Indiana football hosts Ohio State: 3 Things to watch for

Indiana is playing what is likely the biggest home game in program history, as the No. 5 Hoosiers host the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes. For the first time this season, ESPN Analytics predicts an Indiana loss, giving Ohio State a narrow 51.5% chance of victory.

Adding to the intensity is the fact that the Buckeyes have already lost a game this year, blowing a 20-point lead in Austin to a Longhorns team that also has one loss now. Two losses is not a good place for a playoff contender to be, so Ohio State needs this game more than the average regular season matchup.

Then there’s all the offensive firepower, with three possible (probable) first round wide receivers suiting up between Jeremiah Smith Jr., Charlie Becker, and reigning AP Offensive Player of the week Nick Marsh all among the best in the 2027 NFL Draft class.

Here are three things to watch for in this matchup:

Jeremiah Smith

There really are no words to describe just how good Jeremiah Smith is, as evidenced by the fact that there are also no college defenses that can guard him.

Even with D’Angelo Ponds on Indiana’s roster last season, Smith went off in the Big Ten Championship game, posting eight catches for 144 yards. Crucially though, Bryant Haines kept him out of the end zone.

When you go up against a player of this caliber, it’s tempting to throw your hands up, let him get his, and try to control the damage that the other 10 players can inflict. The key to Texas’ big comeback, though, was how they were able to shut him down in the second half, bringing the Ohio State offense to a halt.

In practice, this will probably mean picking spots to try to keep Smith out of the game. Haines will not have the resources to devote to locking him down all four quarters, but keeping the ball out of his hands with the game on the line could be the key to a victory Saturday.

Julian Sayin

Julian Sayin is a good, maybe great college football quarterback given everything he’s been able to accomplish over his career, but he does have his limitations. Indiana will need to exploit those to win Saturday.It starts with getting pressure on him.

Sayin has been pressured on just under 30% of his dropbacks this year, per PFF. As with most college quarterbacks, most of his turnover-worthy plays come when he’s pressured, and even the lowly Maryland Terrapins were able to force and recover a fumble against him last week with some pressure.

When Indiana can’t pressure him, the next best thing is crowding Smith, who has a tendency to command too much of Sayin’s attention in the pocket. Like I said earlier, Texas decided to start locking down Smith in the second-half, but Sayin kept trying to get the ball there.

If Indiana can time its pressures and Smith coverage correctly, the Hoosiers will have a better shot at getting Sayin off his game and getting the Buckeye offense off the field.

Memorial Stadium

While part of me is mad at the computers favoring Ohio State in Bloomington, I recognize that a game of this stature is completely foreign to Indiana’s campus, so there’s really no way to handicap exactly how that will factor in on Saturday.

I know it will be loud. Indiana fans have proven time and time again that, given something to cheer for, they will show up and cheer with their whole hearts.

How will it compare to Austin though? The Longhorns pack almost twice as many people into their stadium as the Hoosiers, which may make Ryan Day grateful for the early-season road experience by the time Saturday rolls around.

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