No. 8 Ohio State—Indiana: History Lesson, Trends and Prediction

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

This week, No. 8 Ohio State (6-0, 2-0) heads to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers (2-3, 0-2) in a Leaders Division matchup.

Ohio State at Indiana
BTN - 8PM
      

Ohio State—Indiana History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 68-12-5 all-time vs. Indiana.

• Ohio State has won 17 straight games against Indiana.

• Ohio State is 24-2-1 all-time in Bloomington vs. Indiana.

• Ohio State is 2nd in the Big Ten with 16 quarterback sacks.

• Urban Meyer coached teams are 67-14 when ranked in the Top 25.

• The last time Ohio State or Indiana won by less than 10 points was 1993.

• Ohio State is one of only 16 unbeaten FBS teams and one of only four at 6-0.

• Ohio State's defense has only allowed 11 100-yard rushers in their last 55 games.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 10 points or less 37 times since 2006.

• Ohio State has held 71 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Indiana is 39-85 overall since 2002.

• Indiana last defeated Ohio State in 1988.

• Indiana has lost 22 of its last 23 Big Ten conference games.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

The Hoosiers surprisingly played very well last week at home vs. Michigan State, but the Spartans rallied from a 10-point, 3rd quarter deficit for a 31-27 win.

The fact that Ohio State and Michigan State battled to a 17-16 Buckeye win gives me reason to ever-so-briefly suspect that Indiana could play the Buckeyes similarly.

The series history, however, carries far more weight with me than the transitive property—and let's face it, Indiana is the worst team in the Big Ten by far. One could even make a case for Indiana and a MAC team like the Ohio Bobcats to swap conference allegiances.

The last time the teams played in Bloomington, Memorial Stadium looked like The Horseshoe, West, overrun with Buckeye fans. The "home" crowd will once again come away pleased with a Buckeye victory.

Ohio State 45
Indiana 13

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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No. 8 Ohio State vs. Indiana—5 Things To Watch For

By Luke Pashke—BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

After a slate of Top 25 matchups, the Buckeyes are in store for a change of pace this week against a 2-3 Indiana team.

That being said, the Hoosiers did play Michigan State tough this past week so they may not be quite the slouch we thought they were, though they certainly aren't Nebraska or Michigan, either.

I understand that it's difficult to get excited about a seemingly gimme, in-conference game, but there are a few things that you should keep your eye on, which may give you a reason to enthusiastically watch this game.

Progression of the Passing Game

Following the Nebraska game, it's clear that this team can run the ball effectively at anytime.

Braxton Miller and company erupted for 371 yards rushing at 7.7 yards per rush, while only managing to throw for a mere 127 yards and 7 completions.

Now, granted, there's no reason to throw the ball when you're consistently driving down the field on the ground, but sooner or later this team will have to prove they can move the ball through the air.

When watching the Indiana game, pay close attention to how Miller and his receivers fare in the passing game. Hopefully for OSU, playing against a weaker opponent can build confidence in their passing game, allowing the Buckeyes to develop a more two-dimensional offense.

Who's Playing Linebacker?

Seemingly, the Buckeyes' linebacker crew could have their own reserved section in a hospital wing.

Ryan Shazier has been struggling through a knee issue all season and now senior linebacker, Etienne Sabino, is out for the next month or so with a leg injury he received this past weekend.

With Sabino out, freshman LB Josh Perry filled in against Nebraska. Along with Perry, fellow freshman linebacker Camren Williams saw some playing time against the Cornhuskers, although it was fairly short lived.

It will be interesting to see which young LB this coaching staff trusts to fill in for Sabino. Whoever it is, they better take advantage, because this team is chock-full of hungry, talented, young linebackers.

Utilization of the Tight Ends

This past Saturday against Nebraska, the Buckeyes finally used their tight ends effectively in the passing game. To my surprise, Stoneburner was not one of these tight ends, but nonetheless it was great to see.

Heuerman hauled in a pair of big catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. Even Nick Vannett had a 32 yard reception.

A tight end can be a quarterback's best friend, and heading into the season I expected this offense to utilize the tight ends on the regular. Through five games this wasn't the case, but this past Saturday Miller seemed to be looking the TE's way much more often.

Pay close attention to see if this utilization of the tight ends was a blip or a trend. Hopefully it's a trend. This offense is much better when the tight ends get involved.

Tackling on Defense and Special Teams

The Silver Bullets have progressively improved their tackling throughout the season, but they still aren't quite there yet. This past weekend they missed about five tackles on a touchdown run by Taylor Martinez.

The poor tackling can't continue to be a trend.

Their problem has been not wrapping up the opponent. Anytime the Buckeyes have gone for highlight tackles or strips they've looked foolish and hurt the team.

Against the Hoosiers, look for the defense to tackle fundamentally and cut down on the number of broken tackles, because against better teams those type of mistakes just can't happen.

Braxton Miller's Heisman Hype and Health

There is no doubt that Braxton Miller is the main attraction of any Ohio State football game.

The sophomore QB accounts for more than 70 percent of the Buckeyes' offense and has emerged as a serious contender for the prized Heisman Trophy.

Against Indiana, Miller just needs to pad his stats as much as possible and remain healthy.

Am I the only one who constantly holds their breath on every single one of Miller's runs?

I doubt it, because without No. 5, who knows where the Buckeyes would be at this point.

While a "Geno Smith vs. Baylor" performance would be nice, as long as Miller stays out of harm's way while adding a few scores and highlight plays, his Heisman hype will only increase.

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Week Five: Ohio State at Michigan State—LIVE Blog, History Lesson and Prediction

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

      



Ohio State—Michigan State History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State leads the all-time series vs. MSU, 27-13.

• Ohio State is 13-5 all-time vs. MSU in East Lansing.

• Ohio State is 70-24-4 all-time in B1G confer. openers.

• Ohio State has won 7 of the last 8 meetings with MSU.

• Urban Meyer coached teams are 38-4 overall in September.

• Meyer is 10-0 in conference openers in his coaching career.

• Meyer can become just the 3rd OSU coach to start 5-0 in his 1st year.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 10 points or less 37 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed only 10 100-yard rushers in their last 53 games.

• Ohio State has held 70 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State is 19-10 in games that ESPN's College Gameday originates from—Michigan State is just 2-3.

• Michigan State last beat ohio State in back-to-back seasons in 1998/1999.

• Michigan State is just 7-14 under coach Mark Dantonio against Top 25 opponents.

• Under coach Dantonio (2007-2011), Michigan State is 27-14 vs. Big Ten conference opponents.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Everyone is expecting a defensive battle and a low-scoring game, much like the meeting in Columbus last year.

I won't be surprised a bit if that is exactly what happens, but I also won't be shocked if the opposite occurs, as both teams are capable of wearing down a defense and punching it into the endzone.

The key for Ohio State on defense is obviously to play man-to-man on the outside and load up the box in hopes of containing MSU star-tailback, Le'Veon Bell.

On offense, they must have balance between the passing and running game, and QB Braxton Miller is going to have to make plays with his legs to help open up the passing game. Jordan Hall, Corey Brown, Jake Stoneburner and Devin Smith all need to step up for Miller today.

Ohio State has owned Michigan State overall and in East Lansing, and the Spartans never seem to perform well in national spotlight games, so for those reasons, I'm going with the Buckeyes in a closely-contested, relatively low-scoring battle.

Ohio State 27
Michigan State 20

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Can Urban Meyer And Ohio State Debunk The Big Ten Stereotype?

By Tim Bielik — BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

No conference has undergone as much scrutiny and criticism in the past few years as the Big Ten has.

And most of it has been deserved.

The Big Ten has a reputation for being a slow, plodding conference full of conservative coaches who don't pull in big-time athletes.

Ohio State, one of the few Big Ten schools that can pull in those kinds of athletes, is largely to blame for the stereotype of the Big Ten after back-to-back national championship game losses. Ironically enough, the coach who dealt OSU its first title game loss is now standing on the Buckeyes' sideline: Urban Meyer.

The typical Urban Meyer team that we saw at Florida was almost the antithesis of Big Ten squad, full of speedsters and a very aggressive, opportunistic mentality on both sides of the ball.

The Buckeyes do have the ability to be that kind of team, even within a year or two, simply because of Meyer's national reputation and the reputation of the program itself. And he has the right quarterback to help him as well, in one Braxton Miller.

The sophomore is the prototypical dual-threat quarterback. He has already put together a strong start to his sophomore season—one that has generated early Heisman talks. With his ability to run and his potential as a passer, Miller has already shown that he's a perfect fit for Meyer's spread offense.

It's early, but thus far coach and quarterback seem to be an ideal match. They will have possibly two years together and will set their sights on winning conference titles and possibly a national championship.

But the biggest thing that might change in the Big Ten is that other teams in the conference will need to play catchup with the Buckeyes. Ohio State could be embarking on a run of conference dominance similar to that enjoyed at the end of the Jim Tressel era, when the Buckeyes won five straight Big Ten titles (the 2010 title was vacated, of course).

If they can win a national championship or two, that will force the other top teams in the conference like Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin to really step up their recruiting efforts and make sure they can compete with Ohio State.

First things first though, OSU has to be able to win a Big Ten championship, which they still have to wait a year for due to NCAA sanctions.

But in a way, it's better for Meyer and Miller to have that year because the first three games showed that—while they're good—they're not great...yet.

The mental lapses the defense had all last year have already created a few red flags, and the offense, though they are putting up nice numbers, struggles from a lack of consistency and too few playmakers.

Luckily, those are things that can be corrected and fixed in a year or two, probably sooner if you bring in the right players.

Meyer can do that.

And for the offense to continue to improve, Miller will need to continue to be the guy until he gets a stable of playmakers outside of the three he has right now: Corey Brown, Jake Stoneburner and Devin Smith.

There are no burners in the backfield, yet. But they are coming.

Meyer is already sending a message that his SEC way of doing things—in terms of what types of players he wants and what style he is going to coach—is coming to the Big Ten; other teams will either rise up to the challenge or sink to the back of the pack.

It's the foundation for a new era, and the Big Ten may never be the same again.

Urban Meyer and Braxton Miller won't let it.

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Ohio State Buckeyes—Official 2012 Two-Deep Football Depth Chart Just Released Today

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I really don't need to say much here, other than there aren't many surprises—maybe just a couple off from what I expected.

So as YOU look it over, does anyone stand out to you who did, or did not, make the two-deep?



Post a comment here or send an @ reply on Twitter (link below).

— HD

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Ohio State's Post-Camp Two-Deep Depth Chart Projections

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I would expect coach Meyer's official Buckeye depth chart to be released by early to mid-week, but why wait until then to quench our thirst?



There's nothing wrong with throwing out our best (somewhat?) edumacated guess as to how the chips will fall this week, so here goes nothing.

(Note: These projections exclude any currently injured or suspended player(s) and are subject to change upon their respective return(s) to the team.)

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Quarterback

1st team: Braxton Miller
2nd team: Kenny Guiton

Running Back

1st team: Carlos Hyde

2nd team: Rod Smith or Bri'onte Dunn

Fullback

1st team: Zach Boren

2nd team: Adam Homan

Wide Receivers (3-wide)

1st team: Philly Brown, Jake Stoneburner, Devin Smith

2nd team: Evan Spencer, Michael Thomas, Tyrone Williams or Verlon Reed

Tight End

1st team: Nick Vannett

2nd team: Jeff Heuerman

Offensive Line

1st team: Reid Fragel or Taylor Decker, Marcus Hall, Corey Linsley, Andrew Norwell, Jack Mewhort

2nd team: Taylor Decker or Reid Fragel, Antonio Underwood, Jacoby Boren, Tommy Brown, Daryl Baldwin

Defensive Line

1st team: John Simon, Jonathan Hankins, Garrett Goebel, Michael Bennett

2nd team: Steve Miller, JT Moore, Chris Carter, Noah Spence

Linebackers

1st team: Etienne Sabino, Curtis Grant, Ryan Shazier

2nd team: Stewart Smith, Luke Roberts or David Perkins, Connor Crowell or Jamal Marcus

Cornerback

1st team: Bradley Roby, Travis Howard or Doran Grant

2nd team: Doran Grant or Travis Howard, Adam Griffin

Safety

1st team: Christian Bryant, CJ Barnett

2nd team: Orhian Johnson, Devan Bogard

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It's very likely that there will be a few swings and misses in my projections, but I feel pretty confident with most of them, and if nothing else, it provides us all with a topic of debate for the next few days.

— HD

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Why Bowl Ban Benefits Urban Meyer in His First Season

By Tim Bielik— BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

Urban Meyer's arrival as the head coach at Ohio State hit a speed bump when the NCAA announced that the Buckeyes were banned from the 2012 postseason.

That means that even in the unlikely even that Ohio State goes 12-0 in the regular season, they will not get to play for a national championship let alone a Big Ten championship.

However, that doesn't mean that a shortened season won't benefit Meyer.

