Ohio State Football: 3 things we learned from win vs. Indiana

Thursday night’s Ohio State football game versus Indiana game was a close one. Well, it was a good game for one half.

Teams and players make their biggest strides between Week 1 and Week 2 of a season. Teams are supposed to knock the rust off and get all the nerves out of the way in Week 1. Even though Ohio State and Indiana should be much improved next week, there is still a lot we can learn about both these teams from the game.

What did we learn from the Buckeyes’ Week 1 game against the Hoosiers?

3. Ohio State goes as the defense goes

In the first game of the season, it became very obvious that anchor of the Ohio State team is going to be the defense. The Buckeyes offense struggled mightily to get in rhythm in the first half. Ohio State’s defense gave up two first half touchdowns, but the defense still forced five punts and got an interception.

The second half is were you saw the tide turn for this Ohio State team. Early in the third quarter, the defense forced a fumble by Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow and returned it for a touchdown. The play ended up being called back, but that was the momentum swing that ignited the Ohio State offense and started a 36-7 run in the second half. J.T. Barrett was able to complete two long passes for touchdowns to Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon.

The second half offensive explosive was fueled by the Ohio State defense. They forced two turnovers, and stopped the Hoosier run-pass option that worked well in the first half. It is very clear that when the 2017 Ohio State team needs a spark, they will have to get it from the defense