This week’s game between the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0, 0-0) and the Indiana Hoosiers (4-0, 0-0) has the makings of a pivotal Big 10 game as both teams enter this week undefeated. The nation’s top rusher, Jordan Howard (675 yards, 4 TDs), will be key to the outcome of this matchup. It will begin Saturday, Oct 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC and ESP2.
Indiana beat Wake Forest 31-24 last week. Jordan Howard had a big game on the ground in the win, rushing for 168 yards and one TD on 33 carries. Simmie Cobbs also had a big day, contributing 75 receiving yards and a TD on seven receptions. Ohio State also got the win in last week’s performance, crushing Western Michigan 38-12. Ezekiel Elliott had an outstanding performance on the ground for the Buckeyes, gaining 124 yards and one TD on 16 carries. Curtis Samuel finished with 55 rushing yards and a TD on two attempts.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the Indiana-Ohio State game this week is presently unavailable and the Buckeyes are a heavy 17-point favorite.
The Hoosiers enter the game with records of 4-0 Straight Up (SU) and 3-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. The Hoosiers are known to have an efficient rushing attack. Their 51.2 rushing attempts per game are the 11th-most in the nation. Transitioning to the Indiana defense, there are a few things to keep in mind when it is on the field. One of the keys to the game will be whether the Hoosiers can take advantage of the turnover-prone Buckeyes, who rank 111th in the nation in turnovers with 2.5 per game. Indiana likes to run an up-tempo, fast-paced offense. With an average of 82.8 plays per game, they rank sixth in Division I.
On the other side, the Buckeyes were a poor bet so far this season, with a disappointing record of 1-3 ATS. Their SU record, 4-0, hasn’t been quite as bad. The Buckeyes are usually effective at running the ball, owning the 13th-best yards per carry average in the nation at 5.9. Switching gears to the Ohio State defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Hoosiers. The Buckeyes are the best in the nation at preventing their opponents’ passing attack, allowing a completion rate of only 47.8%. The Buckeyes could take advantage of Indiana’s reputation to run out of gas late in games. They are 116th in Division I in fourth-quarter points allowed with 11.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ohio State, ATS Winner – Ohio State
Notes
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana’s last 7 games.
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Indiana’s last 22 games at home.
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Ohio State.
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Ohio State.
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ohio State.
Ohio State is 2-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Indiana is 1-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
The Ohio State defense has forced an average of 2.5 turnovers per game this season, but Indiana is a perfect 3-0 SU when turning the ball over at least 2 times in a game.
Ohio State holds the upper hand in the passing game, according to overall FBS ratings. Its offensive passing game (ranked 89th in the country) will face the 127th-ranked pass defense of Indiana, while its eighth-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 29th-ranked aerial attack of the Hoosiers.
The Indiana rushing attack is ranked 21st nationally, while the Ohio State run defense is only ranked 35th. The Buckeyes rushing game is ranked 24th, compared to the 48th-ranked run defense of the Hoosiers.
Ohio State has given up 12.2 points per contest this year, which is ranked 36th in the nation. Indiana has put up 38.2 points per game this year and is ranked 23rd in FBS.
