How do we see this game going down? Let's head to our predictions. And we want to thank our friends at Hague Water Conditioning who continue to support us here at BuckeyeGrove.com and their generous sponsorship of this piece is an invaluable addition to everything that we do here.

I really looked at this game from all angles, more than the name on the front of the jersey.

If I just did that, I would have saved myself a lot of time as Ohio State has owned this series and while the Buckeyes were pushed in 2015 and 2012, both of those games were in Bloomington (Ind.).

To find the last time that Ohio State won this game in Columbus (Ohio) but less than 14 points, you have to go back to a six-point win in 1993, and that was the week before the Michigan game, so you could say that the Buckeyes were looking past the Hoosiers.

Indiana forces interceptions. Ohio State does not throw interceptions. Indiana cannot run the ball. Ohio State is maybe the best first half team in college football.

All of those things mean something, but when you put it all together, it shows you a blueprint of what is going to happen here.

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Justin Fields is going to pick apart this defense and the Buckeyes are going to bring the best rushing offense the Hoosiers have seen to date, to the tune of 50-plus yards per game.

But back to Fields, he is going to stay efficient, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are going to run free. Let's not forget, Penn State had 488 yards of total offense against the Hoosiers and the Ohio State offense is 60 kind of ways better than the Penn State offense.

No, the question comes into what Ohio State is going to look like on defense.

As we said earlier, Indiana can't run the ball. Sure, the Hoosiers scored three touchdowns on the ground against Penn State in overtime and two on the ground against Michigan. But those two teams are, how do you say, horrible?

Indiana has rushed for no more than 118 yards in any game this season. Master Teague ran for 110 yards against Penn State, by himself.

Ohio State is going to put up a lot of points and while Indiana will move the ball some, it will not find the end zone much in the first half. Then the second half comes and Ohio State will have some demons to exorcise.

It will be a moderate success, in terms of the demons. The game? It will be a complete success. Ohio State 49, Indiana 20

Who’d a thunk at this time last month that Ohio State-Indiana would be the marquee matchup in the Big Ten East division?

It’s a game that has been dominated by the Buckeyes historically, as they’ve taken the past 24 meetings with the Hoosiers, but this Indiana team has already bucked the program’s trends in a variety of ways this year.

Head coach Tom Allen led Indiana to its first win over Michigan in the past 25 attempts two weeks ago, and the program’s second win against Penn State in 24 total meetings in the season opener.

The overtime win against the Nittany Lions proved not to be a fluke, and Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will enter Saturday as the conference leader in passing yards, with 1,070.

Points will be scored on both sides in Ohio Stadium, but the question will be whether or not the Hoosiers can keep pace with the Buckeyes –– something that most teams in America will be hard-pressed to do this season.

Ohio State and Indiana will enter the No. 2 and No. 3 scoring offenses in the conference, but with the exception of the Hoosiers’ 24-0 shutout against Michigan State on Saturday, both teams have given up plenty of points to start the year.

Indiana has the third-worst run game in the conference, but with wideout Ty Fryfogle putting up 342 yards and three touchdowns against the Hoosiers’ past two opponents –– including a 200-yard performance last week –– and a Buckeye secondary that has already given up some big plays this season, it’s likely to be a pass-happy affair on both sides.

But despite the Hoosier’s great run to start the year, that type of game will still favor Ryan Day, Justin Fields and Ohio State, who shouldn’t be expected to be slowed down until it's proven that they can be. Ohio State 38, Indiana 27

I’m not going to say I expected a top-10 matchup against Indiana prior to the season, but who would’ve thought it? Tom Allen has accessed the talent of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and steered the defense to hold teams to the fourth-fewest points per game in the conference. With a few plays having gone the Hoosiers way this season, they’re a top-10 team for the first time since 1969.

I think this game will be similar to the Big Ten title game last year against Wisconsin. The Buckeyes have allowed their opponents to score within the first two opposing drives in each game so far, so limiting the damage and figuring out Indiana’s offense quickly will be key in maintaining momentum.

This will be a game where the Ohio State offensive line must click. Indiana has the most sacks in the conference with 12 and are allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game in the conference with 111.0. Trey Sermon flashed on his final drive two weeks ago against Rutgers, but got a little banged up after it was all said and done. Master Teague III rushed for over 100 yards last year against Indiana, so he’s familiar with how to run against the Hoosiers.

