No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Indiana Hoosiers
After going unbeaten in their non-conference schedule, the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will head to Indiana Saturday to take on the Hoosiers in their first conference game of the season. It’s another game and opportunity for Cardale Jones to continue to gain experience as the starting quarterback and develop chemistry with his play-makers on offense, including Braxton Miller and Ezekiel Elliot.
Indiana comes into the game on a five-game winning streak, which is the team’s longest winning streak since 1987. Although the team is unbeaten, they have had some close contests against other teams this season, including a 38-35 win over Western Kentucky and a 31-24 victory over Wake Forest in their previous two games.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2015
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Bloomington, IN
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
TV Info: ABC, ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN APP
Radio: Ohio State radio info, click here. Indiana Hoosiers radio info, click here.
Ticket Information: For Ohio State ticket information, click here. For Indiana ticket information, click here.
Keys to Victory
The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to be challenged defensively this week. They are going up against Indiana running back Jordan Howard, who leads the conference in rushing yards and has carried the Indiana offense on his back thus far. It’s time for Joey Bosa to step up and play like the top defensive player in the nation this week. He’s barely averaged four tackles a game since he’s returned and hasn’t looked like himself yet.
Offensively, Cardale Jones is going to have to continue to find his game and be an impact force for the Buckeyes. Finding his star receiver, Braxton Miller, should help him with that. Miller has been all but non-existent since the opening week of the season and establishing him as a weapon will not only help the Buckeyes against Indiana, but it will also help them going forward in their title defense hopes.
If Indiana is going to pull off an upset, which they almost did last year, then quarterback Nate Sudfield needs to keep putting up good performances. He’s facing a much better team than the likes of Wake Forest and Western Kentucky this week, and it will be a real test of what the quarterback can do with his arm. He’s completing 61.1 percent of his passes thus far and has helped establish a balanced offense for the Hoosiers.
On defense, Indiana is allowing an average of just about 500 yards a game this season. That might work against Wake Forest and Western Kentucky, but that will cause Indiana to lose big against Ohio State. They have to keep the Buckeye offense frustrated and slow down Cardale Jones. If they can cut off Braxton Miller, then they will give themselves a shot to pull the home upset.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Ohio State -21.5
Moneyline: Ohio State -1500
O/U: 67
Prediction
This game will be a good test to see how the Ohio State Buckeyes choose to defend their title. Will they go out and dominate teams they are heavy favorites over, or will they go the route of the 2014 Florida State Seminoles and escape with wins each week?
Despite playing lesser opponents, the winning streak that the Hoosiers are on has given the team confidence and they have a good offense that can put points on the board. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, their defense isn’t good and Ohio State will take full advantage of that.
Conference games are even bigger and the Buckeyes know they have to find rhythm and chemistry starting now. Cardale Jones will work to establish a connection with Braxton Miller, while Ezekiel Elliot will pound away to pick up big chunks for the Buckeyes.
Sudfield and Howard will put up points of their own on the board against Ohio State, but it won’t be enough as Joey Bosa will finally make some big plays for the first time this season. Look for a close first half or so and the Buckeyes to pull away in the second half with Braxton Miller making big plays in the open field with his legs.
Final Score: Ohio State 38, Indiana 21
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