Ohio State survived a wild finish and snapped Indiana’s 22-game winning streak with a 19-15 victory Saturday, but the game turned on a razor-thin call: a toe just barely landing out of bounds.
Indiana looked ready to steal it in the final minute after a perfect fourth-down call sprung Nick Marsh free for what seemed like the game-winning touchdown. Marsh got open, hauled in the pass and appeared to finish the job - until his foot slipped out of bounds as he secured the catch, turning the score into a game-ending play for the Buckeyes.
That one moment sealed a dramatic night in a matchup that had plenty of them. Both defenses showed up, and both starting quarterbacks were forced to play through injuries.
Josh Hoover was shaken up in the second half for Indiana but missed only one play before coming back in and finishing the game, grimacing on several throws along the way. Julian Sayin’s night ended far more abruptly after he took a sack in the fourth quarter; he headed straight to the locker room and later returned to the sideline wearing a sling.
Even with the injury issues, Ohio State got the kind of big-game execution it needed from Ryan Day’s offense. Two fourth-down gambles turned into touchdowns and helped the Buckeyes open up a double-digit lead. Jeremiah Smith was mostly contained, but he still delivered the game’s most explosive moment: a 38-yard touchdown on fourth down that stretched Ohio State’s advantage.
When it was over, both teams were left at 6-1, and the Buckeyes had the win - by inches - that ended Indiana’s run.
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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 🡒]