The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers faced off in what was one of the better football games that has been played to this point in the College Football season, with the personality of this game was that of a heavyweight fight.
Body blow after body blow, each of these teams took their hits and gave some more to the opponent.
There was a complete lid on the football game in the first half. The Buckeyes' offense was completely bottled up, and then managed to catch their first break of the game. On second down after the Hoosiers started putting a drive together, they tried a bubble screen behind the line of scrimmage, and Lorenzo Styles Jr. blew it up.
He bear hugged the screen receiver, and the pass deflected up in the air and caromed directly to Davison Igbinosun, who was waiting for it. He hauled it in, and the Buckeyes were set up with an opportunity in plus territory to score, trailing 3-0.
Two more major mistakes by the Hoosiers led to the Buckeyes having a first and goal from the nine-yard line, and Sayin scrambled around long enough to find Carnell Tate wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Hoosiers went on one more drive before halftime to cash in with a field goal, and the Buckeyes led 10-6 at the break.
The two teams came out in the second half, and the Hoosiers were the aggressors from the start. Indiana forced a punt on Ohio State's first drive. After a great punt, the Hoosiers had the ball on their own 12-yard line, needing 88 yards for a score.
Christmas Party Special! Bucks Navigate Uncertain NSD Waters | Hartline Leaves | Big Test SaturdayAgain, the main story of the day was not the huge football game on Saturday, it was the fallout from a chaotic National Signing Day. Ohio State wades through...Well, they needed 88 yards, and they got 88 yards.
It took them 7 plays and roughly three minutes to get it done. The two big plays on the drive were a 51-yard throw from Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Hoosier wide receiver Charlie Becker. Mendoza followed that up four plays later with a 17-yard strike to Elijah Sarratt for a 17-yard score.
Indiana took the lead 13-10.
The next quarter and a half would be scarred by missed opportunities for the Buckeyes.
After driving the ball the length of the field, they set up for a fourth and one, which is a typical pick-up. They went with a quarterback sneak, and on his first effort, quarterback Julian Sayin lost his footing, and his knee went to the ground, short of the line to gain.
Then, two drives later, the Buckeyes pushed the ball all the way to the Hoosiers' nine-yard line. They used a mammoth drive to get there, 15 plays, 81 yards, and they elected to kick a 27-yard field goal from the right hash.
Buckeyes' kick Jayden Fielding's chip shot attempt was snap hooked to the left, and he missed the layup.
The Hoosiers took over with 2:44 seconds left and the Buckeyes never saw the football again.
On 3rd and 6 before the two minute timeout, Mendoza dropped back to pass and found his matchup. It was Becker on Ohio State's Jermain Matthews Jr. and the two Hoosier connected for a 33 yard gain.
Indiana went for the knockout punch, and they got it.
Ohio State's quest for a perfect season slipped through their fingertips. They will not hoist the Big Ten Championship trophy, but, like last season, they just got a heavy dose of the motivation that maybe they needed to make a run at the National Championship.