Live Blog: #25 Ohio State vs. Indiana

The Indiana game is upon us! While big games like LSU and Alabama are occurring later on tonight, it's time for Luke Fickell to lead the Buckeyes against the Hoosiers!

Join us at 11:45 PM EST for the Live Chat!

Preview: #25 Ohio State vs. Indiana

Should stick to basketball

Ohio State (5-3, 2-2) is back in the ITS BlogPoll Top 25 after their big upset against Wisconsin, which puts them in the hunt for the first ever B1G Conference Championship Game (CCG). The Buckeyes have gained some serious momentum after their 2nd half collapse to Nebraska, bouncing back to upset a then-undefeated Illinois team at Memorial Stadium, and then last week handing Wisconsin their second straight loss, on a Hail Mary from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith. Indiana (1-8, 0-5), on the other hand, is at the bottom of the Big Ten this year, with no hope of coming back up.

Like Luke Fickell, Hoosier head coach Kevin Wilson is in his first year at the helm, and while they weren't expecting a National Title run, they were hoping for some improvement on last year's 5-7 record, and rejoin the bowl eligible teams. Clearly, it's gotten worse, as the Hoosiers are facing tough times, with 3 decent football games ahead of them, including this game. While an upset in the 'Shoe would be great for them, they aren't expecting any sort of miracle.

The 12 PM EST noon game should mostly be a snoozer, but a very important match up for Braxton Miller and the rest of this young offense. OSU sometimes gets lazy and plays down to opponents, but then turns it on when it gets close. That was under Tressel, granted, but Fickell has many of the same ideas and concepts, as he's already proven this season.

My Thoughts: Wisconsin

Fickell gaining respect

For those of you who have recently read my posts I know I have been a bit negative as of late. I have constantly attacked Coach Fickell and many of the decisions that he and the coaching staff have made, though I am still not sold on him being our head coach, I am thrilled with how the Wisconsin game turned out. This is not just for the fact that because the Buckeyes won, my brother (a Wisconsin alumnus) had to dress in a Buckeye uniform for Halloween, and I did not have to repeat last year when I wore a Badger uniform, revenge is sweet. I am happy because the Buckeyes played with much of the heart and skill that we have become accustomed too. For 3 and a half quarters our defense played like the Silver Bullets.

Wisconsin is a running team, both Monte Ball and Russell Wilson are as dangerous a QB and RB rushing tandem as there is in college football. They run behind a monster offensive line who many people thought would push around a talented but young Buckeye defensive line. Well guess what, that young Buckeye defensive line had the last laugh. They held the powerful Badger running attack to 89 yards (most of that gained on 1 big run).

Hopes And Fears: Indiana

Wow! What a win! Oh wait, it's already another week in the college football season and as we enter the month of November, we don't have time to keep looking back!

Going 2-2 in the month of October was expected, but it is now November and to get to a bowl and maybe even the first ever Big Ten title game, our Buckeyes must go undefeated. Which means a win against IU this up-coming Saturday.

Here are some of my hopes and fears as our Buckeyes face the Hoosiers:

Hope - The celebration from last week's win did not go to anyone's head and they work just as hard this week in practice as they did in the two weeks leading up to the Wisconsin game.

Fear - Our offense, while showing great thought and better play calling this past week, will revert backwards and play to the level of our opponent in IU.

Inside The Shoe: Game for the Ages

Braxton was all smiles

Ed. Note: Brady was at the game Saturday, giving his view/look and opinions from being "Inside The Shoe". Literally.

What a game to select as my only trip to Columbus for football this season! I'm not claiming to be a genius as any Buckeye fan would've picked the Wisconsin game if put in the same situation but damn that was F'n awesome! That trip was everything I could have hoped for and more. I got to party like a rock star the night before in my killer pilot costume, tailgate my ass off behind the varsity club in a private party, watch our freshman quarterback become a star right in front of my eyes, witness one of the great moments in Horseshoe history and watch fat Wisconsin children dressed in cow outfits be taunted on the way out of the stadium.

What more could you ask for? Sure I ended up with a hangover that lasted two days and a hoarse voice from yelling all night but those were just minor inconveniences. The magic and excitement of Buckeye football is back... for another week at least. So how did OSU come out on top against the Badgers? Let's hand out some game balls to those who were able to help the bucks come out on top.

Booooooooooom Herron- The crowd was all over this chant the entire game and for good reason. Boom ran hard all night and was pretty much the only consistent weapon for OSU on Saturday. It was a helluva weapon though. Wisconsin did not have an answer for Herron, especially in the 2nd half. There were many occasions that he was only getting 2-3 yards on first down but it was still positive yardage. Even though we all would like to see 5 yards on first down the Badgers were never able to bottle him up behind the line to force Ohio St. to throw on second down. The offensive line definitely had a part in Herron's huge night but the majority of those yards came from Boom's sick moves, surprising speed and brute strength. We really missed this guy during the first half of the season.

