Ohio State vs. Indiana score, takeaways: Buckeyes cruise as defense stifles Hoosiers in top-five showdown

Ohio State remains firmly in the hunt for a first-round CFP bye, while Indiana's hope for a berth took a massive hit

The college football universe had been wondering for weeks what it would look like when Indiana got its first test against an elite opponent. Well, a brutal answer was delivered on Saturday. 

No. 2 Ohio State cruised to victory against No. 5 Indiana 38-15. The final score is a bit misleading, however. Indiana struck first to take a 7-0 lead in the game, but its first drive would be the high point of the afternoon. It was all Buckeyes from there, and they even left some meat on the bone.

Ohio State came away from two red zone possessions empty-handed. One was a turnover on downs as the Indiana defense made a stop at the goal line, while another ended with an interception after a dropped pass. Still, in the end, it made no difference because the Ohio State defense took the game over.

Indiana had 70 yards on its opening drive and only 78 the rest of the afternoon, and that includes a 75-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth as Ohio State was happy to melt clock. After allowing only 11 sacks in their first 10 games of the season, Ohio State racked up five in the game as well as eight tackles for loss.

Special teams played a key role, too. While Indiana survived a muffed snap on a punt (it led to Ohio State's red zone interception), Caleb Downs housed another punt for a 79-yard touchdown. Simply put, Ohio State was better in every phase of the game.

• This is Ohio State's second win over a top-five team this season after Ryan Day only had two such wins in his first five seasons.
• Indiana averaged only 2.6. yards per play against Ohio State. Its lowest total previously was 4.4 yards per play against Michigan.
• Jeremiah Smith did not have a touchdown catch today. After grabbing at least one in each of his first seven games, he's been shut out of the end zone in three of the last four.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:42 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ryan Day did not make friends at the end of the game

After TreVeyon Henderson went down at the 1-yard line, Indiana relented. The Hoosiers did not call either of their two timeouts. Ohio State did not care. The Buckeyes ran two plays and Will Howard scored on the second one.

Perhaps Ryan Day was sending a message after Curt Cignetti told an Indiana pep rally that they would kick Ohio State's butt last winter.

Either way, I wonder how the Big Ten offices will take it. A close loss would've helped Indiana's playoff case and helped the Big Ten's chances of getting four teams into the field. That means more money for the league. A 23-point loss? Well, we'll see.

Either way, I don't think Day's aggression at the end of the game will have been appreciated in Rosemont, Illinois.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:40 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

How does this affect Indiana's CFP hopes?

There are no shortage of people who have been screaming Indiana was overrated despite being 10-0 already, and a 23-point loss to Ohio State won't quiet the doubters. However, coaches moaning on television or fans doing it on social media won't be the deciding factor. The question is what the College Football Playoff Selection Committee thinks.

We saw how far BYU dropped in the rankings after its first loss last week, but while BYU had "better" wins from a ranked perspective, they played close games all year. Indiana has blown teams out.

The Hoosiers also caught a break with Ole Miss losing to Florida, which will hurt the SEC's cause as it tries to get all 16 of its teams into the field.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:37 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State's run game remains a concern

Considering the injuries Ohio State has had on its offensive line, it should come as no surprise the Buckeyes struggled to run the ball against Indiana. If you look at the box score you'll see they rushed for 115 yards on 29 carries, but even that 4.0 yards per carry is misleading.

On the final possession of the game, with Ohio State looking to run clock, TreVeyon Henderson broke loose for a 39-yard gain before sliding down before the goal line. Before that run, the Buckeyes had managed only 75 yards rushing on 26 carries --  and average of 2.88 yards per carry. It was enough today against an Indiana offense that was overwhelmed, but it's hard to imagine it'll be enough against a team like Oregon or whomever the Buckeyes could face in a potential playoff game.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:34 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Will Howard is an unsung hero

How often has that been the case with an Ohio State quarterback? Howard was brought in via the transfer portal to replace Kyle McCord after Ryan Day felt his Ohio State team needed something different at the position, and Howard's been worth every penny spent so far.

Saturday, Howard went 22-of-26 passing and completed his first 14 attempts of the day. He threw two touchdowns, and while he had a red zone interception, the throw hit his intended target in the hands. It's hard to blame him for a drop that is deflected into a defender's hands.