What it takes away, obviously, is the 15 extra practices that come from playing in the bowl game and a chance for this year's freshmen to experience the bowls.

But what it gives this team is a chance to prepare itself for a national championship opportunity the following season similar to what USC did last season.

Meyer also gets a chance to let his new message sink in further with a clean slate and a full year's audition to get ready for the future.

The best thing that can happen for a program that has a postseason ban is for them to go through a coaching change like Ohio State is going through.

The idea of having a postseason ban during the Jim Tressel era if he were still the head coach has much less buzz and can impact the demeanor of not only the fans, but the players as well.

By then, the players in the system are set in their ways, and not having anything to play for can make them feel much less invested in the finished product.

With Meyer's new system of continuous competition, there's always a sense of needing to keep the pedal down all the time, and any sense of entitlement will keep a player on the bench.

Even seniors like John Simon will have to find something to play for, such as ending their careers with a 3-1 record over Michigan and boosting their draft stocks.

The majority of the Buckeye roster consists of underclassmen.

A season like this to gain the much required experience—without all the typical pressures coaches and players face year-in and year-out at Ohio State—provides a near perfect situation. Plenty of opportunities will be given to several of OSU's younger players if Meyer feels they are ready for it.

The other thing a postseason ban does is allow Meyer and his coaching staff to do what they do best—recruit.

Meyer pulled a top-five class in 2012 from the depths of mediocrity in just over three months since he came to Ohio State.

He has already put together a fantastic class with limited scholarship numbers for this year.

The extra time will allow him to focus his attention not only on closing the deals with top recruits for the 2013 class, but to also start putting work in for the 2014 class.

Recruiting is a 24/7-365-day business, and Meyer understands that as well as anyone in college football.

He will take that time when his players can't practice to get the last few pieces to load up for a national championship push in 2013.

That's what this season is all about—getting ready to recapture the college football world in 2013, regardless of what postseason system comes into effect.

Meyer will have to wait a year to bring the crystal football back to the Buckeye state, but he's ready to do what he has to do with a short season to make sure his team is ready to get there.

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A New Day Dawning At ESPN? College Football Live Roundtable: Ohio State At No. 20 For 2012

ESPN is not shy when it comes to their lovefest with the SEC and hatred of Ohio State and the B1G. Nobody can convince me otherwise on either account — period, end of story.

So, as an Ohio State football fan and blogger, you won't be too surprised to know that I'm not a huge fan of ESPN — quite the opposite most of the time, in fact — however, I was surprised at their recent feature on, and ranking of, the Buckeyes for the upcoming 2012 season.

I think we can assume a lot of their "attitude change" toward tOSU has plenty to do with former ESPN college football analyst Urban Meyer, who is now in his first season in Columbus.

In just over six months, Meyer has revitalized the program and pulled in a top five recruiting class for 2012, and is already on his way to more of the same with regards to the class of 2013.

There are still lingering question marks about this team and about just how well Urban Meyer's spread/zone-read/option offense will work in the B1G — not all that surprising when you consider the bad taste left in the mouths of B1G fans (specifically those who support the team from Ann Arbor) after the failed Rich Rodriguez spread experiment.

The problem in Ann Arbor had nothing to with the spread not working. Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense had been pretty successful moving the ball and punching it in the end zone. The real problem was Michigan's defense.

I've often said that referring to the Michigan defense during RichRod's tenure as a wet paper towel was an insult to wet paper towels everywhere...

The Defense WILL NOT be a weakness at Ohio State in 2012, or in any other year for that matter — they aren't known as the Silver Bullets because of mediocrity.

But enough about the epic failure that is Michigan, at least for the next 206 days.

We'll save further discussion of the Ann Arbor-ites for when Ohio State and Urban Warfare Choke The Hokes come November!

Let's get to the meat and potatoes — i.e., ESPN's take on what to expect from the 2012 Buckeyes.

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Ohio State Football — 2012 Spring Game: Thoughts and Highlights

The Urban Meyer era felt that much closer to officially kicking off Saturday as Ohio State held their annual spring game — their first under Meyer — in front of more than 81,000 Buckeye faithful.

QB Braxton Miller looked sharp running Meyer's new, fast-paced spread/zone-read/option offense as did RBs Carlos Hyde, Rod Smith, and Bri'onte Dunn, but the biggest surprise — thankfully — was the play of the receiving corp.

True freshman Michael Thomas, along with Corey "Philly" Brown, Chris Fields, and Devin Smith all looked ready to step up. Thomas posted a ridiculous first-ever-game effort en route to taking MVP honors with his 12 catch, 131 yard performance.

Just as a reference to how impressive Thomas' single-game stats were, last season, Jake Stoneburner, Smith, and Brown were tied for the team lead in receptions for the entire year with only 14 each.

The following game highlights were produced by lednerk, and are presented exclusively by BlockONation.com

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Update — AWESOME Ohio State 2012 Football Schedule

Willie from ScarletBuckeye.com has been working on a sweet 2012 Ohio State Football schedule.

It wasn't finished yet, but we (recently) just had to share it as soon as we saw it anyway!

Here is (possibly) the finalized image posting, as promised!


(Click on image to view full-size)

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Ohio State vs. Florida 2012 Gator Bowl — Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State/Florida—A Few Opening Thoughts...

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators would both probably like to forget their 2011 regular seasons and head into the off season on a high note with a win in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

This will be the final game for the current Buckeye coaching staff. As you may have heard, Ohio State hired some guy by the name of Urban Meyer to take over their program next season.

While Luke Fickell and his staff have been focused on their final game, Meyer has been focused on catapulting the Ohio State 2012 recruiting class from barely in the top 25, up into the top 10.

Team Overview / Players of Note

Florida

The Florida Gator offense ranks 102^nd nationally at 334 yards per game. They are 9^th in total defense, allowing an average of 299.6 yards per game, and rank 9^th in points allowed per game (20.6).

Quarterback John Brantley -- who has passed for 1,912, yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions -- is expected to start for the Gators, while freshmen Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel could also each play. Both have struggled, however, combining for just 354 yards and two touchdowns, with six INTs.

Running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps split carries and combined for 1,329 yards and eight touchdowns.

Andre Debose and Chris Rainey were the top two receivers for Florida with 15 catches for 423 yards and 28 catches for 350 yards respectively. Debose caught four passes for scores while Rainey added two touchdown catches.


Ohio State

Ohio State is 107^th in total offense (320 yards per game) nationally. They are 24^th in total defense, allowing an average of 328.6 yards per game, and rank 27^th in points allowed per game (20.8).

The Silver Bullets had 23 sacks and 12 interceptions during the regular season.

QB Braxton Miller passed for 997 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for another 695 yards seven rushing touchdowns.

Tailback Dan Herron finished second on the team with 596 yards and three scores, followed closely by Carlos Hyde with 549 yards and six scores.

The Buckeye passing game was very inconsistent and the receiving statistics reflect that. Devin Smith led the team in yardage with 247 yards on 12 catches, including four for scores. Corey Brown was second with 14 catches for 205 yards and tight end Jake Stoneburner finished the regular season with 14 catches and 193 yards.


Ohio State—Florida History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 0-1 all-time vs. Florida.

• Ohio State is 20-22 all-time is bowl games.

• Ohio State last played in the Gator Bowl in 1978.

• Ohio State is 1-10 in bowl games vs. SEC opponents.

• Ohio State is making their 11th straight bowl games appearance, a streak that will end next year.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just nine 100-yard rushers in their last 48 games.

• Ohio State has held 67 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Florida is 6-2 all-time in the Gator Bowl.

• Florida is making their 21st consecutive bowl game appearance.

• Florida went 0-5 during the regular season vs. top 25 teams, while Ohio State went 2-4.


Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

The 2012 Urban Bowl Gator Bowl features two of the top programs in college football despite each having an atypical .500 regular season.

Something has to give and it's not likely going to be Ohio State's defense.

The Gators lost six of their last eight games to end the season and in those games, they averaged less than 225 yards and 12 points.

Look for the Silver Bullets to ramp up the heat on Brantley -- who was picked off three times in the season finale by Florida State -- and to score or at least set up an easy score or two for Miller and the OSU offense.

This meeting feels like it's going to be close throughout with moderate scoring, unlike the 41-14 loss Ohio State suffered at the hands of their new coach and his 2006 Gators team, but Miller and the Buckeye defense SHOULD be the difference.


Ohio State 27
Florida 20


"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State vs. Indiana — Week 10 (Game Nine) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

OSU/Indiana—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Coming off last weeks' huge upset win over the then-No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers, the Buckeyes host Indiana this Saturday at noon in Ohio Stadium.

