Indiana lost 17-38 to Ohio State Saturday in a game that played out differently than most thought. The Hoosiers are now 3-2, while Ohio State stayed perfect at 5-0.
Urban Meyer said it best, “It was just an awkward game.”
Many assumed that the game would be an aerial shootout between quarterbacks JT Barrett and Richard Lagow, but neither could find their rhythm. The difference was that Ohio State was much more effective running the football.
When Indiana forced a turnover on the first drive of the game, it created some hope that they may be up to the task of upsetting one of the best teams in the nation. Over the course of the game, however, Ohio State proved that they were just flat-out better in every way. But it was apparent that both teams were not on their best game.
JT Barrett, known for his throwing ability and crowned best quarterback in the nation by Kevin Wilson, was only able to throw for 93 yards on 21 attempts, including an interception. Lagow, who is emerging as one of the better passers in the Big Ten, could only complete 14 passes for just 182 yards, including 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Both teams had 2 turnovers, around 30 minutes of possession, and trouble converting on 3rd down. The stats suggest that it was an extremely close contest in every area, except in rushing yards. JT Barrett’s 137 yards on the ground, complimented by another 80 from Curtis Samuel and 71 more from Mike Weber, proved to be the difference in the game.
That and Indiana was 0-2 on 4th down efficiency.
It will be hard for Wilson to evaluate which areas the team needs to improve on, because to be honest, Indiana didn’t even play poorly. Indiana held the Buckeyes in check for the majority of the game, other than two drives that went for 73 and 85 yards. The rest of the touchdowns all came from drives that started from Indiana’s half of the field.
Coming off their upset victory over Michigan State, Indiana faced a reality check. Despite showing promise, it is clear that they are still pretty far away from being able to compete with the nation’s best. At this point in time, the Hoosiers remain a decent team that has upset capabilities, but lack the raw talent.
Indiana has another tough contest on their hands next week when they take on Nebraska at home. Luckily for them, the road gets a little easier after that, and don’t have to face another ranked opponent until Michigan in late November.
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This stretch of games will reveal what team the Hoosiers really are. So far, this season has been wild, for lack of a better word. They were upset by Wake Forest, then upset Michigan State, and then played an underwhelming if not predictable game against OSU.
Kevin Wilson cannot be disappointed, nor satisfied with the results of the season thus far. Same goes for his thoughts about Saturday’s loss.
As far as what I think? This Hoosiers team is about exactly where I thought they would be at this point in the season, though their first loss would have come from Michigan State, not Wake Forest. The defense is noticeably stronger, and the offense is just a tad softer. That is to be expected when you lose your two best offensive weapons, though.