Ohio State football’s playoff hopes on the line vs. Indiana in Week 12

Playoff hopes are on the line for both Indiana and Ohio State football this weekend as the top-10 teams will meet in Columbus.

What could possibly be one of the most bizarre conferences of the season, the Big Ten has been nothing short of unpredictable this season. Whether it be the catastrophic start of Penn State after beginning the season ranked at No. 7 and now 0-4 or the constant bickering of Michigan and Michigan State fanbases, while equally being well below average, everything has been wild.

Within all that, however, has been the true underdog story of a team that is in serious conference contention, with Indiana. Tom Allen lead the Hoosiers to their first winning season since 2007 last season and have built momentum off of that season with a 4-0 surge in 2020.

The Hoosiers are led on offense by sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. who has been overall solid. He has 1,070 yards passing and 11 total touchdowns, to three interceptions and his go-to target has been Ty Fryfogle. This was more apparent last week, as the two connected for 200 yards and two touchdowns in a blow out win of Michigan State, 24-0.

On defense, the Hoosiers are led by Micah McFadden (31 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss) and Jaylin Williams (three interceptions). The defense ranks in the top 20 in the country and completely shut down a Michigan State that has explosive playmakers on the outside in Jalen Nailor and Ricky White.

For Ohio State, this situation is nothing new to them. The cream of the crop program is strolling in 3-0, after taking care of Rutgers two weeks ago, 49-27. Although the Buckeyes haven’t been extremely dominant, they have taken care of business, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

The duo of Master Teague III and Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon has been exciting to see. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson is looking more and more like a future first-round pick and Justin Fields is yet to throw an interception on the year, with 13 touchdowns to his name. The offense has not missed a beat and could easily put up 40 points on just about anybody.

Defensively however, the Buckeyes have taken a step back. They aren’t turning over teams as often (one interception) and they have been average at getting to the quarterback with seven sacks in three games. Tommy Togiai has been a bright spot as the junior leads the team in tackles for loss and sacks with three a piece.

The definition of a David vs. Goliath type of game, the Hoosiers have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The No. 9 team in the country is a 21-point underdog.

For Ohio State, this is a game where they cannot afford to slip up, but don’t have to dominate in order to look good. Regardless of outcome, this Indiana team is different from the previous teams and have playmakers at key positions.

Here’s how to watch the matchup between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 21
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Venue: Ohio Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

For Indiana, they have to keep contain of Wilson. The speedster out of Lake Travis High School in Texas has shown why he is capable of being a No. 1 receiver over the previous five games, stretching back to last season.

Wilson plays with a sense of aggression, but also is extremely talented, with his route running, speed and catch radius. Jahan Dotson is a very special player and the key to beating Penn State was keeping him limited. The Hoosiers are going to have to do the same thing here, in order to pull off the upset.

The Buckeyes’ key is to not get out to a slow start. A majority of the country was hoping for the game to go south for Ohio State after Luke McCaffrey lead the Huskers down the field easily to give Nebraska an early lead.

Apart from that, the Buckeyes have seemed to control majority of their games, primarily on the shoulders of their offense. This is a game Indiana will get up for, knowing they are in uncharted waters. Ohio State needs to do the same, or else they may fall into a hole.

Getting penetration on Penix Jr. and stopping Fryfogle is a must for Ohio State, if they want to avoid any sort of upset.

Prediction

Both of these teams histories have been polar opposite of one another. However, both of them collide for what may be, the biggest game of the season in the conference. Indiana has a chance to make history and are one big win away from doing so.

For Ohio State, it’s about keeping their dominance and staying at the top of the conference.

Although, it will be closer than 21 points like the betting lines think, Ohio State just has too much talent all around the field. Allen’s Hoosiers are going to give the Buckeyes a scare, but won’t be enough as Ohio State stays in the drivers seat of the Big Ten East.

Final Score: Indiana 24, Ohio State 37