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The second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have, thus far this year, been able to roll steadily over their respective opponents. Enter the Indiana Hoosiers, however, and that sort of blowout domination comes into question. Indiana has managed to play Ohio State closer than most Buckeye fans would like to see in the past two years, both when Ohio State was ranked in the top-ten. Now, fresh off a win over Michigan State, Indiana is looking for a win over the Buckeyes on the road.
Still, Ohio State is favored by nearly four touchdowns, and there is little cause for concern that the massive offensive firepower we saw against Oklahoma and Rutgers alike won’t overwhelm the Indiana defense. Between quarterback J.T. Barrett, who is now firmly in the Heisman running after a four-touchdown performance against Rutgers, H back Curtis Samuel, who has averaged 168.3 yards from scrimmage per game thus far this year, running back Mike Weber and a slew of standout receivers, the Buckeyes have been able to overload the four defenses they have faced up to this point.
And speaking of defense, the Buckeyes pitched their first shutout of the season against Rutgers, holding the Scarlet Knights to just 116 yards of total offense. Ohio State leads the nation in several defensive categories, including points per game (9.3) by nearly two points over the No. 2 spot. The secondary remained utterly stifling against Rutgers, which meant that the Scarlet Knights attempted just 16 passes in the entire game as they tried fruitlessly to establish a running game. With a first-year starter in Richard Lagow, who has already thrown six interceptions to nine touchdowns this season, the Indiana offense could end up looking very similar against the Buckeyes.
When is the game and how can I watch?
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m.
Location: Columbus, OH
TV: ESPN
Online: WatchESPN
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM
Where is GameDay this weekend?
For the third time this season, College Gameday is heading to a Tennessee matchup, this time in College Station where the ninth-ranked Vols will take on No. 8 Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. This weekend marks the fifth time that Gameday has headed to College Station. Both teams are currently 5-0 and at the top or tied for the top spot of their respective divisions in the SEC.
What’s the rest of the Big Ten up to today?
In the battle for Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa takes on Minnesota at noon on ESPN2, while a still-undefeated Maryland faces Penn State on BTN at the same time. Michigan State has a late non-conference matchup against BYU at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Illinois faces Purdue at 3:30 on BTN, with No. 4 Michigan closing out the day against Rutgers at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Join the conversation
Below is your Ohio State-Indiana GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and as always, keep it classy. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s keep the season going strong. Go Bucks.