Ohio State got a statement win over Indiana, and the secondary was a big reason why.
The Buckeyes’ defensive backfield looked the part in a major way, led by freshman corner Jay Timmons and the safety pairing of Jaylen McClain and Earl Little Jr. On the other side of the ledger, the injury situation is starting to pile up, with Julian Sayin’s absence the biggest concern as the team heads into the bye week.
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Jay Timmons
Timmons was back after missing the previous two games with injury, and Ohio State immediately felt his presence. The five-star corner finished with seven total tackles, two pass breakups and a forced fumble on the opening drive of the second half.
For the season, he now has 16 total tackles, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles. The Pittsburgh native earned the starting nickel job in camp and has backed it up with production.
He also wasn’t on the field at the end of the fourth quarter, with Cam Calhoun coming in for him, so his status will be worth watching. Still, Timmons was moving well after the game and headed to the locker room without issue.
Against Indiana, he made the kind of impact that turns heads: he looks like one of the best freshmen in the country and a major piece for Ohio State moving forward.
The safety tandem
Jaylen McClain keeps showing up. Last week he was the main storyline, and he had another strong outing against Indiana with four total tackles and a forced fumble. That pushes his season line to 32 total tackles, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception.
Earl Little Jr. deserves equal credit. He posted eight total tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery against the Hoosiers, bringing his season totals to 38 total tackles, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Together, McClain and Little have become a force at safety for Ohio State. They’re making life miserable for opposing offenses as the last line of defense.
The run defense
Indiana came in with a dangerous ground game, with Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. both carrying more than 500 rushing yards into the matchup. Ohio State still managed to bottle them up, allowing just 25 carries for 70 yards overall.
Richard did score on a 7-yard run, but the Buckeyes again handled the run game well. After giving up 199 rushing yards to Illinois, they’ve shut down every rushing attack they’ve faced since.
College football chaos
It was the kind of weekend that reminds you why the sport never stops delivering. Along with Ohio State’s top-five win over Indiana, Georgia lost to Auburn, BYU beat Notre Dame, Alabama fell to Tennessee, Florida upset Texas and Miami survived Florida State in two overtimes.
Best sport in the world.
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Health
Ohio State’s injury list is getting hard to ignore. Julian Sayin left the game with a sling on his right arm and is now out for the foreseeable future.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. also limped off late, helped by Eddrick Houston, then returned for one snap before leaving again midway through the fourth quarter. Timmons did not play at the end either, Brock Boyd didn’t go after being listed as a game-time decision, and Austin Siereveld and Ja’Kobi Jackson were inactive for a second straight game.
The bye week comes at a good time, but the Buckeyes need bodies back soon. If they don’t, someone else is going to have to step in fast.
Cam Calhoun
Calhoun did a solid job when he filled in for the injured Timmons against Maryland and Iowa, recording four total tackles and a pass breakup across those two games without getting beaten badly. Ryan Day even praised him on his radio show this week.
That didn’t carry over against Indiana. Calhoun was beaten by Nick Marsh for a 19-yard touchdown, then got beat again later on what would have been the game-winning score if Marsh hadn’t stepped out of bounds.
It’s only one game, and Marsh is one of the best receivers in the country, but Calhoun will need to respond.
Bryce Underwood
Underwood’s situation at Michigan took another turn after Kyle Whittingham committed to starting him against Penn State, then benched him at halftime for freshman Tommy Carr. Carr helped lead the Wolverines to a 21-18 win.
Underwood is now 72-of-124 passing for 924 yards, six interceptions and five touchdowns this season. Against Penn State, he went 5-for-11 for 43 yards and threw two picks.
At this point, his time in Ann Arbor may be winding down, and the money spent on him looks like a waste.
In Other News...
Indiana Was At The Center Of A Costly Officiating Controversy
The latest officiating debate in college football has put Indiana back in the middle of the conversation, this time because of a roughing the passer call in its game against Ohio State that kept a drive alive longer than it otherwise would have. Even though the Buckeyes still won, the penalty added to a familiar frustration for fans who watch these games closely, where one decision can ripple through the rest of the night and change the feel of everything that follows.
It comes on the heels of another end-of-game controversy in the Notre Dame-BYU matchup, where a clock error helped bring the game to an end with one second still available for another play. The Big 12 has already acknowledged that mistake and said it will review its end-of-game officiating process, which only adds to the broader scrutiny now facing the officials and the system that is supposed to get these moments right. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Huge Win May Have Come With A Serious Cost
Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana carried all the weight youd expect from a top-tier road result, snapping the Hoosiers 22-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss in 19 games. Julian Sayin supplied the defining play with a 38-yard touchdown strike, and the Buckeyes did just enough in a tight, physical game where every possession felt magnified.
The concern afterward centered on Sayin, who appeared to injure his right arm during the game, leaving an already significant victory with a lingering question for Ohio States offense. Indiana also had a chance to flip the afternoon when Nick Marsh appeared to score a go-ahead touchdown, only for the play to be wiped away because he stepped out of bounds, a sequence that only added to the drama of a game decided by thin margins. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got A USC Problem It Didn't Want
Ohio State left Indiana with a hard-fought 19-15 win, but the postgame mood was quickly tempered by a more troubling development. Quarterback Julian Sayin suffered a shoulder injury in the comeback victory and is expected to miss several weeks, forcing the Buckeyes to turn to freshman Luke Fahey at a position where continuity matters plenty as the season moves deeper into the grind.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. also exited limping with an ankle injury, adding to a growing list of bodies the Buckeyes may have to manage in the coming stretch. For a team still sorting through other absences, the timing is less than ideal, and it puts extra pressure on the supporting cast to steady things while Ohio State waits to learn how much it can get back and when. [Read more 🡒]