As predicted, it was a Braxton Miller coming out party of sorts, as Miller had his best game as a Buckeye with 89 passing yards, 99 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns -- none bigger than the game-winning, 40-yard TD toss to Devin Smith with just 20 seconds left on the clock after Wisconsin had stormed back from 12 down to take the lead with 1:18 left.

The Buckeyes kept their Big Ten title hopes alive with the win, and have instilled renewed excitement across Buckeye Nation. Conversely, Indiana is probably just hoping their nightmare season ends soon.

The hapless Hoosiers are just 1-8 on the year. Having just booted their top WR, DeMarlo Belcher, from the team this past week won't help their struggling offense either.

The Buckeyes need to avoid the classic let-down performance here that so often follows a big win for many-a-team. Indiana is obviously not a good team, but they've played a couple of halfway-decent teams (Virginia, Penn State) closer than might have been expected, and they'll come to Columbus with a nothing-to-lose mentality -- fair warning to the Bucks not to overlook them -- any given Saturday...


Team Overview / Players of Note

Indiana

The Indiana offense ranks 75^th nationally at 378 yards per game. They are 112^th in total defense (62^nd vs. the pass, 117^th vs. the run), allowing an average of 458 yards per game, and rank 114^th in points allowed per game (36.2). In a word, the IU defense (especially against the run) is woeful.

Quarterback Tre Roberson has thrown for 524 yards, with 2 touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 125. He also has 267 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Wide receiver Kofi Hughes has 20 catches for 298 yards, with two touchdowns. He's the only receiver on the roster that has made any significant contribution with Belcher gone and Duwyce Wilson injured and out for the year.

Running back Stephen Houston leads the team with 577 yards and six touchdowns. He also has 12 receptions for 125 yards.


Ohio State

Ohio State is 110^th in total offense (310 yards per game) nationally. They are 17^th in total defense (27^th vs. the pass, 26^th vs. the run), allowing an average of 310 yards per game, and rank 16^th in points allowed per game (17.9).

The Silver Bullets have 17 sacks and nine interceptions through eight games.

On the season, last weeks hero QB Braxton Miller, has 492 passing yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 342 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. His current passer efficiency rating is 143.

Devin Smith made his single reception against the Badgers count in a big way when he caught the game-winner with 20 seconds left on the clock last Saturday. He leads the team in yardage with 227 yards on 10 catches, including four for scores.

Despite another week without a catch, TE Jake Stoneburner is second on the team with 150 yards, and still leads in receptions and touchdowns, with 12 and six respectively.

With Jordan hall set to miss the Indiana game due to injury, Carlos Hyde will get another chance to see the field along with Dan Herron. Hyde still leads the team in rushing with 408 yards and five touchdowns, while Herron -- who rushed for his second straight 100-yard game in as many starts -- has 274 yards and a score.


Ohio State—Indiana History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 67-12-5 all-time vs. Indiana.

• Ohio State is 68-8 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 17-1 in November games since 2005.

• Ohio State has won 16 straight games against Indiana.

• Ohio State is 43-10-4 in Columbus all-time vs. Indiana.

• Ohio State is 182-78-11 all-time in November home games.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 27 games at home.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just seven 100-yard rushers in their last 45 games.

• Ohio State has held 66 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has lost just two games in the month of November since their last loss to Michigan on November 22^nd, 2003 (Purdue 2004, Illinois 2007).

• Indiana is 42-85 overall since 2001.

• Indiana last defeated Ohio State in 1988.

• Indiana last beat Ohio State in Columbus in 1987.


Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

In their last two games, the Buckeyes have upset Illinois and Wisconsin. In those games, they averaged 135 yards passing and 239 yards rushing. It's a safe bet that the gameplan for Indiana will be to run a lot, and then run some more.

Sorry to any Hoosier fans out there, but even you know that the Bucks could completely overlook Indiana and still gain 200+ on the ground while posting a win in convincing fashion.

The final outcome really shouldn't be a mystery, so me picking the Buckeyes is a given here.

Wisconsin crushed IU 59-7, so since Ohio State beat UW by 4, Ohio State will win by at least eight touchdowns -- or I'll never-ever count on that damn transitive property when making my weekly pick again...

Ohio State 48
Indiana 0

Yeah, I was joking about the eight TDs and the transitive property -- I am not kidding however on that final score.

I definitely can see OSU scoring close to 50 AND pitching the shutout -- Believe it!


"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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