There is expected to be an unfamiliar energy surrounding the game when No. 1 Ohio State, the defending national champion, comes to Bloomington to play IU at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. But maybe more importantly, IU enters the contest as more than an afterthought.
As a reminder of what the public opinion is of IU football, when IU defeated Ohio State in 1987, then-Ohio State Coach Earl Bruce referred to it as the “darkest day” in program history.
But this isn’t just any Ohio State team. It’s one that returns 14 starters from the championship team. It’s filled with first-round draft prospects and Heisman Trophy candidates. Yet playing the Buckeyes isn’t new for the Hoosiers.
“We know when you play in the Big Ten East, you’ll play these guys,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “And we embrace that challenge.”
Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer, who Wilson said is as good as anyone in the country, said he was disappointed in the Buckeye defense during his weekly press conference. Despite room for improvement, it is still ranked second in the nation by Football Outsider’s advanced stats.
Wilson said the Buckeyes’ recent successes aren’t a fluke, and he considered Ohio State to be a complete team. He said they are talented in each area defensively. The linebackers, in his eyes, are outstanding.
“They don’t give you a lot of easy throws,” Wilson said. “They make you go the distance. They make you earn it.”
IU is first in the Big Ten in total offense and Ohio State is second in total defense. IU junior running back Jordan Howard even leads the nation in rushing yards, but he has yet to face a defense like Ohio State’s.
Ohio State is the first highly ranked defense going up against IU.
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who is averaging 286 yards per game, said the offense doesn’t approach a talented defense like Ohio State’s any differently.
And while the IU offense has been putting up impressive yardage, Wilson has been forced to ask questions about recent struggles in converting yardage into points.
“You’ve got to have that balance,” he said. “When you cross that midfield stripe, you’ve got to get points on the board. I just feel there’s some games we’re leaving 7, 10, 13, 14, 17 points on the board. That will get you every once in a while.”
This game could be the best opportunity to see how real the Hoosier’s 4-0 start is. IU is considered to be a 21-point underdog even at home.
IU has played Ohio State well in recent years, though. It led in the third quarter last year despite playing with backup quarterback Zander Diamont. Two years ago, IU lost 52-49.
Wilson doesn’t look at those performances as flukes or outliers.
“Well, we are trying to win,” he said. “I’m not trying to be funny.”
