Bowling Green | Oregon | Buffalo | Rutgers | Iowa | Michigan State | Penn State | Nebraska |

Taking Maryland, Rutgers and Nebraska off the table, there is nobody in the Big Ten that Ohio State has owned the way it has owned Indiana. There have been some scares along the way recently like a 2015 game where the Buckeyes saw the Hoosiers throwing at the end of the game to set up a decision of going for overtime or for two to try and pull off an upset. And of course there was 2012, a 52-49 game that nearly drove first-year head coach Urban Meyer mad as the Buckeyes could not find a way to slow down the IU offense.

For every one of those games however, there have been countless 35-7 or 27-10 wins by Ohio State along the way. Many of the games here have not been close. It has been a long time since 1987 and 1988, the last two times that IU has taken a game from Ohio State.

Yes, there was the 27-all tie in 1990, the last time a game officially sits in the record book with anything other than a win for Ohio State (Okay, the NCAA does not recognize the 2010 win and has vacated it, but we are not the NCAA).

The Hoosiers are coming off of a pretty solid season, the team went 5-4 in Big Ten play, 8-4 overall before dropping the Gator Bowl. It was a disheartening loss to Tennessee however, where the Hoosiers saw a 19-6 lead disappear and saw the Vols score two scores in 30 seconds as it appeared that the Hoosiers had zero interest in winning that game.

That game is now ancient history and by November of 2020 (if the game goes off when it is supposed to) it won't be on the mind of anyone as soon as the ball is kicked, but it does go to show that the Hoosiers still have some ground to cover before it can really get into the mix for trying to be a legitimate darkhorse in the B1G East.

Series History: Ohio State leads the series 76-12-5

Last time played: The Buckeyes played Indiana in week three of the season and drilled the Hoosiers in a 51-10 rout. Ohio State took a 20-point lead to halftime and would put up 21 in the third quarter before calling the dogs off.

Justin Fields would not see a lot of action but would still go 14/24 for 199 yards and three scores. JK Dobbins, the Hoosier killer, would rush for 193 yards on 22 carries while Master Teague III would have 106 yards of his own. Damon Arnette would make the house call on a 96-yard interception return.

Chase Young would chip in with two sacks and 2.5 TFLs while Tyler Friday, Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Zach Harrison would all get sacks of their own.

This game would get lost on the heels of a 42-0 shutout of Cincinnati in terms of people trying to determine if Ohio State was for real or not. The Buckeyes honestly could have put up a lot more points in this game but there was no need to.

This is another one of those games that the interest level of the Buckeyes will have a lot to do with what we are looking at once this game ends. We have not seen a one-score game between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium since the 1993 game where the Buckeyes hosted a top-20 Indiana team. Raymont Harris would have a big game along with Joey Galloway as the Buckeyes would putt out the close win.

That game was 27 years ago, head coach Ryan Day was 14 years old on that day. Kevin Noon was likely sitting in 7A, sneaking drinks from a hidden flask of whiskey.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about this game.

Indiana will have some dudes on offense with receiver Whop Philyor along with running backs Stevie Scott and Sampson James but the offensive line is going to be a challenge for the Hoosiers with departures.

Is Michael Penix Jr. going to be the answer at quarterback? Can he stay healthy? Can the offensive line protect him? Answer those questions and you will have a good idea of who this IU team is.

IU made some changes with the defensive coaching staff, with a good part of the season under their belt at this point, will it pay off and will people step up? We know this much for sure, the Hoosiers will not face an offense like Ohio State's this season and the Hoosiers come into this game on the heels of hosting Penn State a week before.

Ohio State is going to win this game but for one reason or another, I just have the feeling that this one is closer than the oddsmakers feel it will be and we will be looking at a semi-competitive game going into the second half. This is not because Ohio State is looking ahead to Maryland or Illinois, but is just more of a factor of it being difficult to bring it every week. Ohio State's defense will answer the bell however as the offense is not as sharp as it has shown throughout the season. Ohio State 31 Indiana 17

Additional Stat Line: Ohio State Defense forces four turnovers

At this point in the season, Ohio State would have just played a four-game stretch that consisted of Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and Nebraska, and an Indiana team that has proven capable of playing with tougher opponents will be waiting.

While Ryan Day has avoided the sleep walk game in the past, it seems almost inevitable that one will occur this season. The Hoosiers coming to town may be as good a game as any for a letdown, considering its placement after a tough stretch that could wear on the minds of the Buckeyes.

This is not an upset prediction by any means, but something closer than the experts will protect is not unlikely.

In 2015, a loaded Ohio State team trailed Indiana late in the third quarter at Ohio Stadium. While the Buckeyes would go on to win by a touchdown, the game proved that a talented Ohio State team was not untouchable in its own backyard when playing an inferior opponent.

The Buckeyes will have plenty of leaders that should be able to get the Buckeyes locked in, and I see players like Shaun Wade, Josh Myers, Justin Hilliard and Chris Olave stepping up to keep the undefeated season in tact.

The Buckeyes were able to light up the Hoosiers for 51 points in the last meeting, and I think the offense will have a harder time putting up points in this one. A sloppy game that includes multiple turnovers could keep Indiana around, but Ohio State's ability to score touchdowns while Indiana settles for field goals will be the difference.

The Buckeyes don't look great, but they accomplish the thing that matters most: remaining undefeated. Ohio State 35 Indiana 27

Additional Stat Line: Five turnovers between the two teams

While it may pale in comparison to matchups with Michigan State, Penn State and Oregon, this may end up being one of the biggest games of the season for the Buckeyes.

With a two-game stretch on the road following this contest before returning home against Michigan, Ohio State will need to be firing on all cylinders heading into the final set of games in the regular season, and it will begin here against Indiana.

Last year's contest was a clear blowout in favor of the Buckeyes, and Ohio State will return most of the playmakers. Justin Fields, Master Teague III and Chris Olave will be there on the offensive end, and Tyler Friday, Zach Harrison and Javontae Jean-Baptiste who all had a sack will try to terrorize Indiana's quarterback once again, this time Michael Penix Jr. who was out for last year's game.

Indiana has an above average defense, ranking top-50 in points per game, passing yards and rushing yards allowed. The Buckeyes obviously put up 51 points last year, but with an evenly above average defense, it's harder to find an explicit weakness for Ohio State to take advantage of.

Trey Sermon could potentially fill the role that J.K. Dobbins has held down the last few seasons as he has destroyed Indiana on the ground, and while it should be obvious by this point int he season how effective Sermon will be, we have to wait and see at this point. However, the offense is actually where I think Indiana could find success against Ohio State.

The Hoosiers had a top-15 passing offense in 2019, and while the running game had issues as the 106th rushing offense in the nation, Ohio State will be dealing with the loss of Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette and Jordan Fuller, so the Silver Bullets could have their hands full if Indiana's offense can improve further from last season.

To their credit, I think Indiana is a program on the rise. Their Gator Bowl disaster against Tennessee notwithstanding, the Hoosiers have been more competitive in big games lately with close losses to Penn State and Michigan the last couple of years. The time will come when Tom Allen's squad starts winning some of the big ones, but I don't think it will start this time around against Ohio State. Ohio State 42 Indiana 17

Additional Stat Line: Trey Sermon - 18 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD