(Photo: Fox Sports)
Saturday Spotlight
(5) Indiana Hoosiers at (2) Ohio State Buckeyes
Indiana: What a story they have been this year. In a conference where Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, and now Oregon all play, they have held their own and are off to an 11-0 start which is the best record to open a season in program history. A school that had been primarily known as a basketball university is slowly becoming a football institution. Over the years, I’ve seen them play teams hard and give the bigger-named opponents a run for their money, This year, they’ve been able to win football games in several ways whether it’s a shootout or what you saw a few weeks ago against the defending champion Michigan Wolverines where they had to ugly the game up. Curt Cignetti is the Coach of the Year and quite frankly, it’s not even close at this point. With a straight face, how many of you who followed the sport of college football saw the Indiana Hoosiers being as good as they’ve been and being a possible playoff team? This offense has been one of the best in the Big Ten and they are ranked second nationally. The Hoosiers have been effective on both sides of the football as they have been just as strong defensively. They rank first in the Big Ten in sacks, first in tackles for loss, and third in the nation in total defense. This could be a team you wouldn’t want to see if they were to make the College Football Playoff because defense travels no matter the conditions. Today, they will face an experienced Buckeyes team in Columbus,
Ohio State: They have regrouped nicely since the loss in Eugene to the Oregon Ducks. When I last previewed one of their games, they were in Happy Valley taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions and it was an important game not just for each football team, but the coaches. James Franklin has struggled against quality competition (ranked teams) and Ryan Day doesn’t have a great track record against the top-five opponents. Most football games today come down to execution and finishing. Penn State couldn’t do that in that game and because of that, they fell short again to that team from Columbus. I was high on the Ohio State Buckeyes coming into the year and if there were ever a year where they could get back to the top of the Big Ten, this was the year and here they are, still in contention. I knew their offense was something to watch, but this defense is special as it’s the mix of NFL talent sprinkled in with some new names (Caleb Downs). They are ranked second in the country behind the Texas Longhorns and number one in scoring defense. I want to jump back to their offense if I may for a second. The Buckeyes have had many great Quarterbacks in recent years from Justin Fields to C.J. Stroud and even Kyle McCord this year is having an amazing year for Syracuse. It’s time to give Will Howard his flowers as well. He’s completed 73 percent of his passes, moves well when the opportunity presents itself and he’s bringing veteran experience. They will welcome a hungry Indiana Hoosiers team to town.
Indiana X-Factor: Mikail Kamara– He followed Coach Cignetti from James Madison to Bloomington and has flourished in his first year with this team. At 265 pounds, he is considered to be a dense pass rusher but doesn’t lack burst at all. When he pursues the Quarterback, he wants to keep the tackle off balance and attack them. At 6’5, Mikail has long strides and the quickness to breeze by anyone attempting to block him. His quick step to the inside is what opens up the outside lane for him as a pass rusher. He has wrecked many offensive game plans this year and must be ready to do the same today against these Buckeyes.
Ohio State X-Factor: Tyleik Williams– This Ohio State defense has been the best I’ve seen in college football this year and I said up top, this unit has a ton of NFL-ready talent. Let’s meet Tyleik. He’s massive standing at 6’3 and weighing 227 pounds and plays on the interior of this Buckeyes’ Defensive Line. He’s flown under the radar this year for a team that’s 9-1 on the season and doesn’t get the notoriety such as Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Jeremiah Smith, and some of the other stars. In this game today, Tyleik will play a vital role. When Indiana played Michigan a few weeks ago, the champs were able to attack Rouke from the interior. Ohio State can use that blueprint themselves.
Final Thoughts: This is easily the biggest game in the history of Indiana Hoosiers football. A 10-0 start on the year and they have a chance to make a name for themselves. The Ohio State Buckeyes enter this game as winners of their last four games since falling short against the Oregon Ducks. I have three keys for Indiana to pull off their biggest win of the season. First, bottle up this Ohio State ground attack. Shutting down the ground attack will open up the lines of attack for the Hoosiers pass rush. They’ve done this all year long and I don’t expect them to get away from this. Next, a healthy dose of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton will be key, revisit the running game as this will keep the Buckeyes’ defense honest. Lastly, tightening up in the red zone. For the Hoosiers to have a chance, they must capitalize on the short field and hold Ohio State to field goals. The Buckeyes have shown to do this and Indiana must try to match the stinginess. On the Ohio State side, pressuring Rourke is very key as he’s had clean pockets to pick defenses apart from throughout the season. Even if they don’t sack him, collapse his pocket, and make him feel as though everything is closing in on him. This may sound crazy to say, but Ohio State should take a page out of Michigan’s book and turn up the physicality. They have the personnel and bodies to wear down Indiana with a physical brand of football. Lastly, limit that big play on defense. The Hoosiers have made a living with the big play this year. I need to see the Ohio State defense that played so well against Penn State, not the version against Oregon. This will be the toughest test for Cignetti’s group. The Buckeyes prevail to another victory.
Prediction: Ohio State 35, Indiana 17
