After passing two straight road tests at Michigan State and Minnesota, Ohio State gets a much-needed breather this week against an Indiana team that, by this point, is pretty clearly the worst team in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have vaulted up the College Football Playoff rankings in recent weeks, and now they’ll need to make sure they can avoid a letdown game like TCU nearly suffered last week.
How to watch Indiana vs. Ohio State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Will Ohio State get a good rest this week?
That should be relatively easy against the Hoosiers, who have been abysmal ever since quarterback Nate Sudfeld went out for the season a month ago. They're down to freshman Zander Diamont, who has struggled since debuting. It doesn't help that the defense has been awful, either, and Ohio State could have a field day in bolstering its statistics. The only bright spot for IU is running back Tevin Coleman, who should probably even be getting some Heisman buzz, but he can't do it all on his own.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: BTN
Online streaming: BTN2GO
The numbers
Rankings and records: Ohio State is 9-1 and ranked sixth nationally by the College Football Playoff selection committee. Indiana is 3-7 and unranked.
Vegas: Ohio State opened as a 30-point favorite. The line is now 35 with an over/under of 65.5, per OddsShark.
Weather forecast: Mostly cloudy with a high of 45 and a low of 36.
Two things at stake
Ohio State needs to win to make the College Football Playoff and it might need to win convincingly.
Indiana doesn’t have much to gain or lose from this game, but beating Ohio State would certainly be a huge deal for the program.
One big matchup
Indiana defense vs. Ohio State offense: Indiana's defense has been an issue all throughout Kevin Wilson's tenure, and while it has had some solid games — it held its own against SEC East-leading Missouri — it hasn't been able to hold up for the most part. This game will be its toughest test all year, and for the Hoosiers to have any chance, the defense is going to have to at least somewhat contain J.T. Barrett, Ezekiel Elliott and the rest of the explosive Ohio State offense. Don't bet on it.
Further reading
Read Land-Grant Holy Land for more on Ohio State and The Crimson Quarry for more on Indiana.
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