Ohio State vs. Indiana will feature two top-ten BiteScore receivers.

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Saturday, Oct. 17, was a date circled for Ohio State and Indiana fans alike for months now. The Buckeyes are SprtsBite’s current-ninth ranked team in the country, with the Hoosiers sitting one spot behind them at No. 10. 

With kickoff set for noon Saturday, here are three crucial questions to examine before kickoff. 

What does this game mean for the Big Ten race?

Everything.

It’s clear already that Oregon, who started the season ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, is not the team they were expected to be. With that in mind, the focus shifts to the Buckeyes and Hoosiers. 

There’s a solid chance that these squads will meet again in the Big Ten Championship, but that doesn’t take away from the importance of this game. 

Ohio State, having lost to Texas in Week 2, can’t afford any slip-ups if it wants to make the playoff. A loss here likely means it will need to win out if it wants to make the playoff, sending the Buckeyes on a path to play Indiana a second time in December. 

The same can be said for Indiana. After this week, its only remaining ranked game is against USC, making this matchup crucial for its resume.

For that reason, this game might be the most important game of the college football season.

Can Indiana slow down Jeremiah Smith?

There is no doubt who the best player on the field will be on Saturday. Jeremiah Smith, who holds onto a 10.00 BiteScore, is in the process of cementing himself as one of the best players in college football history. It’s unlikely that Indiana will be able to stop him, but it might be able to stop quarterback Julian Sayin (9.81 BS).

To do that, the Hoosier defensive line needs to continue to play well. Indiana has the third most sacks and the sixth-highest pressure rate nationally. Stephen Daley (9.15 BS) and Tobi Osunsanmi (8.80 BS) each have five sacks in as many games, and that will need to continue.

The Hoosiers also defend the run excellently. They have the seventh-best run defense in the country, allowing just 75.0 yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry. Ohio State does not possess a lethal running game, led by Bo Jackson (6.54 BS) and Ja’Kobi Jackson (5.84 BS),  averaging just 165.7 yards per game. 

To win on Saturday, Indiana needs to get the Buckeyes into obvious passing situations and get pressure on Sayin. Then, they can potentially take Smith out of the game.

Can Indiana find a rhythm early?

Last week wasn’t pretty for Indiana. It only ran 16 plays in the first half, and its only real offense came on a 43-yard reception from Charlie Becker (9.29 BS) and a 37-yard reception from Nick Marsh (8.48 BS). 

Despite the win, the Hoosiers were dominated on time of possession by Nebraska. That can’t happen this week. Indiana’s run game is second only to UCLA in the Big Ten, thanks to a seasoned offensive line and backs Turbo Richard (8.56 BS) and Lee Beebe Jr. (6.17 BS)/ If the run game does its job, Josh Hoover (8.75 BS) can be efficient in Cignetti’s RPO-heavy offense and let Becker and Marsh continue to be the best receiving duo in the nation.

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