Ohio State has reached the crucial point in its season as the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes have high hopes of winning a national championship this year. The first major test in the closing stretch of the season came as Ohio State met undefeated and No. 5 Indiana at home. After a lukewarm start, the Buckeyes came on with a rush and thrashed the Hoosiers by a 38-15 margin.
Former Ohio State speedster Ted Ginn Jr., one of the greatest return men in the school’s history, was a guest on the Big Ten Network’s pregame show. The 14-year NFL veteran predicted a punt return for a score by his team — and he was correct. That touchdown came early in the second half after the Ohio State defense forced Indiana to punt on its opening series,
Indiana’s James Evans punted the ball 52 yards to the Ohio State 21 and Buckeyes return specialist Caleb Downs picked the ball up on a bounce, eluded Indiana tacklers and brought the ball back 79 yards for a score. That touchdown gave the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead at the time, and Indiana was dejected at that point. The game was clearly in the home team’s control.
It was Ohio State’s first punt return for a touchdown since a 2014 games against the Hoosiers.
Ohio State dominated key confrontation with Hoosiers
Ohio State’s defense throttled the Hoosiers after Indiana drove the ball 53 yards on its opening possession and scored on a two-yard run by Ty Son Lawton.
There was no panic by the Buckeyes at any point, the Buckeyes tied the scored midway through the second quarter when quarterback Will Howard threw a two-yard scoring pass to receiver Emeka Egbuka. Treveyon Henderson gave Ohio State a lead it would never give up when he scored on a four-yard run with 21 seconds to go before halftime.
That score came after a huge error by Evans. He was unable to catch a snap moments before and that allowed the Buckeyes to take possession at the 7 -yard line.
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The Buckeyes’ defense took the game over with its dynamic pass rush. They registered 5 sacks of Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, including 2.5 by middle linebacker Cody Simon and 1.5 by defensive end Jack Sawyer.
Howard was sharp with his passing attack, completing 22 of 26 passes for 201 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
The Buckeyes close out the regular season at home against archrival Michigan November 30. Day’s team has lost its last three meetings with the Wolverines. A victory over Michigan will allow the Buckeyes to play in the Big Ten title game against undefeated Oregon
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Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”