No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1) at Indiana Hoosiers (3-1)
Saturday’s Big Ten game between Ohio State looks like a mismatch if you go by history: The Buckeyes have beaten Indiana 14 straight games by average of 22.7 points. In addition, OSU has won 15 consecutive conference road games (the Big Ten record is 17) and has posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time in 13 years.
And indeed the Buckeyes are 17.5-point betting favorites on WagerWeb.com.
However, this might not be a typical Indiana team. The Hoosiers probably should have won at Michigan last week but fell in the final minutes, 36-33. Ben Chappell, who has completed 84-of-130 (64.6 percent) passes for 944 yards and three TDs, has emerged as a top-flight QB in the Big Ten, and Indiana’s rushing attack has averaged 188 yards over the last three games. RB Darius Willis enjoyed a breakout game last week with 152 yards against Michigan.
The Hoosiers’ defense ranks second in the Big Ten in rushing defense, giving up just 94.7 yards per game. Senior Jammie Kirlew leads the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 8.5; he and fellow end Greg Middleton have combined for 5.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss this season.
Ohio State will make a change at running back this week, as junior Brandon Saine will make his first career start because usually No. 1 back Dan Herron has a sprained ankle. Herron started the first four games for No. 9 Ohio State and leads the team with five rushing touchdowns.
Saine has averaged 5.7 yards on 32 carries. He and freshman Jordan Hall will get the bulk of the work if Herron can’t play Saturday. Ohio State has rushed for nearly 500 yards the last two weeks. Herron has scored at least one touchdown in eight consecutive games dating to last season.
OSU for sure will be without strong safety Kurt Coleman; the team captain and second-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago was suspended for one game for a helmet-to-helmet hit last week.
Ohio State leads the all-time series 65-12-5 and hasn’t lost in Bloomington since 1988. This is the teams’ first meeting since 2006. Under coach Jim Tressel, OSU is 7-3 in night games, which this one is.
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