What Went Right/Wrong: Wisconsin

Now that the Buckeyes have upset the Badgers, the Big Ten's Leaders division is wide open. Thanks to a strong effort from the defense, mixed in with some dazzling plays from Boom Herron and Braxton Miller, Ohio State controls their own destiny to get to Indianapolis for the inaugural B1G Championship Game. Let's take a look back on Saturday to see what went right and wrong for the Scarlet and Gray.

What Went Right


- Defense Wins Championships Big Games: The Silver Bullets have shown flashes of defensive domination in games, such as against Michigan State, the first half of Nebraska, and now Wisconsin. Almost collapsing in the 2nd half similar to the Nebraska game, this time Braxton Miller and the rest of the offense were able to give this defense more of a break, to allow for Andrew Sweat and John Simon to continue to harass Russell Wilson all night long. The defense was also able to hold Montee Ball down on rushing the entire night, and was very effective to contain Wilson until the end of the 4th quarter.

- Special Teams Are Back To Being Special: Up until the very last year of Jim Tressel's tenure, Ohio State was known for having very solid special teams, especially when it came to kick and punt returning, thanks to Ray Small and Ted Ginn Jr. Now, after last year's horrendous showing, it appears the special teams are once again clicking. Kick coverage has been fantastic, while the obvious blocked punt by Ryan Shazier was huge, the unit as a whole has been very impressive. Nate Ebner and Shazier are similar to missiles when it comes down to moments where we need a special teams play.

Boom's big run got things started

- Passes Are Nice, Boren Goes Boom: While the fans of Ohio State were screaming to pass the ball all season long, the offensive line and Zach Boren have been fantastic in breaking open holes for Boom Herron to run through. Boren may be the best blocking fullback in the whole country, and he proved it Saturday night. Braxton Miller didn't have any real big passes until the Hail Mary, but was pretty consistent in his attack going 7/12 (58% completion percentage) for 89 yards, and rushing for 99 yards on 19 attempts. He looked cool and collected out there even in the most tense moments. Boom Herron has great vision, as he had 160 yards on 33 carries.

Recap: Ohio State 38, Indiana 10

Jim Tressel was happy with the Buckeyes. (AP/Jay LaPrete)

Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes did everything they needed to do to prove they deserve the number 1 spot in the country. Pryor had a career day with 334 yards passing on the day, and 3 touchdowns on the way to the Buckeye's 16th straight victory over Indiana. Of course, a big part of the offense's success was the defense's ability to shut down the decent passing game for the Hoosiers. After passing for 480 yards last week against Michigan, Indiana QB Ben Chappell passed for 106 yards and two interceptions on Saturday.

The defense also didn't allow a 100 yard rusher, which moves the streak to 29 games. Coach Tressel has won his 100th game as a Buckeye coach, and we sure are proud of him. He's gone to the BCS Championship game 3 times, and came out once with the crystal. He comes close every year, and he certainly hopes this can be a championship year. Tressel called the right plays today, and was smart in keeping Terrelle Pryor under wraps as far as running. Not only do they avoid more injury, but they also let the media know that he can throw the ball consistently, and with good power and velocity.

Ohio State hurdles Indiana, 38-10

AP/Jay LaPrete

So the Buckeyes are victorious on the back of Terrelle Pryor's arm. Passing for over 300 yards, the Buckeyes offense took full advantage of the domination from the defensive side of the ball. The Buckeyes (6-0, 2-0) will start preparing for the Badgers (5-1, 1-1) already.

Tressel also got his 100th career win. Here's the trophy he got.

Recap up tomorrow.

Live Blog: #2 Ohio State vs. Indiana

So the Hoosiers are back in town, ready to go to battle with Ohio State. The Buckeyes come off a week with injuries and a lackluster game against Illinois.

Join us at 11:45 for the whole game!

Silver Bullets, Short preview

Argh

• I’m beginning to run out of excuses to give my Michigan friends as to why Denard Robinson’s video game numbers are a fluke. The guy is electric… period. When you can run the same play over and over and still get at least 10 yards, I don’t care what defense it is against. The guy has a gear that doesn’t exist within many other individual’s DNA. His running ability is unquestionable but his passing has been good as well. It’s not that I think he that accomplished of a passer but the threat of him running is so immense that the defense has to stack the box. This leaves opposing corners on an island and any quarterback worth a damn is going to exploit that sooner or later.

As of right now, Denard’s numbers are so ridiculous it makes him the Heisman leader going away. If the trophy was given today there is no rational argument to be made against him receiving the hardware. Obviously he has not faced a defense with the talent of Sparty. Little brother is going to be focusing all of their attention on Denard this Saturday and you can bet Greg Jones is licking his chops in anticipation of this game. I am anxious to see what the Nardster can do against a defense with a pulse.