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Pressure will be on the Ohio State secondary, too, as Indiana has relied on the passing game to get things done while rushing for the third-fewest yards per game with 95.3. I see this as an opportunity for the Buckeyes secondary to break out, especially with having to hear the question marks surrounding that unit since Penn State and Rutgers were able to flip the narratives in the second halves. I see two interceptions from Ohio State this weekend.

Ohio State hasn’t dropped a game to Indiana since 1988, and I don’t see that streak ending this year with the sheer talent the Buckeyes have. One streak I also expect to continue is Garrett Wilson’s 100 receiving yards. He’s brought lightning energy in each of the first three games. I suspect a much closer fight from the Hoosiers than usual. Ohio State 38 Indiana 17

After a surprising weekend away from football, Ohio State enters the second half of its eight-game season with its biggest challenge of the year to date, an empty Ohio Stadium clash with No. 9 Indiana.

Should any of that sentence make logical sense?

Probably not. But that’s where the season stands right now. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers sit atop the Big Ten East and boast the division’s top two offenses by a country mile.

Tom Allen’s team is on a roll after shutting out Michigan State in East Lansing last week. Through four games, Indiana has already recorded ranked wins over Penn State and Michigan behind a dangerous offense led by sophomore quarterback Michael Penix, who has 11 total touchdowns and leads the Big Ten in passing yards.

Penix has a variety of threats to throw to, including the conference leader in receiving yards Ty Fryfogle, red zone threat Peyton Hendershot, and Whop Philyor.

The real area of concern for Indiana is how it moves the ball when Penix is not hitting his targets. Stevie Scott only averages 3.6 yards per carry and the run game as a whole is clunky at times. Still, this is a team that can score in heaps.

The defense was the major red flag for the Hoosiers last season and seemed to be an area of concern entering 2020. But it has stepped up and continues to visibly improve as the year goes on-- it’s a group that has forced 12 turnovers (10 interceptions) in four games and allows only 3.5 yards per carry on the ground. Defensive back Tiawan Mullen leads the unit in sacks and interceptions and a host of young playmakers join him in the secondary.

This is a game that will be won through the air. Justin Fields won’t make many mistakes targeting Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, and Penix will have to try to keep up with Ohio State’s trio of touchdown producers. This will be an entertaining one throughout; I think the Buckeyes will simply outgun a fun Indiana side. Ohio State 45, Indiana 27

Ohio State has dealt with a lot of adversity over the past few months.

They saw their football season postponed to the spring, two of their top players subsequently declare for the NFL Draft (and later reversed course), and had extra pressure put on them due to there only being an eight-game regular season.

Even so, throughout all of this, the Buckeyes have responded the right way at every turn. And, despite the Maryland game being canceled last weekend, I believe Ohio State will once respond when they take on Indiana on Saturday.

The Hoosiers are indeed 4-0 on the season, but it’s hard to put too much stock into their victories. They narrowly beat a Penn State team that has been on a downward spiral all year, Michigan is struggling mightily this season and Michigan State’s lone win in the fall was against the Wolverines.

Their most impressive win was at Rutgers which, like the other teams Indiana has beaten, does not have a winning record.

In my opinion, Indiana is overranked while an argument could be made that Ohio State is underranked.

I still want to see the Buckeyes put together four straight quarters of solid football, something they have yet to do this year, but they don’t need to do so to win this game. Ohio State is just too explosive offensively and their passing attack is nearly flawless, so they give themselves enough room to not be 100 percent throughout the entire game.

Indiana’s defense may have 10 interceptions, but Justin Fields has yet to throw one all season. In fact, he has more total touchdowns (13) than he does incompletions (11), and I expect him to once again take care of the football.

The only way Ohio State doesn’t come out on top is if they lose the game and beat themselves, which I don’t see happening. This isn’t a careless team with the football as they’ve turned it over just 2 times all season, so Indiana would have to play an almost perfect game just to make this one competitive.

This won’t be a defensive battle; rather, it will be which offense can be the most dynamic. Team A averages 511 total yards and 46 points per game, while Team B averages 363 total yards and 34 points per game.

