This weekend, Indiana hosts what’s being called the biggest home game in program history, a massive showdown where the national champion Hoosiers are somehow still hitting the field as underdogs against Ohio State. Seriously, how often do you see a defending champ getting no love like that?
IU’s Winning Ways Are No Fluke, But There’s A Catch
Look, if you’ve been watching IU, you know they’re one of the most dialed-in teams in the whole country. These guys just don’t make mistakes: no turnovers, no silly penalties. They’re built for the clutch, always making those winning plays at the very end to snatch victory. Since 2025, they’ve gone a ridiculous 6-0 in one-score games. This season alone, they’ve already beaten Northwestern by six and took down Nebraska by three last weekend. You gotta wonder if they’re due to finally drop a close one, right? Is this the weekend? Now, this IU team isn’t exactly a carbon copy of last season’s championship squad. Quarterback Josh Hoover, while accurate enough getting the ball to his fantastic receivers, isn’t Fernando Mendoza, and they do seem to lean on explosive plays a bit too much. The offensive line, which was absolutely incredible last year, has had a small slip, making run blocking tougher and pass protection less clean. We’re nitpicking, sure, but it’s there. On defense, they’re missing an elite lockdown corner, and they’ve given up more explosive plays than last season, two more plays of 10+ yards per game, without even facing a murderer’s row of offenses. Yet, despite all that, they keep on making winning plays and finishing with victories. It’s wild.
Ohio State’s Scoring Struggles Are A Real Problem
Ohio State, despite being one of the best teams out there, has some of the exact same questions as Indiana, especially when their offense goes up against a legitimately good defense. Think about it: going back to the start of last season, they’ve struggled to put up points against the better defenses they’ve faced. They only scored 14 against Texas to kick off last season, then a measly 10 against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. They followed that up with just 14 against Miami in the CFP. Things have looked a little better this season, like 23 against Texas, but get this: only three of those came in the second half. Yeah, they just dropped 31 on Iowa, but I’ve still got major questions about them when they face this IU defense. Their offensive line is banged up and can have these long stretches in games where they just get overwhelmed by tougher units. Jeremiah Smith is arguably the best player in football, and obviously, they force him the ball. Who wouldn’t? But what if Indiana doubles him, taking him completely out of the game? Where do the big plays come from for quarterback Julian Sayin then?
Honestly, all these words probably just boil down to one thing: I like the Under in this game. It might feel like a safe pick, but I just don’t see either team racking up a ton of points unless they can hit a bunch of explosive plays, and guess what? Both defenses know that too. How many 10-play drives in this game will actually end with touchdowns? Not many, I’m betting. This is going to be a grinder, so get ready for some hard-nosed football as IU looks to protect its house against the Buckeyes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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