Representing: Indiana

The Hoosiers are coming to C-Bus, and The Crimson Quarry was nice enough to answer our weekly questions.

1. Right now, how do you feel about where the Hoosiers are as a team?

I really don't know.  Ever since the 2009 loss to Michigan, I and most IU fans had been anticipating this year's Michigan game and viewed it as an opportunity for a signature win.  It was an opportunity, but not a win.  Last year's team was mostly competitive but failed to finish games.  The 2009 Hoosiers haven't had much opportunity, other than the Michigan game, to prove anything, and won't for a while.  IU's three pre-conference games were easy wins.  The Ohio State game is a likely loss.  Arkansas State is a likely win.  I don't expect to have a read on this team until after they have played Illinois and Northwestern on October 23 and October 30.  

2. Ben Chappell is good, but who else do they build around?

Chappell is very good and experienced, and IU's receiving corps, led by Tandon Doss, Terrance Turner, and Damarlo Belcher, is among the best in the conference.  Darius Willis hasn't been the most consistent back, but he played well against Michigan.  

3. What has to happen for Ohio State to beat Indiana, and vice versa?
For IU to upset the #2 team in the nation on the road would require a number of things to happen.  IU would have to comfortably win the turnover battle despite having shown nothing on defense so far, and would have to continue to score points against the first legitimate defense that IU has faced this season. OSU simply has to take care of the ball and play conservatively.

4. Will Bill Lynch throw his gum at someone?

I hope so.  A gum throw would be indicative of a bad call in a close game, and it's been a long time since IU has been in a close game with the Buckeyes.  

5. How will Indiana finish the season? (W/L, Bowl Game?)

I think the most likely finish is 6-6 (2-6) and a minor bowl bid, but again, I still don't have a great read on this team.  I can picture anything from 4-8 to 8-4.  The games against Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, and Penn State are the most important, in my mind.  

Who you got?: #2 Ohio State vs. Indiana

Too funny.

Ben Chappell's QB sleeves will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, in what should bring the Bucks with a chip on their shoulder. After a lackluster game against Illinois, I wouldn't be surprised to see a big win, but that's up to the rest of the writer's to decide.

Ian: 35-10 Ohio State - The Buckeyes come out with some serious anger, and Pryor is limited. The running game will get some more Hall and Berry looks, but Indiana has no answer for the overall offense. If Pryor's going to do anything, it's throwing.

SBB: 42-20 Ohio State - Can the pass defense hold up? Chappell can throw it around and nearly beat UM with his arm. I think OSU gets enough pressure on him to force him in to mistakes. Also, the ground game gets it going early against one of the worst run defenses int he country. Will we see Kenny G when Tressel sits Terrelle down? Let's hope. 


Brady: 41-17 Ohio State - Coming off a tough road game in Champaign, the Buckeyes defense will have to continue it's dominance against a better offense.  Indiana will have some early success but the Silver Bullets adjust well and should have Chappell and company under wraps by the second half.  Look for Tressel to dig deeper into the depth chart (finally) and give Hall and Berry a chance to shine in Columbus on Saturday.


Danny: 24-14 Ohio State - This game is going to be much closer than anticipated (although I hope I am wrong).  With Pryor banged up (even a little bit) we all saw just how conservative Jim Tressel can be (as if we didn't know).  Indiana has shredded opposing defenses this year, but haven't faced neared the caliber of athletes they will on Saturday.  The Silver Bullets slow down the Hoosier pass attack, and the offense scores just enough to win, while playing not to lose.

ITS's Top 25 Week 6

Big weekend had great games including Oregon vs. Stanford and Bama vs. Florida. The college landscape is just that much clearer now, and we still have plenty of time for more of it.

#1 Alabama (-) - The Crimson Tide rolled, and I mean rolled over the Gators as if they were playing a MAC team! This game wasn't close, only further cementing the #1 spot for Alabama.

#2 Ohio State (-) - A scary close game along with injuries hurts the Buckeyes deeper than you think. If they don't come out firing against Indiana, pollers might have a serious problem putting them at #2.

#3 Oregon (-) - Down 21-3, the Ducks looked overrated and overpowered, much like the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl victory got even sweeter when Oregon came back to stomp all over Stanford's defense, and won big. The Ducks continue to get better, and pollers are noticing. 

#4 Nebraska (-) - Bye Week

#5 Oklahoma (7) - Jumping some pretty good teams, the Sooners appear in the Top 5 thanks to a good game against Texas. Although they only won by a touchdown, the Sooners have 1 less game to worry about, and they are continuing to get better as the season progresses.