The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers are set to go off on Thursday, August, 31st, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. EST. The contest between the two BIG-10 schools is set to take place in Bloomington, Indiana and can be seen on the ESPN Network. As of now, line-setters have the Buckeyes as a -20 point favorite and the over/under at 52.
This contest will be the beginning of a season in which the Buckeyes are in search of some redemption. Remember, Ohio State was beaten to the tune of 31-0 against Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff semifinal.
In last year’s matchup, the Buckeyes were victorious 38-17. This time around could be more difficult. Not only is it a league game right out of the gate, but Indiana is also going against its former head coach Kevin Wilson. Wilson now handles the offensive coordinator duties at Ohio State.
The Indiana Hoosiers have has a lot of momentum heading into 2017. They are coming off back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 1990 and 1991. Even so, change is also in the air in Bloomington.
Now, the Hoosiers’ former defensive coordinator Tom Allen will be taking over for Kevin Wilson. He immediately changed things for the Hoosiers in 2016. In fact, his unit allowed 129.4 fewer yards per game when he became the defensive coordinator last season.
Obviously, there is plenty of drama surrounding this opening Thursday night BIG-10 showdown. Essentially, the two universities have former coaches in new positions. To make things more interesting, the Hoosiers’ old head coach will be squaring off against his former defensive coordinator.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes’ offense lost some key contributors from their 2016 team. Gone, is Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown, and Dontre Wilson. Samuel takes with him over 1,600 all-purpose yards and 17 scores. The wide out duo also added 57 catches for over 750 yards and 12 more touchdowns.
Fortunately, Ohio State still has quarterback J.T. Barret returning for his senior season. In 2016, the dual-threat signal-caller threw for 2,500 yards with 24 touchdowns and only seven picks. He was also second on the team in rushing. The shifty passer scampered for another 845 yards and nine more scores. His 26-4 overall record gives one good reason to believe that he will make the most of the new talent surrounding him.
To help keep the offense balanced, running back Mike Webber will be once again taking handoffs from J.T. Barret. Quietly, Webber was the Buckeyes’ leading rusher in 2016. He carried the rock 182 times for almost 1,100 yards and nine trips to paydirt. Both Webber and Barret should provide plenty of punch for Ohio State in 2017.
The wide receiver position does have some question marks. That being said, the Buckeyes just continue to reload at the position. Youngsters J.K. Dobbins and Demario McCall are ready for their chance to emerge. Also, returning starter Parris Campbell is back. Last season, Campbell caught 13 passes for 121 yards in a supporting role.
Defensively, Ohio State is absolutely loaded up front and solid in the back half too. There will be no easy drives for opposing teams against this unit in 2017. Up front, the Buckeyes sport one of the nation’s top four.
Defensive linemen Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard return to the fold. Together, the duo racked up 18.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2016. Also, position coach Larry Johnson also can rotate Jalyn Holmes, Nick Bosa, and Jonathon Cooper. All three are disruptive in the pocket and cause a raucous against opposing schools’ offensive lines.
The Buckeyes are doing just fine in their linebacking corps as well. Ohio State did lose their leading tackler from 2016 but Chris Worley and Jerome Baker are back. Worley moves to the inside to replace the departed Raekwon McMillan. Both line backers have a penchant for logging top performances against elite teams.
The Ohio State secondary is in rebuilding mode. Corner backs Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley and safety Malik Hooker all off to the NFL. However, there are plenty of rangy and talented defensive backs left on the roster. Whether they can live up to expectations has yet to be seen.
Indiana Hoosiers
With Kevin Wilson gone, the university looked to offensive coordinator Mike DeBord to keep the nation’s 52nd ranked offense improving. DeBord was the Volunteers offensive coordinator last year. As the play-caller at Tennessee, he averaged 36.4 points and 443.7 yards per game last season.
At quarterback, Indiana brings back inconsistent performer Richard Lagow. At times in 2016, Lagow looked sharp. His passes were crisp and his decisions with the ball helped the Hoosiers move the chains. Unfortunately, he also struggled at times. His passes were soft and he threw the ball into too many double coverages. Overall, the flighty quarterback passed for over 3,300 yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
For the third straight season, the Hoosiers lost a running back to the NFL. Converted receiver Camion Patrick, was expected to take on a major role in the backfield. However, the school announced that Patrick would retire due to injuries. Look for a running back by committee approach featuring Mike Majette and Cole Gest.
Thankfully for the Hoosiers, Richard Lagow has a lot of talent returning at the wide receiver spots. Nick Westbrook, Simmie Cobbs and the improving Donavan Hale. Westbrook was the Hoosiers leading receiver in 2016, recording over 50 catches for just under 1,000 yards and six scores. Cobbs is listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest.
The Indiana defense returns nine starters for their game against the Buckeyes. This unit improved from allowing over 510 yards a game in 2015, to 380 last season. All stats aside, improvements along the front four are a necessity. Tackle Nate Hoff and end Greg Gooch is solid against the run. Nile Syke is the Hoosiers’ leading pass rusher, contributing five sacks.
Linebacker Tegray Scales is one of the best in the Big Ten. He is an amazing tackler who led the team with 23.5 tackles for a loss. Also to help in the run-stop department is Marcelino Ball. As a freshman, Ball started at the linebacker/safety position that is the trademark of coach Allen’s 4-2-5 alignment.
Indiana’s biggest improvement last season came in the secondary. The Hoosiers finished 53rd in the country, surrendering 219 yards a game. In 2017, every starter returns. The unit is led by senior Rashard Fant, who intercepted three passes and broke up 17 more last season.
Prediction
Both the Buckeyes new offensive coordinator and the Hoosiers’ new head coach, know each other quite well. That in itself should provide some extra motivation for both clubs to perform well on Thursday.
Indiana gets this one in Bloomington, and their defense will get tested right out of the gate. Once again, fans will look on to see if the Buckeyes can reload on offense after the departure of some talented playmakers. This match-up will be the key for Indiana in this ball game.
Ohio State is just too dominant on the defensive side of the ball. Richard Lagow has seen them before but is completely unpredictable with the football. The Hoosiers’ defense has to keep the Buckeyes’ offense in check, or this one could get ugly.
Las Vegas has the Ohio State university as a -20 point favorite. I suggest staying away from this line because I’m not certain that Indiana can score enough if their defense gets gashed for yardage up front.
The matchup’s total is at 52. This is where I will be making my play. The Hoosier defense that improved so much in 2016 is pretty much intact. We all know that the Buckeyes are loaded on that side of the ball too. Combined, I think the defenses will keep the score down enough for the under to roll in. Buckeyes 31-13.
