START YOUR BUCKEYEGROVE.COM PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

Historically this has not been much of a series with Ohio State sitting at 75 wins of the all-time 92 games played, winners of 24 in a row. If you look back at the start of the series, the Buckeyes spotted the Hoosiers an 0-5-1 start to this series and since then have only lost back-to-back games to IU once, the run between 1987 and 1988 where Indiana outscored Ohio State 72-17, accelerating Earle Bruce's ouster and getting the John Cooper-era off to a bad start.

Just how dominant has Ohio State been in this series? The Buckeyes have scored 30 or more points in the last 15 games, even including 2011, the one-year stint of Luke Fickell where the Buckeyes finished the year 6-7. During that same stretch the Hoosiers have only eclipsed the 30-point mark once, the 2012 game, a 52-49 shootout where Ohio State got up big and couldn't close the door on IU.

Before that you have to go to 1989 to find a year where IU scored more than 30 points, a 35-31 loss to the Buckeyes.

We are not saying that Ohio State's magic number in this game is going to be 30 points but it sure seems that if Ohio State can get to 30 points in this one, and history holds true, the Bucks should be in good position.

Or not.

History doesn't mean much and remember, that 2012 game was Urban Meyer's first game against the Hoosiers as Ohio State's head coach. This will be Ryan Day's first game against the Hoosiers as well, both games occurring in Bloomington (Ind.).

Once the ball is kicked history means nothing. But it is still something to talk about as we get ready to head to the Tale of the Tape and do a bit of a deep dive on the Hoosiers here in the first month of the 2019 season.

As a unit, the Ohio State pass defense has done its job through the first two games of the season allowing 186 yards per game and just one passing touchdown. For those non-math majors, that is .5 touchdowns per game. Granted, Ohio State has only allowed two touchdowns all season combined so you will have that with such a small number. Jeffrey Okudah once again is showing why he is a player to watch if you are an Ohio State fan and a player to avoid if you are an opposing offensive coordinator. The Buckeyes have not really been able to take the ball away all that much by way of the interception with only two and one was deflected by Shaun Wade to a linebacker (Tuf Borland) while the other was into the hands of a defensive back but it was Josh Proctor late in a game. But with that being said, the Buckeyes have been flying around the ball and keeping plays in front of them. There have not been those big plays (again, just through two games, we are realists here) that plagued the team last season and while there have been a few breakdowns now and then, this defense has not broken. Neither FAU nor Cincinnati will go down as national leaders for throwing the ball this season but you have to think that the Buckeyes played more than a role in determining that with a pair of suffocating outings that has resulted in a grand total of six points allowed by the pass defense.

Indiana has been able to spread the ball around with the passing offense but this is still a rushing team at heart, even if the numbers are much more skewed to the throw game after eight quarters. Michael Penix beat out Peyton Ramsey and Jack Tuttle for the starting QB job and has flourished with a 63.3-percent completion rate with three touchdowns and 262 yards per game in the air. Granted, he also has two picks, both coming against that stout Ball State defense. A lot of that can be chalked up to a young quarterback having more faith in his arm than maybe he should this early on as everyone on the offense is trying to get on the same page but there has been plenty of good there and that is not even talking about the dual-threat that Penix brings to the table. No number one receiver has emerged yet in terms of stats with seven receivers sitting with three or more receptions and nobody has more than one touchdown via reception. Nick Westbrook should be the most recognizable name in the receiving corps but he has been held to just 103 yards on three catches, and 75 of those came on one catch-and-run. Whop Philyor is not the most physical back at 5-foot-11, 178-pounds (maybe) but he leads the way with 10 catches and 141 yards. Tight ends have had some success against Ohio State in the last two weeks and Peyton Hendershot is a pretty good one for the Hoosiers and could be a chore for the Buckeyes to reel in.