A week after IU picked up its first conference win of the season, the Hoosiers will face their toughest test yet.
IU will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face off with the undefeated No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes, who are fresh off a big win against Penn State. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and the Hoosiers will need to be at their best in all facets of the game in order to be competitive.
Here are three matchups that could be key as IU’s quest for a statement victory continues.
1. Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins vs. IU secondary
After first team All-Big Ten quarterback J.T. Barrett graduated, Ohio State turned to sophomore Dwayne Haskins to lead the way on offense. Haskins has thrived so far under center for the Buckeyes, completing 70 percent of his passes along with 19 touchdowns. With talented options like junior K.J. Hill and senior Parris Campbell as receiving threats, the Ohio State passing attack is one of the deadliest in the nation.
Led by senior safety Jonathan Crawford, the IU secondary has been solid so far this season. Opposing teams are averaging just 163.6 passing yards per game, and the Hoosiers have also intercepted five passes. Compared to the rest of the schedule, Ohio State’s passing game is a completely different animal, so the Hoosiers will need to hold their own against Haskins and company in order for IU to have a chance.
2. IU offensive line vs. Ohio State defensive line
After going quiet against Michigan State, the IU running game experienced a bit of a resurgence last week against Rutgers. The Hoosiers recovered from a poor performance on the ground against MSU with 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Scarlet Knights. If IU wants to pull one of the biggest upsets of the season, it will need to be able to move the ball on the ground against one of the best defensive lines in the country. Protecting quarterback Peyton Ramsey will be no easy task either, as the Buckeyes boast a fearsome pass rush to go along with their stinginess against the run.
Despite the absence of star defensive end Nick Bosa, the Ohio State defensive line is still an elite unit. Led by junior defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones, the Buckeyes have already racked up 44 tackles for loss through five games. Jones also has 3.5 sacks on the year, but sophomore defensive end Chase Young leads the team in getting to the quarterback with four sacks on the young season. With Ohio State’s ability to get in the backfield and cause havoc, the IU offensive line will have its hand full for all 60 minutes Saturday.
3. IU front seven vs. Ohio State running game
With sophomore J.K. Dobbins and junior Mike Weber occupying the backfield, the Ohio State rushing attack is one of the most potent in the country. The pair has combined for 750 yards and six touchdowns on the season, averaging over five yards per carry in the process. Dobbins and Weber are an excellent complement to the Buckeyes’ dynamic passing game, giving Ohio State one of the most balanced offenses in the nation. Dobbins tore up the Hoosiers as a true freshman a year ago when he racked up 181 yards against a strong IU defense. Coach Tom Allen will need the best performance of the season from the Hoosiers in order to slow him down.
So far this year, IU has been fairly average against the run. The Hoosiers allow an average of 158.2 yards per game and have allowed seven rushing touchdowns through the first five games. IU is trending in the right direction after holding Rutgers under 100 yards on the ground last Saturday, but the gap in quality between Ohio State and Rutgers is pretty large. IU does a decent job of getting to the backfield, with 33 tackles for loss on the season, and the Hoosiers will need much more of that if they want to slow down Dobbins and Weber.
