As the football season has worn on, it’s gotten harder and harder for the Indiana Hoosier football team to shake off their bad start. This weekend, they will seek to halt a six-game losing streak against a team that had trouble getting off on the right foot, but has since righted the ship.

The Opponent: Ohio State Buckeyes (5-3, 2-2)

It’s hard to know what to make of the Buckeyes from an outsider’s perspective. Near the beginning of the season, they nearly lost to Toledo, were embarrassed by Miami (Fl) and lost conference games to Michigan State and Nebraska. Since their loss to Nebraska though, they’ve rattled off two victories over ranked conference opponents in as many games and in doing so they’ve called to mind the physical OSU teams B1G fans are so used to watching.

Ohio State has started two quarterbacks this season; they went with the more experienced Joe Bauserman at the start of the year and have had success more recently with the elusive true freshman, Braxton Miller. Miller has led a throwback offense of sorts since taking over, throwing only 16 times over the past two games. While Miller hasn’t been called on to throw often, he’s been effective when he’s gotten a chance, and has also been a key contributor on the ground.

The Buckeye ground game has been the lifeblood of their team, and it’s easy to see why. Since Dan ‘Boom’ Herron has returned from a suspension, he’s averaged nearly 140 yards-per-game on the ground and has been half of the recently effective ‘ground and pound’ Buckeye attack. Together with Miller and Jordan Hall, Herron has helped Ohio State to an average over the past two games of nearly 240 yards per contest.

The Buckeye receiving corps hasn’t been a huge area of emphasis all season, as only two players have scored a touchdown all season. Jacob Stoneburner has been a primary red zone target in the passing game and has accounted for six of ten Ohio State touchdowns. Devin Smith has accounted for the other four and is more of a big play threat. If the Buckeyes have a productive passing game on Saturday, it’s likely that Smith will have taken advantage of a young Indiana secondary.

X-Factor- Ohio State Defense

It’s exceedingly likely that the Buckeyes will impose their will on offense against Indiana and their defense will be looking to do the same. The Ohio State defense is a solid unit, and has proven that it’s able to slow elite offenses. If the Buckeyes play well on defense, they’ll almost certainly win. They’ve had a couple stinkers this season though, and if they don’t come out with their A-game, they could put their offense in a situation where they need to throw it more than they want to.

Ohio State Cumulative Statistics (8 games)

Total Offense- 309.6 ypg (123 passing, 186.6 rushing)

Scoring Offense- 24.5 ppg

Total Defense- 309.5 ypg (196.4 passing, 113.1 rushing)

Scoring Defense- 17.9 ppg

Ohio State Individual Leaders

Passing-     Braxton Miller: 52.4% completion rate, 492 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs

Joe Bauserman: 46.5% completion rate, 492 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing-    Carlos Hyde: 78 carries, 408 yards, 5 TDs

Braxton Miller: 80 carries, 342 yards, 2 TDs

Jordan Hall: 85 carries, 330 yards, 2 TDs

Dan Herron: 56 carries, 274 yards, 1 TD (2 games)

Receiving- Jake Stoneburner: 12 catches, 150 yards, 6 TDs

Devin Smith: 10 catches, 227 yards, 4 TDs

Verlon Reed: 9 catches, 132 yards, 0 TDs

Corey Brown: 9 catches, 112 yards, 0 TDs

Hoosier Matchups

For the second straight week, Indiana saw a high level of performance from Tre Roberson and the Hoosier offense. After an anemic beginning to the conference season, the offense has really picked up its game with Roberson at the helm, averaging 31 points per game as opposed to 12 without him. Roberson has obviously played a huge role in that, adding another dimension to the offense with his ability to make plays with both his arms and his legs. Ohio State will be the toughest defense that Roberson has faced so far and will put him to the test.

The Hoosier ground game has enjoyed a noticeable spike since instilling Roberson, racking up over 300 yards last week and actually outgaining the Buckeyes over the past two weeks. Roberson has been a big part of that success, but Stephen Houston has also been outstanding. The past two weeks, he’s averaged over 110 yards per game, 5.8 yards per carry and has scored 4 touchdowns. For the first time in recent memory, this Indiana team is better on the ground than through the air.

The receiving corps took a cosmetic hit this week with the dismissal of Damarlo Belcher. Statistically, his departure isn’t a big deal as other players have stepped up this year. A bigger hit was Duwyce Wilson going down with a potentially season-ending knee injury last weekend against Northwestern. With the two top receivers from the beginning of the year down, Kofi Hughes appears to the clear #1 receiver and should see help from Jamonne Chester, Cody Latimer and others. Truth be told, the Hoosiers are exceptionally deep at receiver and should be able to cover their injuries without huge problems, though not necessarily against the Buckeyes.

X-Factor- Indiana Defense

There’s no way around it – this unit has been dreadful in recent weeks. Over the past four games, they’ve allowed over 54 points per game and have been consistently overwhelmed. Ohio State will present a different challenge from the one they’ve seen in recent weeks though, as the Buckeyes will likely eschew the aerial attack that has killed the Hoosier defense and instead stick to running the ball. Indiana hasn’t been great at stopping the run either, but Ohio State’s likely game plan will lead to fewer possessions and, therefore, a lower score. If the defense can string a few solid series together, this game could be closer than expected.

Hoosier Cumulative Statistics (9 games)

Total Offense- 378 ypg (214.4 passing, 163.6 rushing)

Scoring Offense- 23.2 ppg

Total Defense- 458.3 ypg (223.7 passing, 234.7 rushing)

Scoring Defense- 36.2 ppg

Hoosier Individual Leaders

Passing-      Ed Wright-Baker: 59.7% completion rate, 979 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs

Tre Roberson: 59.7% completion rate, 524 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

Rushing-    Stephen Houston: 111 carries, 577 yards, 6 TDs

Tre Roberson: 62 carries, 267 yards, 2 TDs

D’Angelo Roberts: 50 carries, 232 yards, 2 TDs

Matt Perez: 55 carries, 186 yards, 4 tDs

Receiving- Kofi Hughes: 20 catches, 298 yards, 2 TDs

Duwyce Wilson: 17 catches, 217 yards, 3 TDs

Jamonne Chester: 17 catches, 212 yards, 0 TDs

Shane Wynn: 14 catches, 158 yards, 0 TD

Prediction – 34-14 Ohio State

The Buckeyes run roughshod over the Indiana defense and Devin Smith gets behind the secondary for a long score. Roberson performs admirably for a freshman in a hostile road environment, but is overmatched by the OSU defense. Stephen Houston has another decent game but it isn’t enough against an obviously more talented Ohio State team.