Ohio State beats Indiana 19-15 in top five clash, loses QB Julian Sayin to injury
The Buckeyes held off the Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on a day that cost them their starting quarterback for several weeks.
Buckeyes survive in Bloomington
No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 5 Indiana 19-15 at Memorial Stadium on a Saturday that turned into the first top five matchup ever played at that stadium. The Buckeyes improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers fell to 6-1 and 3-1 in conference play.
Ohio State led from the start. Connor Hawkins hit a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter, and after Indiana answered with a Turbo Richard touchdown run to go up 7-3, Bo Jackson caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Julian Sayin with seven seconds left in the half to put the Buckeyes back on top 10-7. Hawkins added a 29-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 13-7.
The fourth quarter got loud
Early in the fourth, facing fourth-and-1, Sayin threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith to push the lead to 19-7. He left the game after that series with a right arm injury. Indiana answered. Josh Hoover, back after his own arm injury, led a 75-yard drive capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass to Nick Marsh, then found Turbo Richard for a two-point conversion to cut it to 19-15 with 10:30 to go.
Indiana got the ball back one more time. The Hoosiers drove into position for a shot at the lead, but on the throw toward Marsh in the end zone, his left foot landed out of bounds with 1:02 remaining. Ohio State took over and ran out the clock. The win also extended the Buckeyes' streaks of 22 straight overall wins and 19 straight at home, both the longest active runs in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
What the stat sheet showed
Indiana actually out-gained Ohio State, 369 yards to 313, and led in first downs 17-16 and passing yards 296-235. The Buckeyes were better on the ground, 78 yards to 73, and each team turned the ball over twice. Charlie Becker led all receivers with 9 catches for 165 yards for Indiana. Jeremiah Smith had 4 catches for 68 yards and the go-ahead score for Ohio State. On defense, Tobi Osunsanmi had 2 sacks for Indiana, and Earl Little Jr. led all players with 8 tackles for Ohio State. Tyrique Tucker also had 8 tackles for the Hoosiers.
Sayin's injury looms over the win
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after the game he did not have full details yet but expected Sayin to be out several weeks with the arm injury. Day said the team would turn to other options at quarterback, including a player he referred to as Luke, and that things might look different offensively without Sayin.
For Indiana, coach Curt Cignetti called it his first home loss in three seasons. He said the Hoosiers had the right defensive call on Ohio State's final fourth-down touchdown pass but did not execute it. The loss ended Indiana's bid to beat a top five opponent at home for the first time in that building's history as a ranked venue.
Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.