Instant Observations: Buckeyes Dominate All Three Phases Against Indiana

Ohio State started a little slow (again) and then dominated No. 5 Indiana in all three phases on Saturday afternoon to move to 10-1 on the season and setup a trip to Indianapolis and a rematch with Oregon if the Buckeyes can get past…..Michigan.

My instant observations from another big win for Ohio State in a noisy Ohio Stadium

1. I kind of laughed at the idea of the OSU coaches and players seemingly begging the Ohio State fans to be loud all week. But it worked. Both head coaches acknowledged after the game that the stadium noise was a factor. The crowd seemed more engaged than it has all season. It will need to replicate that again in seven days.

2. Game Ball to Jim Knowles. I can’t sit here and be critical when things don’t go well and call for change and then not give credit when the changes are made. Knowles has freed Sonny Styles, is calling a more aggressive defense, and is doing so while still eliminating explosive plays in the back end by playing more zone. Credit where it is due.

3. Indiana struggled all game with any A-Gap blitz. Whether it was Cody Simon or Jack Sawyer twisting around, any time the Buckeyes brought extra pressure through the A-Gap it seemed to get home.

4. This was the game where it just all came together for the front seven. The linebackers were tremendous and while a lot of the pressure was aided by blitzing, Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau were winning their 1on1s and seemed to meet at the quarterback at least 4 or 5 times. This is the kind of performance from the defensive front the Buckeyes haven’t had in big games recently.

This is an Indiana offense that had done a great job protecting quarterback Kurtis Rourke this season and the Buckeyes just brought constant pressure and really disrupted things.

5. What more can be said about Caleb Downs? He has to remain the punt returner moving forward. It has been a long time since Ohio State has had the element of a dangerous kick returner in the arsenal. That was a huge sequence after the Buckeyes failed to jump on an Indiana fumble and it looked like the Hoosiers were going to survive and then Downs comes in with the dagger.

6. I’m not saying OSU should go full Travis Hunter next year with Downs, but it’s going to be his last season on a college football field and he’s clearly an electric open field runner. I’d love to see a real Heisman campaign started early and get him involved on offense.

7. One thing that I think separates this team from some of the recent ones, is the ability to withstand momentum shifts and get things back on track. This team doesn’t seem to get too fazed by a bad play or a big call that goes against them. There were several times early in this game where things could have got away from them and caused a very stressful afternoon, but each time they answered the bell, much like the Penn State game.

8. You know what else might have prevented losing some momentum early? How about a QB sneak on 4th and 1 from the two-yard line? Sorry, I had to.

9. Listening to Will Howard speak after the game, this transfer class for the Buckeyes has really embraced everything that it means to play at Ohio State. That is always the concern when you hit the portal. Will the guys buy in and become a significant part of the culture or are they just mercenaries? This entire group has been a masterclass in how to use the transfer portal.

10. This group feels ready for the Michigan game. Whether it’s the changes on defense, guys like Carnell Tate stepping up on offense, the special teams not being a complete parasite each week and starting to make some big plays, this team is on an upward trajectory on the field and I think the mindset is there for a big win a week from today.