Ohio State vs Indiana: Live highlights, top performers

Thursday night’s Ohio State vs Indiana game is the first conference matchup of the season and there’s plenty of excitement.

Ohio State fans have been anxiously awaiting the start of the 2017 season ever since the Buckeyes’ 31-0 playoff defeat at the hands of the Clemson Tigers. It was a tough loss for the Buckeyes who were two years removed from their title, but it was also a learning lesson.

Urban Meyer has a talented team returning in 2017 as the Buckeyes no longer rebuild, instead they reload. Replacing the entire secondary shouldn’t be an issue with all that talent.

On the other side of the field, though, the Indiana Hoosiers are hyped up for this first game. New head coach Tom Allen has revamped the Hoosiers’ defense and things are looking up for this program.

With ESPN College GameDay in attendance, the Hoosier fans will be extra boisterous in Bloomington. This is one of the biggest openers in program history as they will be looking to upset the nation’s No. 2 team.

Ohio State fell behind early and went into halftime with a 14-13 deficit on its hands as the Hoosiers were showing off for the home fans. The second half was all Buckeyes as they went on a 36-7 run to end the game, quieting the “overrated” chanting Hoosier fans.

Keep it posted here for live highlights and top performers following the game’s conclusion.

Three stars

1. JK Dobbins: The freshman running back filled in for an injured Mike Weber quite nicely and broke some records for a first-time starter. He racked up 181 yards on 29 carries.

2. Simmie Cobbs: Indiana’s top receiver was stealing the show early on, but coasted late. He had some highlight-reel catches and finished with 11 receptions for 149 yards and a score.

3. JT Barrett: I’m really hesitant to give this one to Barrett instead of Indiana’s Richard Lagow or even Parris Campbell, but the senior quarterback rebounded late. He struggled mightily in the first half, but finished with 304 passing yards on 20-of-35 completions, 61 rushing yards and four total scores.

Live highlights

"Advantage: Simmie Cobbs.@simmie104 hauls in ANOTHER one-hand catch before bodying his defender for the touchdown: https://t.co/wv5YJTHRJS— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 1, 2017"

Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

What’s next?

Ohio State will be playing what will likely be considered the game of the week on Sept. 9, hosting Oklahoma. That game could have serious playoff implications. Indiana, on the other hand, will be traveling to Virginia in a winnable game for the Hoosiers.