Ohio State is back in Indianapolis.
#2 Indiana
Hoosiers
For the first time in five years, Ohio State plays for a Big Ten championship on Saturday night. In a game that will also decide the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes will battle the No. 2-ranked Hoosiers in a meeting of the final two unbeaten teams in the FBS this season.
Ranking in the top two nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense, Indiana is poised to give Ohio State its toughest test of the season. Will the Buckeyes’ dominance from the regular season continue into the postseason, or will the Hoosiers be the team that finally finds a way to beat the Buckeyes – or at least push them to the brink?
With a little over 24 hours to go until Ryan Day and Curt Cignetti’s squads do battle, we break down our biggest questions entering the Big Ten Championship Game, pick our top players to watch and make our predictions for what we’ll see on Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Questions
Can the Silver Bullets smother Indiana's passing attack?
With Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza likely dueling for the Heisman Trophy in this game, Ohio State's defense will have a significant say in whether their quarterback wins college football's most prestigious award. And, more importantly, whether the Buckeyes win the Big Ten title. The Silver Bullets have been lethal against opposing passing attacks all season, ranked No. 1 nationally in passing yards allowed per game (121.3, the next-best number is 141.1 by Nebraska) and No. 1 yards allowed per pass attempt (5).
But Indiana's passing attack is the best Caleb Downs, Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr., et al., have seen this season. Mendoza is locked in battle for the Heisman for a reason, after all. The Hoosiers might have the nation's best receiver tandem outside of Ohio State's with Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. Overall, Indiana is No. 4 nationally in passing yards per attempt at 9.5.
– Andy Anders
Will Ohio State keep Julian Sayin clean?
Ohio State’s offensive line allowed zero sacks and zero pressures in The Game, but do the Slobs have an encore performance on tap? According to Pro Football Focus, Indiana leads the nation with a 41.6% pressure rate while blitzing at the 14th-highest clip (48.2%). However, the Buckeyes rank eighth in pressure rate allowed (23.3%) and ninth in pressure rate surrendered when blitzed (27.8%). Be prepared for an awesome battle in the trenches, folks.
– Chase Brown
Will Ohio State have a Michigan hangover?
If the way the Buckeyes handled business throughout the regular season is any indication, the answer to this question is probably no. Ohio State’s laser focus on routine and preparation is what’s allowed the Buckeyes to win 11 straight games by 18-plus points, and they’ve said all the right things this week to suggest that hasn’t changed. They’re also able to draw from their experience in last year’s College Football Playoff, where they played at an elite level four games in a row to win the national championship.
But beating Michigan was a major goal that Ohio State had been working toward all season, and even Day admitted this week that playing back-to-back monster games is a “huge challenge.” And there’s been more to distract the Buckeyes this week than any other week this season with South Florida hiring Brian Hartline and the drama of the early signing period. So while the Buckeyes are highly motivated to win the Big Ten championship and earn the No. 1 seed in the CFP, there’s reason to wonder if there could be at least a slight letdown from last week’s emotional win in Ann Arbor – and the Buckeyes don’t have much margin for being anything less than their best against the second-ranked Hoosiers.
– Dan Hope
Players to Watch
Jeremiah Smith
This game is about Ohio State vs. Indiana and Julian Sayin vs. Fernando Mendoza. But it’s also about Jeremiah Smith vs. D’Angelo Ponds. High school teammates at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, Smith vs. Ponds will be another awesome battle on Saturday. You are all familiar with Smith’s excellence, but here are some notes on Ponds: he allows a 43.6% completion rate in man coverage and 3.1 yards per target. But can he do it against the best player in college football? That’s the question!
– Chase Brown
Caden Curry
Curry grew up 20 minutes away from Lucas Oil Stadium and expects to have a huge contingent of family and friends in attendance on Saturday night. As a senior playing in his first and only Big Ten Championship Game, he’ll have extra motivation to put on a show.
Putting pressure on Fernando Mendoza will be crucial for Ohio State’s defense to get the Heisman contender off his game, and Curry will lead that effort. Entering the weekend with nine sacks on the season, I expect Curry to increase his season sack total to double digits and have another big game in what’s already been a spectacular senior season for the Greenwood, Indiana native.
– Dan Hope
Caleb Downs
With all the looks Indiana can present in both the run and pass games, Downs' versatile usage across the Ohio State defense will be key to slowing the potent Indiana attack. A candidate to be recognized as the best defensive player in college football this postseason, he's racked up 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and two pass breakups this season.
– Andy Anders
Predictions
Julian Sayin wins the Heisman
Sayin can’t actually win the Heisman until next weekend, but how he performs and whether Ohio State wins Saturday night will likely determine whether he does. Despite playing an excellent Indiana defense, I expect Ohio State’s star quarterback to be the ultra-efficient passer he’s been all year – with the aid of a fast indoor track that will help Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Co. make big plays on the receiving end – and lead the Buckeyes to a victory, positioning him to hoist the stiff-arm trophy next weekend in New York.
– Dan Hope
Bo Jackson goes for 100 yards again
Off a 117-yard rushing performance at Michigan – a game where he outgained the Wolverines' offense in yards from scrimmage 166 to 163 – I think Jackson and the run game are humming right now, even if Indiana's run defense is a step above what Ohio State played last week. If only a small step. But everything seems to be gelling up front right now and I think there will come a time when the Buckeyes play a little ball control.
– Andy Anders
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. has another big game
Jackson has improved with each week this season, but from Week 1 to Week 14 he always delivered in big games. It started with a three-tackle performance against Texas and continued with 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass breakup against Penn State. Then, in The Game, Jackson looked like a monster, recording two tackles for loss and one sack. Let’s see what he can do with a Big Ten title on the line.
– Chase Brown