He's not a superstar, and because of that, you won't hear Howard's name in the Heisman Trophy conversation (at least, not outside an Ohio State bar), but he's been a reliable playmaker for this offense. He's certainly been much more than the mistake he made at the end of the Oregon loss.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:29 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State's defense was the difference maker

Indiana's first offensive possession could be looked at from two different perspectives. The first was how impressive the Hoosiers looked as they stuck to their script and methodically moved down the field for a touchdown. However, if you paid close attention, you also noticed Ohio State was conservative on the drive. The Buckeyes didn't blitz and played primarily vanilla coverages.

That wouldn't be the case again for the rest of the afternoon, at least not until Indiana's 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter after the game was essentially in hand.

Between those drives, the Buckeyes made life miserable on Indiana. They brought pressure from all over and did a great job of disguising nearly all of it until right before the snap. Overload blitzes, stunts or just straight up bringing the house, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left nothing on the play sheet.

The result was often Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke ending up with a face full of turf. The performance from the Ohio State defense allowed Ohio State the chance to overcome mistakes on offense that left points on the board, and in the end, proved to be the difference in the game.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:18 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Indiana did not recover the onside kick

Nobody did. It went out of bounds. Ohio State gets the ball with under two minutes to play, but Indiana has two timeouts. So the Buckeyes need a first down to ice it.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 3:15 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Indiana gets a consolation score

Q4: Ohio State 31, Indiana 15

If nothing else, it'll make the game look closer than it truly was. Ty'Son Lawton's 2-yard TD run caps off a 15-play, 75 yard drive and then the Hoosiers convert to make it a two-score game. Can they get the onside kick? If not, Ohio State should be able to run this out.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 2:57 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State tacks on a field goal

Q4: Ohio State 31, Indiana 7

Ohio State extends its lead by three points, but what's more important than the field goal is the nearly 6 minutes of clock the Buckeyes burned on their 11-play, 43-yard field goal drive. The 45-yard field goal gives Ohio State a 24-point lead with only 8:56 to play, and considering the Hoosiers still haven't hit the 100-yard mark on offense, it feels far-fetched to believe they're going to get back into this game.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 2:39 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State's pass rush is unstoppable right now

End 3: Ohio State 28, Indiana 7

Indiana forces a three-and-out after the curious decision to punt, but it's ultimately pointless. The Hoosiers go three-and-out themselves as the Buckeyes get two sacks in three plays. That gives the Buckeyes five sacks on the afternoon, and they will get the ball back to start the fourth quarter.

Will Ryan Day get conservative considering the three-score lead or put the hammer down with an eye toward impressing the committee? Ah, the decisions a coach must consider in the modern game.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 2:34 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Head-scratching decision by Indiana

Indiana and Curt Cignetti have been heralded for their aggression all season, so I'm confused by what just happened. Facing fourth-and-11 inside Ohio State territory, but out of field goal range, Indiana calls a timeout. Then, after thinking it over, it punts down 28-7.

So not only did you give Ohio State the ball back, but you wasted a timeout too.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 2:25 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

This might be a rout

Q3: Ohio State 28, Indiana 7

Things continue to go from bad to worse for the Hoosiers, as Ohio State puts together a methodical, 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go up three touchdowns. Jelani Thurman finished it with a 1-yard touchdown grab.

Ohio State now has 213 yards of offense to Indiana's 68. The Hoosiers have been held to 1.9 yards per play, and the way things are going, there will be a lot of conversation about how "deserving" Indiana is of a playoff spot. Personally, I think an 11-1 record in the Big Ten is an 11-1 record no matter what, but we all know it doesn't matter as much when you aren't already one of the Big Boys.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 2:04 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

This one might be about to get out of hand

Q3: Ohio State 21, Indiana 7

Indiana's offense avoids disaster on the opening drive of the half when it gets back on a Justice Ellison fumble, but it's forced to punt, and things quickly go downhill.

Caleb Downs let the ball hit the turf and roll for a bit, decided he was bored, and picked it up and took it 79 yards to the house. It's 21-7 Buckeyes.

If you're keeping track, a muffed snap on a punt before halftime led to Ohio State's second touchdown, and now a punt leads to Ohio State's third touchdown. Meanwhile, after picking up 70 yards on their opening drive, the Indiana offense has -10 yards since.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 1:37 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Half: No. 2 Ohio State 14, No. 5 Indiana 7

The first half of action at Ohio Stadium has been filled with big plays and missed opportunities, and neither team deserves to have a lead right now, but you won't hear the Buckeyes complaining about having one.

