Julian Sayin found Jeremiah Smith for the kind of throw Ohio State needed most, and the Buckeyes needed every bit of it.
Sayin hit Smith on a 38-yard touchdown pass on fourth down early in the fourth quarter Saturday, and No. 4 Ohio State escaped with a 19-15 win over No. 5 Indiana in Bloomington after a potential go-ahead score was erased when Nick Marsh’s left foot was ruled out of bounds.
The result snapped Indiana’s winning streak at 22 and its home winning streak at 19. Those were the two longest active runs in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Ohio State moved to 6-1 and 4-0 in the Big Ten, but the final minutes came with a concern of their own. Sayin appeared to injure his right arm in the fourth quarter, left the game and watched the closing stretch from the sideline in a sling.
Indiana made sure this rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game stayed tense until the end. After trailing 19-7 following Smith’s touchdown grab, Josh Hoover answered with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Nick Marsh and a Turbo Richard 2-point conversion to cut it to 19-15 with 10:30 remaining.
Then came the play that had Memorial Stadium ready to explode. On fourth-and-4 from the Ohio State 27, Hoover connected with a wide-open Marsh in the front corner of the end zone.
The fireworks went off, too, before Marsh’s left foot was ruled out of bounds. Marsh put his hands on his helmet as the call settled in.
It was Indiana’s first home loss in Curt Cignetti’s three seasons, and the first top-five matchup ever played in Memorial Stadium.
For all the spotlight on the matchup, the quarterbacks didn’t exactly light it up.
Sayin finished 15 of 29 for 235 yards with two interceptions for the second straight week. Hoover, who appeared to hurt his right shoulder in the third quarter before returning, went 20 of 40 for 296 yards with one touchdown and one lost fumble. That turnover was his first of the year.
Smith, meanwhile, had a quieter day than usual, finishing with four catches for 68 yards.
Ohio State also put an end to a three-game skid against top-10 opponents and figures to climb in the AP Top 25.
Indiana, for its part, had an off night by its standards, losing two fumbles on offense and surrendering a big play on defense.
Ohio State visits No. 19 Southern California in two weeks.
Indiana heads to Michigan next Saturday, looking for back-to-back wins in the series for the first time since 1958-59.
Ohio State 19, Indiana 15
In Other News...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem It Cant Ignore
Ohio State got the win it wanted against Indiana, but it came with a major concern as starting quarterback Julian Sayin went down with a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Head coach Ryan Day said Sayin is expected to miss several weeks, leaving the Buckeyes to navigate a stretch without the player who had been steering the offense.
Luke Fahey, a true freshman, finished the game after Sayin exited, and Ohio State still managed to hold on for a 19-15 victory that snapped Indianas 22-game winning streak. The result will sit well in the standings, but the next question is far more pressing for the Buckeyes: how they adjust at quarterback while waiting for Sayin to heal. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have Changed Ohio State's Entire Season
Ohio State's win over Indiana did more than hand the Buckeyes a hard-fought 19-15 victory and snap the Hoosiers' 22-game winning streak. It also came with a potential season-altering hit when starting quarterback Julian Sayin went down with a right arm injury in the fourth quarter, forcing Ohio State to keep the rest of the afternoon moving without the player who had been steering the offense.
Coach Ryan Day said Sayin is expected to be out for several weeks, leaving the Buckeyes to lean on backup Luke Fahey in a situation that immediately tested the depth chart. Fahey took over, but the offense had trouble advancing while he was on the field, which turned a statement win into a much bigger concern about how Ohio State will handle the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Faces A Julian Sayin Problem After Indiana
Ohio States win over Indiana came with a jolt after Ryan Day said quarterback Julian Sayin is likely to be out for several weeks because of injury. The timing matters, because Sayin had become a central part of what the Buckeyes wanted to do on offense, and now the staff has to recalibrate quickly with the schedule moving on.
Freshman Luke Fahey was the first man up when Sayin exited, and he looked composed enough in the moment to give Ohio State something to work with. Day also pointed to Jeremiah Smiths ability as a catcher, a reminder that the Buckeyes still have playmakers around the quarterback, but the bigger question now is how smoothly they can adapt with Sayin sidelined. [Read more 🡒]