Ohio State escaped Bloomington with a 19-15 win over Indiana, but the box score only tells part of the story. The Buckeyes picked up the result they wanted, yet the game was messy from start to finish, loaded with sloppy mistakes and penalties that made the whole thing feel far more stressful than a top-five matchup should. The price tag was even steeper than the anxiety: starting quarterback Julian Sayin will miss several weeks after hurting his throwing shoulder on a sack and fumble forced by Indiana’s Mario Landino.
Even with the win in hand, this was the kind of game that left plenty of fans wincing through the final minutes. Ohio State’s defense carried the load while the offense had a hard time finding any rhythm, and the ending only added to the chaos. Indiana’s Nick Marsh caught what would have been a game-winning touchdown out of bounds in error, turning a possible nightmare into a break Ohio State desperately needed.
Still, there were a few moments worth replaying.
The biggest one came on fourth down, when Ohio State dialed up Jeremiah Smith and got exactly what it wanted. On 4th-and-1 from the Indiana 38, Sayin launched a ball toward the end zone and Smith hauled it in for a 38-yard touchdown, the 38th receiving score of his career.
That tied the Big Ten career record held by Michigan’s Braylon Edwards. If Smith gets into the end zone once more this season, he’ll stand alone at the top of the conference record book.
The catch pushed Ohio State ahead 19-7 and gave the Buckeyes the cushion they needed, even though Indiana answered with a touchdown on the next drive.
Ohio State’s defense also produced two huge turnovers that swung the game. Jay Timmons, back after missing the last few games with an injury, was everywhere for the Buckeyes.
He finished with seven tackles and two pass breakups, but his loudest moment came early in the second half. With Indiana starting the half trailing by three, Timmons stripped Davion Chandler on a short pass over the middle on the second play of the half, and Earl Little Jr. came away with the recovery.
Jaylen McClain made the next defining stop. After Indiana got the ball back later in the half, McClain came flying in on 4th-and-4 from the Ohio State 27-yard line and sacked Josh Hoover almost immediately.
The hit forced a fumble, and TJ Alford recovered it for the Buckeyes. It was McClain’s only sack of the day, and Ohio State’s only sack as a team, but it landed at exactly the right time.
There was also a much-needed touchdown before halftime from Bo Jackson. Sayin found him on a short two-yard pass that gave Ohio State a 10-7 lead heading into the break.
The Buckeyes had been clunky in the red zone all afternoon, and Jackson’s score was the only red-zone touchdown they managed despite three trips inside Indiana’s 20-yard line. The drive started at the Hoosiers’ one-yard line, and Ohio State still needed to grind all the way to 4th-and-2 before finishing it off.
Indiana did have a chance to get more out of its kicking game, but Nico Radicic missed twice, including a 32-yarder that clanged off the upright in the second quarter. Radicic also missed a 55-yard attempt late in the third quarter, a try that came after Curt Cignetti seemed to decide the offense needed points while Hoover appeared to be dealing with something.
Radicic’s career-long is 49 yards, so the long attempt was a gamble, and the shorter miss was the one that stung most. Ohio State kicker Connor Hawkins, meanwhile, hit both of his tries from 26 and 29 yards, which only added to the Buckeyes’ slim edge in a game decided by the smallest of margins.
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