No. 2 Buckeyes Stomp No. 5 Hoosiers in 38-15 Victory

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes completely outpowered No. 5 Indiana 38-15 on Nov. 23 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten Conference) started slow, as they often do, but took command late in the first half and cruised to victory. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1 B1G) were simply outmatched all afternoon.

Game Summary

Ohio State's defensive pressure was the story of the day. The Buckeyes have struggled in top-5 matchups under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Knowles called a great game against No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1 B1G) on Nov. 2, holding the Nittany Lions to zero TDs on offense. Knowles replicated that success on Nov. 23 against one of the nation's top offenses.

Knowles' unit held the Hoosiers to just 151 yards of total offense. Ohio State's heavily-criticized pass rush added 5 sacks. Senior linebacker and team captain Cody Simon had 2.5 sacks of his own. That constant pressure gave Indiana star QB Kurtis Rourke little time to attack downfield with his talented wide receivers. Ohio State cornerbacks were never beaten downfield on a deep completion. Davison Igbinosun did have three pass interference calls. But Igbinosun and teammate Denzel Burke played well overall. Knowles and his defense stepped up in every aspect.

Offensively, Howard was absolutely incredible. He started 14-of-14 through the air before finally throwing an incompetion to WR Jeremiah Smith on a jump-ball in the end zone. Howard bounced back quickly and continued his dominant play. He only had one interception against Indiana. Howard's late TD on a QB sneak to put an exclamation point on the victory.

The Ohio State special teams swayed the game's momentum. A snap sailed through Indiana punter James Evans' hands late in the first half. Defensive lineman Caden Curry wrapped him up on the Hoosiers' 7-yard line. Three plays later, running back TreyVeon Henderson scored on a 4-yard TD to give the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead at halftime. Despite that explosive sequence, the biggest special teams play was still yet to come.

Turning Point for the Buckeyes

Early in the third quarter, safety Caleb Downs made the play that turned the tide for the Buckeyes. Downs fielded a punt off of a bounce, spun out of a tackle and made his way to the end zone for an incredible 79-yard TD return.

Linebackers Gabe Powers and CJ Hicks made two outstanding blocks to open up the lane for Downs. It was Ohio State's first punt return for a TD since Nov. 22, 2014. The highlight-reel play put the Buckeyes up 21-7 lead and they held strong the rest of the way.

What the Loss Means for Indiana

The Hoosiers are absolutely still in the race to make the College Football Playoff. They will face Purdue (1-10, 0-8 B1G) on Nov. 30 in a game they should win handily. Head coach Curt Cignetti has made an astounding turnaround in Bloomington, Ind. as the Hoosiers have been impressive despite their lackluster schedule. They simply happened to run into a better team in Ohio State. They will look to make a statement against Purdue to help prove they belong amongst the top 12 teams this postseason.

What the Win Means for Ohio State

The Buckeyes just need to beat Michigan in order to get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon (11-0, 8-0 B1G) in the B1G championship game. However, Ohio State has lost three straight times to the Wolverines (5-5, 3-4 B1G). This Michigan team is much less impressive on paper than showed up in the previous three matchups. But the biggest rivalry in college football is always highly competitive. On Nov. 30, head coach Ryan Day and his team plays their most important game of the season. If Ohio State wins, then its get the rematch they have been clamoring for and an opportunity to take the No. 1 seed in the CFP away from the Ducks.