No. 13 Ohio State continues its return to Big Ten play on the road Thursday night against Indiana.

Here's what you need to know as the Buckeyes try to extend their win streak to six games.

No. 13 Ohio State (9-2) at Indiana (10-3)

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Assembly Hall; Bloomington, Indiana

TV: Fox Sports 1

RADIO: Ohio State Radio Network from Learfield

SERIES: Indiana leads 75-58

KenPom Prediction: Indiana 71, Ohio State 70

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Can Indiana stop Ohio State’s offense?

After finishing the 2020-21 season with the fourth-best offensive efficiency rating in the country according to KenPom, Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann came into the 2021-22 season with the goal of developing his defense, feeling that if the offense came with it, so be it.

Eleven games into the season, the defense has improved, jumping up 26 spots in defensive efficiency. But the offense has remained right there at the top of the league.

Through 11 games, Ohio State has an offensive efficiency rating of 116.1: seventh-best in the country behind Purdue, Gonzaga, Iowa, Kansas, Baylor and Duke, which the Buckeyes beat at home earlier in the season.

Despite only 76.7 points per game, Ohio State is shooting 48.9% from the field — the 15th best percentage in the country — while making 39.7% of its attempts from 3: 13th best in the country.

If Indiana is going to do anything, it’s going to try and stop that efficiency, much like they have against opponents throughout this season.

The Hoosiers are allowing 61.6 points per game, including a two-point field goal percentage of 39.1%: the second-highest in the country. Opponents are shooting only 35.4% from the floor against Indiana, which is the third-lowest total of any college basketball team.

That success defensively hasn’t really turned into wins in Big Ten play yet, though.

Despite allowing conference opponents to average 60 points per game, shooting 37.9% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range, Indiana has only won once: a 13-point win against Nebraska, along with a five-point loss at Wisconsin and a three-point loss at Penn State.

In those games, Indiana has averaged 61.7 points, shooting 39.5% from the floor.

Comes down to the bigs

Much of Indiana’s success early in the year — winning 10 of its first 13 games of the 2021-22 season — has come down to its bigs down low, namely one: Trayce Jackson-Davis.

A former four-star out of Greenwood, Indiana, the junior power forward — a reigning first-team All-Big Ten member and a finalist for the Wooden and Karl Malone Award — is dominating. Jackson-Davis is averaging 19.3 points per game, shooting 59.9% from the field and 60.6% from inside the 3-point line.

On the glass, Jackson-Davis is the team’s leading rebounder, bringing in 8.2 rebounds per game, including two offensive rebounds per contest, also averaging over three blocks per game.

But ahead of Ohio State’s matchup, Jackson-Davis isn’t the only big Holtmann and his team are worried about.

Redshirt senior forward Race Thompson, one of two players who started every game for the Hoosiers last season, is averaging 10.8 points per game, shooting nearly 70% from inside the 3-point line, along with eight rebounds per game.

Junior forward E.J. Liddell and sophomore forward Zed Key will be the primary matchups for Jackson-Davis and Thompson Thursday night in Assembly Hall.

Speaking of Assembly Hall…

Indiana doesn’t lose at home.

The Hoosiers have not lost at Assembly Hall in Bloomington since February 27, 2021 against No. 3 Michigan. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20, with fans in the stands, Indiana only lost four games at home.

That home court advantage has continued into the 2021-22 season. Indiana has won each of its first nine games at Assembly Hall by an average of 21.4 points, including wins against Notre Dame, Nebraska, Marshall and St. John’s.

Since 2010, Ohio State has won five of its 10 matchups in Bloomington, but have only scored more than 70 points three times.

Indiana's defense has shut down most opponents it has faced this season, allowing more than 70 points only three times in its first 13 games.

Add the fact that Indiana's returning home after a close conference loss to Penn State, and Ohio State should be worried. The Hoosiers have not lost at home this season.

However, the matchup should actually be pretty good for the Buckeyes, matching Indiana's two bigs with two prominent bigs of their own. However, while Indiana has shut down opponents that drive to the hoop, that's not Ohio State's style, finding open spots from the outside.

While Indiana has shut down the 3-point game of opponents too, it hasn't been as dominant as the Hoosiers have been inside the paint, something that could be in favor of the Buckeyes if the 3-point shot is falling.

While it should be one that will lead Holtmann to pull his hair out again late, Ohio State could hand Indiana its third loss in conference play and its first loss in Bloomington this season.

No. 13 Ohio State 68, Indiana 65