It’s possible that Ohio State may not feel up to a game on Saturday after playing through a monsoon in Evanston, Ill., this past weekend, but regardless, the Indiana Hoosiers are coming to town.
This is one of just two home games remaining for the Buckeyes, who will look to move to 10-0 as the regular season begins winding down. While the Hoosiers have given Ohio State fits in some recent years, including a one-score game in 2020, there’s reason to believe that this iteration of Indiana under head coach Tom Allen – who is in his sixth season at the helm – won’t be the one to push the Buckeyes.
Check back every Monday at BuckeyeSports.com for a brief preview of the Buckeyes’ upcoming opponent, with stories and features throughout the week.
OPPONENT: Indiana Hoosiers (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten)
Other than an early season upset (not then, but now, at least in retrospect) of Illinois, little has gone right this season for the Hoosiers.
They’ve lost six consecutive games and have issues on both sides of the ball. Indiana has lost its No. 1 receiver for the season in Cam Camper and have questions at quarterback, where Connor Bazelak has started most of the season but missed the Hoosiers’ latest loss to Penn State.
In his stead, Jack Tuttle – who already announced he plans to transfer out of the program this offseason – started the game, but he also left with an injury, and two more quarterbacks ended up in the game for Indiana. This leaves the most important position on the field unsettled heading into one of the most daunting environments in the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers have also dealt with injuries on the other side of the ball, with linebacker Cam Jones missing the last several games. Jones is one of Indiana’s leaders on defense, and the Hoosiers have given up 34.5 points per game in contests he hasn’t played in this season.
As a whole, the defense is allowing 421.8 yards per game (264.4 passing, 157.5 rushing), so Ohio State could look to C.J. Stroud and the passing attack to win, or try and kick start the running game, assuming that TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams are both healthy.
GAME INFO: Ohio Stadium, 12 p.m., FOX
Ohio State will head back home after a pair of road games, and it couldn’t come at a better time for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has seen struggles throughout the last two contests despite coming out with victories, from the slow-developing offense to the stunted rushing attack, which has quickly become an issue for the Buckeyes.
Perhaps a date at Ohio Stadium will be just what the doctor ordered for the Buckeyes. It will be time to lock in though, because Ohio State heads on the road against to Maryland the following week before returning home to host Michigan, so the Buckeyes’ game against Indiana may serve as one of the final opportunities to work out whatever issues have ailed Ohio State as of late.
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 95th meeting between Ohio State and Indiana, with the Buckeyes holding a 77-12-5 record in the series.
The series has been especially dominant over the past several decades, with Ohio State currently on a 26-game winning streak against the Hooisers. Indiana has not beaten the Buckeyes since 1988, and haven’t done so in Columbus since 1987.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time/Result |
| Sept. 3 | Notre Dame | Columbus, Ohio | W 21-10 |
| Sept. 10 | Arkansas State | Columbus, Ohio | W 45-12 |
| Sept. 17 | Toledo | Columbus, Ohio | W 77-21 |
| Sept. 24 | Wisconsin | Columbus, Ohio | W 52-21 |
| Oct. 1 | Rutgers | Columbus, Ohio | W 49-10 |
| Oct. 8 | Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. | W 49-20 |
| Oct. 22 | Iowa | Columbus, Ohio | W, 54-10 |
| Oct. 29 | Penn State | State College, Pa. | W, 44-31 |
| Nov. 5 | Northwestern | Evanston, Ill. | W, 21-7 |
| Nov. 12 | Indiana | Columbus, Ohio | 12 p.m., FOX |
| Nov. 19 | Maryland | College Park, Md. | TBD |
| Nov. 26 | Michigan | Columbus, Ohio | 12 p.m., FOX |
| Dec. 3 | Big Ten Championship | Indianapolis, Ind. | 8 p.m. FOX |
