Ohio State returns to the football field Saturday night when it travels to Bloomington to take on Indiana.
Ohio State has not lost to Indiana since 1988, but the Hoosiers have made it close as of late, losing to the Buckeyes 42-35 last season.
So what should Ohio State expect from Indiana Saturday night? We spoke with The Hoosier senior writer Alec Lasley to find out more.
What’s the major differences between Indiana’s struggles in 2021 and its successes from 2020?
"The major difference has been the lack of explosiveness from its offense. Michael Penix Jr. didn't look confident through the first few games and once the newest shoulder injury happened, Jack Tuttle took over and hasn't been able to bring much to the offense either. Losing a playmaker like Florida State transfer DJ Matthews in the slot was a big hit as well. Overall, it's been a miserable offensive season for IU. A lot of the blame has to be put on coordinator Nick Sheridan and his lack of creativity in trying to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers."
What should Ohio State expect from an offense if Michael Penix Jr. is unavailable to play?
"The biggest thing will be no real deep ball threat. Tuttle has yet to show he can stretch the field and is usually someone who will check things down before forcing anything deeper than 15 yards downfield. His real bread and butter is five-to-10 yarders across the middle, but that oftentimes becomes way too clogged up with most of the routes going that way. Tom Allen said that freshman QB Donaven McCulley will play a larger role moving forward. He brings some explosiveness to the offense and the ability to run with his legs. He played just three snaps on Saturday, but I would expect that to change this weekend. With the lack of consistency from the offensive line, his running ability could provide IU with some success and at least help with the non-existent rushing attack so far in Big Ten play."
Indiana’s defense was able to shut down Michigan State’s run game to 100 yards on 35 touches last week. What worked well, and is that something you expect to continue against Ohio State?
"Indiana has a tremendous defense and its ability to stop the run has been there most of the season. Its defensive line has done a much better job over the last few weeks getting good penetration from guys like Ryder Anderson and Weston Kramer. Add in linebackers Cam Jones and Micah McFadden and that's a really solid group of players dialed in on the run game. I don't expect too much to change from IU's defense in that aspect. That unit will sometimes bite a bit too much on the play-action, and if OSU can pop off a few big runs to open up the play-action, it could open things up for the entire offense."
Who is the X-factor for the Hoosiers against Ohio State?
"The biggest X-factor will be Indiana's ability to move the ball offensively. As we discussed, there is very little explosiveness from that unit so far this season and there are really no signs to change that. If that's not the case, it can easily turn into a blowout. IU has also struggled to score touchdowns once in the red zone and if the Hoosiers want any chance on Saturday, they will need to score touchdowns. So, i think you look at Nick Sheridan as the X-factor and his ability to add in McCulley. If he brings a few new parts to the playbook, there may be some additional creativity involved that can open the offense up that has had a lid on it for the entire season."
How do you think Saturday’s game will go?
"I think this game is close for part of the first half — just due to the night atmosphere at Memorial Stadium — but the Buckeyes will eventually flex their muscles and win by a few touchdowns. I just don't see how the Hooisers stay in this one if they can't score points. With just one touchdown in Big Ten play, there is no real optimism that facing the Buckeyes will bring out a new IU offense. I'll go Buckeyes 27- 13."
