Here it is, one of the biggest games of the season... a November home game against... Indiana!?!? B1G championship berth on the line for both teams??
Going Into Week 13
- Unwelcome News - Remember how often OL depth was a huge preseason concern? And then we lost our LT and things looked really bad? And then the coaches and backups stepped up to right the ship with a surprisingly effective solution? Well, time to do it again from a further depleted position as Seth McLaughlin tore his Achilles tendon on a Tuesday practice and would be out for the rest of the season. We responded to the news... in our own ways. Carson Hinzman would slide back to C and Austin Siereveld would take the LG spot.
- How Good Are They, Really? - Takes were all over the place for this game. Many, understandably, refused to take Indiana seriously. Others felt that that this Indiana team was on a different level. Though the defense had been playing great, not everyone was sold on our cornerbacks (Iggy's penalties, Burke's coverage skills), especially when hearing about how great they were on over-the-shoulder throws.They just beat Michigan, which was big, but how good was that win, really?
- Across the Field - Zach Osterman dishes on the optimism behind the Hoosiers' cinderella season, the Curt Cignetti hype, playoff deservedness, and most importantly, their chances against the Buckeyes. He thinks Rourke is for real and his skill set is wide. But he hadn't yet faced a defense of Ohio State's caliber, and how he performs will determine their fate on Saturday. Their defensive front has been a revelation as well, actually leading the B1G in sacks and TFLs. Yes, we are still talking about Indiana. When it came to a prediction, he had to give Indiana a one-point edge, picking them to win 31-30.
- Key Matchups - OSU's OL, working with two replacements, against Indiana's front seven that have put up impressive numbers, some actually the best in the B1G. On the other side, OSU's CBs would be tasked with slowing down an Indiana passing attack that is ranked among the nation's most effective.
- Game Preview - I haven't exactly tried to hide it, but facing Indiana in a big-time matchup was surreal. Gameday was coming, Indiana put up formidable numbers, handled some common opponents better than Ohio State, and there were legitimately multiple position group matchups that Ohio State would be tested at. As strange as it was, it was kind of awesome. The official Twitter account was out there making sure fans were going to be loud. Their new coach made the bulletin board when he said Ohio State sucked and lumped us in with Michigan. In the same sentence!
- Game Trailer
Week 13 vs #5 Indiana in 40 Minutes
Open Threads: Q1 | Q2 | Halftime | Q3 | Q4
Coming Out of Week 13
- Game Summary - Top-5 victory in the bag! Suck it, Corso! Caleb Downs delivers the program's first punt return touchdown since 2014, almost exactly 10 years to the day. From the comments, it seems we didn't much appreciate Curt Cignetti's comments.
- Presser Bullets - Ryan Day spread the credit around for this win. The defense, offense, special teams, and even you, the crowd(!) got praise. The defense heard everyone gassing up the Indiana offense and responded by stepping up in a big way. 68 yards passing, 85 yards rushing, 2.6 yards per play. That's a lower yardage total than Akron. This was a top-5 team. Hoosier daddy, indeed.
- Five Things - When Indiana forced a 3-and-out and then scored a TD on their 70-yard opening drive, I thought this was going to be a nailbiter. Especially since 17 of those yards were due to penalties on Igbinosun. But the defense quickly responded, only allowing Indiana 89 more yards in their remaining 10 drives. Linebackers Cody Simon and Sonny Styles had a great day, as did DEs JT and Jack Sawyer. Not to get outshined by the defense, Will Howard went 22-of-26 (84.6%) for 201 yards, 2 passing TDs, and 1 rushing TD and it did not go unappreciated. Salty Indiana writers clutched their pearls on the final TD as if Cignetti did not just try for an onside kick 2 plays prior. Chris Lauderback would also write that it seemed like Evil Ryan Day was here, coaching with merciless confidence, and no longer "trying to stubbornly prove a point that doesn't need proven." Uhhh yeah... Hope he's right about that.
Up Next: TTUN.