Early on it looked as though it would be a great day for the Hoosiers. They forced a three-and-out on Ohio State's opening drive before marching 70 yards to take an early 7-0 lead. Then, after the Buckeyes put together an impressive drive that included converting after facing a third-and-40, the Hoosiers got a goal line stop to keep the game 7-0.

The problem is the Hoosiers offense hasn't done much since that opening drive. In fact, they've done nothing but go backwards on their final three possessions of the half. One ended with a Kurtis Rourke fumble that gave Ohio State the ball in the red zone, but the Hoosiers defense came to the rescue again with an interception.

Indiana's punter then muffed a snap in the rainy weather to give Ohio State a first-and-goal. Indiana's defense wasn't able to save the day for a third time as TreVeyon Henderson scored to give Ohio State its first lead.

The game has been dominated by both defenses to this point; Ohio State is averaging only 4.8 yards per play, while Indiana is at 1.8. It still feels like its anybody's game, but you can't help but wonder if Indiana will regret the chances it passed up to take control of the game.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 1:34 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Disaster for Indiana

Q2: Ohio State 14, Indiana 7

Indiana is forced to punt inside its 30 and the snap goes right through the punter's hands. It's a rainy day, so the wet ball played a role, but it leads to a first-and-goal for the Buckeyes who cash it in a few plays later with TreVeyon Henderson scoring from 4 yards out. It's 14-7 Buckeyes right before the half.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 1:19 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Now we're trading turnovers

Will Howard drops back on third down after Ohio State's first two plays go nowhere, and Will Howard's pass is dropped by Jelani Thurman and picked off by Jailin Walker on the deflection. So, in a way, we're right back where we were a few minutes ago, but with a lot of excitement in between.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 1:16 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Jim Knowles is dialing up the pressure and it's paying off

Ohio State was a bit more conservative defensively on Indiana's first drive, but now it looks like the Buckeyes want to bring additional rushers any time Indiana is in a third-down situation. The Buckeyes get a sack that leads to a fumble by Kurtis Rourke and they're in business in the red zone already.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 1:10 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Will Howard is dealing, and we're tied

Q2: Indiana 7, Ohio State 7

Ohio State gets the stop on defense and they don't fail to find the end zone on offense this time. A quick, 5-play, 44-yard touchdown drive ends with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka. Will Howard was perfect on the drive, and he's been perfect on the day.

Howard has completed all 14 of his passes for 116 yards. Considering Ohio State failed to score on the previous drive after handing the ball off four straight times, one wonders if we'll see a change in philosophy the rest of the afternoon from the Ohio State offense.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 1:03 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

If you can't generate pressure with a 4-man rush, there's another option

[Nov 23, 2024 at 12:54 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Indiana gets a goal line stop

Q2: Indiana 7, Ohio State 0

Ohio State puts together an impressive drive that included overcoming a third-and-40 with two passes to Carnell Tate, but it's all for naught. The Hoosiers defense stands tall inside the 10, as the Buckeyes hand the ball off four straight times and get stuffed on fourth-and-1.

It's a turnover on downs, and Ohio Stadium is uncomfortable right now.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 12:46 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

End 1Q: Indiana 7, Ohio State 0

It's been an interesting first 15 minutes in Columbus, Ohio. Indiana started out with the edge, forcing a three-and-out on Ohio State's first possession and immediately marching 70 yards for an early 7-0 lead.

Indiana's offense was helped out by a few penalties called on the Buckeyes, and it looked as though the defense was getting the same help. Yet, somehow, some way, after facing a third-and-40 -- yes, 40 -- the Buckeyes converted with two passes to Carnell Tate.

They start the second quarter with the ball in the red zone looking to tie this one up.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 12:29 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Indiana skepticism at an all-time low

Q1: Indiana 7, Ohio State 0

After forcing an Ohio State three-and-out on the first possession of the game, the Hoosiers march 70 yards in 11 plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Kurtis Rourke only threw three passes, but drew two pass interference calls on Davison Igbinosun. The Hoosiers ground game did the rest of the work, with Ty'Son Lawton finishing the drive with a two-yard touchdown run.

[Nov 23, 2024 at 12:15 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Indiana wins the toss, defers

And the official called them Illinois. Start the officiating conspiracy theories! Ohio State will begin the opening possession of the game at its 24-yard line.

The waiting is over. Let's go.