Indiana’s 22-game winning streak came to an end … by inches. Clinging to a 19-15 lead with just over a minute remaining, Ohio State watched as Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover lofted a pass to a wide-open Nick Marsh in the end zone. Marsh hauled it in and tried to drag his foot inbounds, but came up just short, allowing the Buckeyes to escape with the win.
In an era defined by NIL, relentless roster turnover and an expanded College Football Playoff on the horizon, Ohio State-Indiana has become more than a clash between two of the nation’s best teams. It has the makings of one of college football’s most consequential new rivalries. Here are my takeaways from the Buckeyes’ victory: 1.
Jeremiah Smith Is Inevitable "We’ve got to give him as many touches as possible," Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told FOX Sports’ Tom Rinaldi just before kickoff. And then, for some reason, the Buckeyes promptly called pass plays for players not named Jeremiah Smith. In the first series, that worked.
In the series following, it did not. And on those gotta-have-it downs, when it was clear to me that Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was going to try to force-feed Smith, Indiana’s defense played like it had that knowledge too. Smith finished the first half with only two catches for 20 yards.
In the third quarter, Sayin sailed a ball intended for Smith. Indiana cornerback Amare Ferrell picked it off. The Hoosiers were committed to playing sound, fundamental football, layering two defenders to Smith on passing downs.
For the first time this season, it looked like a team was going to succeed in turning Smith — the best player in the sport — into a non-factor. And then, just like he has all season, Smith delivered, coming down with a 50-50 ball in the end zone to give the Buckeyes a double-digit lead. Take note, Heisman voters.
That’s the kind of play that we’ve come to expect the Heisman Trophy winner to make against a top-five opponent. 2. Julian Sayin's Injury Could Spell Trouble For The Buckeyes Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti knew his team needed to get pressure on Sayin early and often if the Hoosiers were going to contain Jeremiah Smith.
Once Indiana delivered the first big hit on Sayin, the Buckeyes’ signal-caller fell out of rhythm. Against lesser opponents, he’d operated with the precision of a conductor, delivering passes right on cue. Indiana had Sayin looking down at his sheet music guessing what was next or trying not to get beat by a complex combination his normally sharp analysis could not decipher.
The Hoosiers sacked Sayin four times and forced him to throw two interceptions, just the third in his career he threw multiple picks, and the first time he’d done so since Ohio State lost to Miami in last year's CFP. Then came the biggest blow of the game, when Sayin took a hard hit midway through the fourth quarter and appeared to injure his right arm. The Buckeyes' QB left the game and watched the final minutes from the sideline wearing a sling.
"I don’t have a ton of details, but he'll probably be out for several weeks," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Sayin following the game. That's a tough blow for a team with clear national title aspirations. 3.
Josh Hoover Came Unglued In The Second Half Ohio State's offense was so sick in the first half — and not the kind of "sick" that the kids say — that you’d be right to think that it had downloaded a virus after visiting one of those dodgy websites the browser tries to warn you about. But the Buckeye defense was operating with a ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 graphics card — fast, quick and able to take on the modern workload required to carry the offense on its back. This was most evident when Matt Patricia’s defensive unit forced consecutive turnovers on each of Indiana's first two possessions of the third quarter.
And Indiana let it happen. On a fourth-and-gotta-have-it at the Ohio State 38-yard line, Buckeye safety Jaylen McClain triggered on Hoover like a fired bullet, sacked him and forced a fumble the Buckeyes recovered. The story coming out of this game will be Sayin's injury, but equally important was the play of OSU's defense, which held the Hoosiers to just 8-of-18 on third and fourth down.
This is a championship-looking defense once again in Columbus. 4. A Heartbreaking Way For Indiana To Lose Not only did the Hoosiers' see their 22-game winning streak snapped.
Not only did their home-winning streak come to an end at 19 games. But the fashion in which this game ended was tough to swallow. After forcing a three-and-out and gaining possession back with under three minutes to go, Hoover and the Hoosiers had just what they wanted: a chance to win a game, over a top-five opponent, in front of their home crowd.
There was a 25-yard strike from Hoover to wide receiver Charlie Becker on the second play of the drive, putting the Hoosiers near midfield. There was a roughing-the-passer penalty on Ohio State that put Indiana past midfield. There was another big pass from Hoover to Becker, this one a 16-yarder, which put the ball at the Ohio State 43-yard line.
And then, facing a fourth-and-four from the Ohio State 27-yard line, came the play that will stick in the minds of Indiana fans for a while. A perfect route from Marsh to break open, a lofted pass from Hoover to the end zone. And right as Marsh came down with the ball, he knew it.
His hands on his head. His mouthguard dropped. The cameras zoomed into his face.
The look on his face told the story. He knew he was out of bounds. Game over.
Heartbreak for the Hoosiers. "We had it and we just didn't make it happen," a dejected Cignetti said following the game. "It's a hard one to swallow. [We will] learn from it and move on."
