COLUMBUS, Ohio - That was a bit too close for comfort, wasn’t it?

After Ohio State’s first drive against No. 9 Indiana, it seemed this offense was going to run away with the game. Instead, it had to rely on its defense just to avoid overtime. Justin Fields had a very un-Justin Fields game, costing the Buckeye attack a number of scoring opportunities, and the offensive line continued to disappoint in pass protection but allowed Master Teague to run for a career-high on the ground.

The numbers look good: Ohio State put up 607 yards of offense and had a new level of balance throughout the game. But turnovers and an inability to put Indiana away came back to haunt Fields and company. This game as a whole seems impossible to fully comprehend; the level of chaos in all four quarters creates a tough evaluation from a broad perspective.

With that being said, let’s attempt to grade out each area of the offense in our weekly report card, Indiana edition.

It’s a shame Fields puts such high expectations on himself. Beyond his three interceptions, any other quarterback would take a line like Fields’: 18-for-30 passing for 300 yards, 78 yards rushing, and three total touchdowns.

The big issue here is the interceptions. The junior faced constant pressure on Saturday-- Indiana was not afraid to bring the house, which proved to be the correct plan against this Buckeye offense.

Fields had two interceptions in the first quarter. On both, Ohio State was near midfield after Indiana had given it fantastic field position. The Hoosiers weren’t able to capitalize on either pick, but the pair of giveaways took valuable chances away from the Buckeye offense.

Early in the third quarter, Fields elected to wildly launch the ball in the general direction of a receiver while being dragged down in the backfield. Luckily, the Indiana interceptor was subsequently stripped on his way to the end zone, giving the quarterback another free pass. Either way, these interceptions were head-scratchers and very unlike the Fields we’ve seen this season.

Part of his struggles can be credited to the Indiana pressure, but Fields was also more inaccurate than he has been in any other game this season and tried to force passes into tight coverage throughout. More than anything, the performance shows future opponents how to best disrupt Fields and his offense.

Fields’ additions on the ground proved to be massive and he was still able to effectively drive the length of the field when the offense needed it most. It was just a toned-down version of what he usually provides; the quarterback turned to short, wide passes after his interception issues, and Ohio State didn’t send its explosive receivers deep very much.

This was in no way the undoing of Fields as a player, but it showed where he struggles most. Holding onto the ball for too long and trying to pull big plays out of nowhere bit Ohio State’s offensive leader on Saturday.

Grade: C-

The most encouraging area for Ohio State on Saturday came on the ground. Teague was massive, running for 169 yards on 26 carries and giving some sort of stable option on a day where nothing seemed to be certain.

Teague showed a level of burst that he hasn’t had in 2020 while still retaining his physical presence, bouncing off defenders. He scored two touchdowns, including a 41-yarder in the second quarter. The level of explosion that Ohio State has had in years past still wasn’t present on the field, but Teague certainly gave this running game a lot of hope.

Trey Sermon was also mildly impactful. The Oklahoma transfer carried five times for 49 yards in the first half before Teague took over in crunch time. Sermon finished with 70 yards on the ground.

Both running backs found gaps in the defense and took advantage of them, opening up passing options for a struggling Fields. Having that threat rushing the ball makes life much easier for the passing attack, especially against a team as aggressive as Indiana.

Late-game performance was the only real area of disappointment with this group. In the fourth quarter, Ohio State had opportunities to shut the door on this game. Sermon only recorded 10 yards in the frame and when Teague was given a chance to be the workhorse and put Indiana on ice, he didn’t deliver. The sophomore carried 10 times in the final 15 minutes, picking up just 37 yards and failing to lead a scoring drive.

Still, it was a hope-inspiring performance from the running back room as a whole-- 307 yards is no joke.

Grade: B+

This group of wide receivers is similar to its quarterback in the fact that it has set the standard so high already this season.

You know what you’re getting with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. The pair combined for 15 receptions and hauled in over 250 receiving yards. The two form one of the best duos Ohio State has ever seen and at this point, it’s almost expected that both will put up triple-digit receiving numbers in every game.

Wilson was on the receiving end of both of Fields’ touchdown passes-- 75 of his 169 receiving yards came on the first two plays of the game. Olave felt a bit overlooked throughout most of the afternoon, yet still ended up making eight receptions for 101 yards. The pair remains dominant, even with Fields’ struggles.

The concerning thing here is who sits behind Olave and Wilson on Fields’ priority list. Only three other receivers caught a pass against Indiana: Sermon, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Jameson Williams each recorded one reception. There has been an obvious gap between the top two receivers and the rest of the group.

Zero tight ends caught a pass on Saturday, though Luke Farrell was targeted twice and Jeremy Ruckert was thrown to once. Both big men also lacked their normal pass-blocking discipline against Indiana’s explosive defense.

It’s hard to hand out an awful grade to this unit considering the games Olave and Wilson put together, but beyond those numbers the rest of the group was wildly disappointing.

Grade: B-

This is the second-straight game in which Fields has had little to no time in the pocket. He was sacked five times and faced many more instances of pressure forcing an errant decision. Indiana certainly brought plenty of blitzes, but at some point the offensive line needs to show why it was so highly thought of entering the season.

Indiana deflected a large number of passes at the line of scrimmage and seemed to have the ability to reach Fields at ease. A large chunk of the blame for the quarterback’s subpar performance in the pocket has to fall on the O-line.

What the line did well, however, was create gaps for the run game. Teague would not have been able to put up the numbers or make the plays he did without his front unit. The holes were huge in the run game early.

It was truly a mixed bag for this group. The line deserves credit for Ohio State’s 307 rushing yards but also a fair amount of blame for the pressure Fields encountered.

Grade: C-

Everything is balanced in the end.

This was by far Ohio State’s poorest showing on offense. Fields defines this team’s offensive output, and he wasn’t good on Saturday. Therefore, the offense wasn’t good on Saturday. Turnovers, a lack of adaptation to Indiana’s pressure, and an inability to put the game out of reach were blindingly obvious in this game.

The fact that the running game showed life is crucial. Teague’s breakout performance and help from Sermon and Fields gave this offense a much-needed new dimension.

Overall, there’s obvious room for change against Illinois. But being able to identify the few positives that come from this showing is also crucial to offensive development down the line.

Grade: C