Indiana Football: Hoosiers fail to live up to hype, fall to Ohio State

Indiana football fell to a No. 6 Ohio State in Memorial Stadium, losing 51-10 in a much-anticipated game from Hoosier fans.

There was a lot of hype from the Indiana football faithful going into Saturday that this was IU’s year to finally snap the losing streak versus the Ohio State Buckeyes. That excitement was dampened when it was announced that starting quarterback Michael Penix would miss the game with an undisclosed injury, putting the reigns back in the hands of Junior QB Peyton Ramsey.

The story for Tom Allen’s team was all about weathering the storm early on and staying in the game until the Buckeyes eventually made enough mistakes that gave IU a chance. The Hoosiers looked prepared to do just that through the first quarter, as they only trailed 7-3. However, Ohio State played to their full potential in the second quarter and really took it to Indiana.

The momentum began to swing OSU’s way when Justin Fields connected on a 37 yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave early in the second quarter. On the ensuing Indiana possession, Olave made his presence felt again, blocking a punt and sending it through the back of the end zone for a safety.

From that point on, with the exception of a flea-flicker touchdown pass thrown to tight end Peyton Hendershot, Ohio State was in complete control of the game.

There weren’t many bright spots for Indiana in this game. Ohio State dominated the game from the second quarter onward and really didn’t give the Hoosiers a chance.

The vicious running attack of Ohio State dominated the Indiana defense. J.K. Dobbins finished with 193 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, and Master Teague III had 106 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

Peyton Ramsey finished the game 20-of-34 with 166 yards and one interception. The rushing attack never gained any traction for Indiana; Ramsey was tied for most yards gained on the ground at a mere 14.

Although it was a disappointing showing in what could have been a major culture-changing performance for the Indiana football program, the Hoosiers still have a lot to look forward to this season. This is still a talented, exciting team that has a definite chance to make it to a bowl game. They have a chance to bounce back next Saturday against a very weak UConn squad.

Final score: Ohio State 51, Indiana 10.