If you’re picking Team A in that scenario, then you’re like most people making predictions on this game. Ohio State 55, Indiana 27

No. 9 Indiana was my sleeper pick before the season, and unlike how some of my predictions can turn out, I feel I made the right call there.

Do I think they stand a chance against Ohio State? No.

The Hoosiers have a good chance to score some points. An unproven Buckeye secondary will face its toughest test to date when it takes on a tremendous core of Indiana receivers led by senior wideouts Whop Philyor and Ty Fryfogle and redshirt junior tight end Peyton Hendershot, with a capable redshirt sophomore Michael Penix distributing the ball at quarterback.

Junior running back Stevie Scott, complemented by sophomore Sampson James, aren't to be slept on on the ground either.

There's a reason Indiana ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten for scoring offense.

All that being said -- Ohio State can stop Indiana when it counts. Can't say the same for Indiana's defense.

When now 0-4 Penn State is tearing apart your secondary with one of the league's more disappointing passing attacks, I can't imagine what Justin Fields, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and company will do. The ground game is still searching for footing but I wouldn't be shocked to see strides made there.

Redshirt sophomore running back Master Teague could power the ball down a smaller defensive front's throat if need be.

In the end, this is a top 10 matchup. The Buckeyes were robbed of a game last week. It's now or never to see if this team begins to tweak the areas it needs to to contend with the Clemson's and Alabama's of the world.

The running game takes strides, secondary still looks iffy and the Buckeyes cover what opened as a 21-point spread. Ohio State 48, Indiana 24

If you told me that Ohio State’s toughest game this season would be against Indiana when the original revised schedules were released, I would have called you crazy. But here we are, in week five of this crazy Big Ten season, with a top ten clash involving the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers.

Indiana enters this game with the second best offense in the Big Ten behind the Buckeyes, as sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been on a tear to start the season and has been getting things done for Tom Allen’s squad both through the air and on the ground. Penix has some excellent targets to throw too as, most notably 6-foot-2 senior Ty Fryfogle.

Ohio State has struggled at times early on in pass coverage, so Saturday will be an excellent test for the Buckeye defense, however, I think they will hold on and win this one due to the fact that Indiana simply won’t be able to keep up with Ohio State’s offense. Justin Fields will put on another show, as the Hoosiers simply don’t have matchups for Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave.

We may see a close score at halftime or even an Indiana lead, however, I think Ohio State will pull away in the second half after making the necessary adjustments on the defensive side of the ball and continuing to groove on offense. Ohio State 38, Indiana 24

I hate Indiana. No, it’s not because they’re undefeated so far this season and they’re getting all the national love. It’s because of what they did in 1987. It’s time for a history lesson, kids.

I was a young graduate assistant coach at Ohio State and was taking orders from Earle Bruce. Among them was getting coffee for him early in the morning and Chinese food late at night. The job sucked. I was paid horribly. I sometimes even slept in my car to make ends meet. Hard to believe, huh? It happened. That year, a crappy Indiana team visited Columbus and beat the hell out of our Buckeyes. I was sad. Earle called it the darkest day for Ohio State football. I couldn’t tell the difference because I was late paying my electricity bill and AEP shut off my power, hence me sleeping in my car. That displeased me immensely. We all vowed that would never happen again.

Since then, John Cooper, Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell, Ryan Day and I all defeated Indiana. Hell, I went 7-0 against them and they even named a 7-0 room after that feat at my Pint House restaurant in Dublin.*

Fast-forward to 2020. Indiana has beaten “powerhouses” Penn State (0-4), Stupid Rutgers (1-3), That Team Up North (1-3) and That Team Up North State (1-3). Do the math. That’s a combined 3-13 record. It’s cute the pollsters have the Hoosiers ranked that high. THEY HAVEN’T PLAYED ANYONE! Welcome to the 2020 season, Hoosiers. Your season returns to reality on Saturday when you visit the big boys. Sure, that Penix (wow, so glad my autocorrect thought I was typing something else!) that Penix kid is elusive and can burn you with his arm and his legs when he isn’t scoring phantom touchdowns. This Hoosier team, that BARELY beat crappy Penn State, will be competitive early on but then our talent will take over. Ohio State 47, Indiana 17

*still open during the pandemic and we have occasional live music on weekends. Make your reservations now!