touchdowns.
Indiana’s secondary has shown some cracks over the first half of the season, which makes this a dangerous assignment against an offense built to score quickly and often. Still, if the Hoosiers can get to 23 games with the same defensive standard, it would be a major accomplishment - and doing it against Ohio State would make it even more impressive. But for Indiana, the bigger goal is simpler than all of that: win the game.
In Other News...
Indiana Loss Now Comes With An Officiating Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana did more than snap the Hoosiers 22-game winning streak. It also left plenty of people around the game sorting through a night filled with flags, frustration and a few calls that immediately became talking points, including a roughing-the-passer penalty on Jermaine Mathews Jr. and a missed pass interference whistle involving Jeremiah Smith.
For Indiana, the loss was already hard enough with Julian Sayin exiting because of a right arm injury, but the officiating chatter only sharpened the sting of a game both sides saw marked by multiple penalties. When a tight contest ends with that much second-guessing, the result is hard to separate from the debate that follows, and this one figures to linger well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Let Ohio State Slip Away For Three Brutal Reasons
Saturdays loss to Ohio State at Memorial Stadium had the kind of shape that can linger for a while in Bloomington. Indiana had enough moments to keep the game within reach, but the offense never found a steady rhythm, and the 19-15 finish reflected how many chances slipped away in a matchup that felt there for the taking.
Josh Hoovers day never really settled in, as Indiana finished with an inefficient passing performance and little help on the ground. The second-half turnovers mattered, Nico Radicics missed field goals loomed large, and the running game never provided the balance the Hoosiers needed, leaving plenty of reasons to wonder how different this one might have looked with just a cleaner stretch of execution. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have Changed Ohio State's Entire Season
Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana did more than snap the Hoosiers 22-game winning streak. It also left the Buckeyes dealing with a major quarterback concern after starter Julian Sayin went down with a right arm injury and was replaced by true freshman Luke Fahey.
Ryan Day said Sayin will be out for several weeks, which immediately changes the tenor of Ohio States season and adds another layer to the aftermath of a game Indiana had been aiming to survive with its streak intact. For a Buckeyes schedule that still includes USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan, the injury could end up mattering far beyond a single close win in Bloomington. [Read more 🡒]