A year ago, Ohio State celebrated a thrilling one-point victory over Penn State only to be blitzed by Iowa the following week. This year, a week after another thriller of a one-point victory over Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) did not look particularly sharp for a while against Indiana (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) but the Buckeyes used their talent advantage to avoid a letdown with a 42-26 victory over the Hoosiers.
Dwayne Haskins tied an Ohio State record previously held by J.T. Barrett and Kenny Guiton with six touchdown passes in the same game. That, along with 455 passing yards, was enough to forget about two interceptions thrown, one of which led to an Indiana touchdown that gave the Hoosiers a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. Ohio State responded with two touchdowns before halftime to take a lead into the break, but the Buckeyes restored order in the second half.
Ohio State allowed just one touchdown by Indiana in the third quarter while the offense continued to put points on the board. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns put the game out of reach for Indiana, who suddenly struggled to get some scoring opportunities. Patrick Ramsey did throw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, but there was not enough in the tank to keep pace with a stronger and deeper (and more skilled and athletic) Ohio State on the road.
There was a scary moment on the Ohio State sidelines when head coach Urban Meyer was seen receiving medical assistance and going down to one knee with a hand on his head. His medical history certainly was a cause for some alarm, however, it was later reported Meyer had just collided with someone on the sideline while running down to give some instructions.
The Buckeyes remain the lone undefeated team in the Big Ten and now sit atop the Big Ten East standings tied in conference play with their rivals from Michigan. But while the Wolverines are about to embark on a challenging three-game stretch that could define their season, Ohio State will get some games that look to be very favorable for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State will stay home next week to play Minnesota. Indiana will play at home next week against Iowa.