Indiana Hoosiers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes: 5 Big Keys to Victory on Saturday

The Indiana Hoosiers (12-1) are coming off their first loss of the season on Wednesday night. It came really as no surprise to anyone since the Hoosiers have won only once in the Breslin Center and that came all the way back in 1991.

The best way to measure how good a team is, isn't done by judging them off of not how many wins they have, but by how well they respond to adversity or defeat.

We will see this on Saturday evening in Assembly Hall as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation Ohio State Buckeyes (13-1) take on the Hoosiers.

This will be a tough task for the Hoosiers, but I do feel they can beat Ohio State in Assembly Hall.

These are the reasons why.

Home-Court Atmosphere

If any of you reading this and have been to Assembly Hall, you would know how loud and big of a home-court advantage the Hoosiers have.

The way the gym is set up makes the noise levels get deafening loud. That’s tough for an opponent to play in, especially a young Ohio State team.

Crowd noise can cause teams to play out of control and make many mistakes. Ask Kentucky.

The Hoosiers have shot extremely well this year in the friendly confines of Assembly Hall, and they will need to once again tomorrow.

I think this team is angry and upset after how well they played for 27 minutes against Michigan State, so much so that they will come out hungry to put a hurting on someone.

This team is capable of making big plays, and after watching the film of the Michigan State game, I feel they will have their weaknesses fixed.

With the No. 2-ranked team coming in, especially on New Year's Eve, Assembly Hall will be rocking.  If the Hoosiers play like they did against Kentucky, then I see no way they lose on Saturday.

Ohio State has struggled on their two road games this season. They struggled with the hostile crowd in Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas and committed 22 fouls and 15 turnovers.

The Buckeyes only shot 5-of-17 (29 percent) from three-point range and 24-of-62 (38 percent) from the field in the 78-67 loss to Kansas.

When Ohio State traveled to South Carolina, their road woes continues even though they escaped with the 66-60 win.

They trailed 33-29 at the half to a much faster Gamecocks team, and they committed 19 fouls and 12 turnovers in the win.

Another thing Ohio State struggles with on the road is defending the opponent’s shots. Kansas shot 58 percent from the field and 52 percent from threes.

South Carolina used their athleticism to dribble drive and find the open man.

With a hostile atmosphere, I think Indiana can do the same.

Ohio State Lacks Depth, So Speed the Game Up

The Buckeyes are like Kentucky in so many ways it’s not funny. One major similarity is how both aren’t deep teams.

Ohio State really only plays seven to nine players in a big game, so they don’t look for much bench play and rely heavily on the starters.

If Indiana can get the tempo up and make Ohio State run, then they can fatigue the Buckeyes just like they did against Kentucky.

Ohio State can run, but if you speed it up even more out of their tempo, they get uncomfortable due to them not wanting to wear down.

Ohio State can’t turn to the bench much in this hostile atmosphere due to the inexperience, and if they tire, then they have to play it out.

In Kentucky’s situation, the speed caused them to turn the ball over and force bad shots. Any basketball player knows that once your legs go, so does your shot. That will help Indiana in the second half.

Get Ohio State into Foul Trouble

The major way to beat a team that’s not very deep is by getting them in foul trouble. With Ohio State only having seven to nine players playing, the Hoosiers can exploit them in that they can get the Buckeyes in foul trouble.

Indiana succeeded in doing this against Kentucky a few weeks ago, and there’s no reason they can’t tomorrow.

Ohio State only has Sullinger and Thomas on the front line. Zeller and Watford are huge matchup problems on the defensive end for them, and their athletic ability will be hard to stay in front of without reaching.

The crowd and inexperience of the two sophomores will play a huge factor in whether or not they can be disciplined. If they’re not, both players can get into foul trouble, and Indiana will benefit.

As far as talent level goes, Ohio State has Indiana beat. We all know that, but intangibles like this one turn handicaps into victories.

Extend Sullinger and Thomas Outside of the Lane

Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas don’t like to defend outside of the lane. If you bring them out, they’re not comfortable.

That’s why Cody Zeller needs to shoot mid-range shots, and Christian Watford must hit his outside shots and drive to the hoop effectively.

Sullinger and Thomas barely get their hands up on shots outside of the lane, so both Zeller and Watford can get some uncontested shots.

Most teams with an athletic big man last year (i.e., JaJuan Johnson and Jon Leuer from Wisconsin) had success against Ohio State.

Sullinger and Thomas are also far too slow to stay in front of the ball on dribble drives.

Watford will have no problems getting by Thomas if he tries hard. Thomas will be more viable to reach and make a dumb foul rather than sliding. He’s far too slow to stay with Watford.

The Watford vs. Thomas matchup will be very similar to the Watford vs. Jones matchup in the Kentucky game. Thomas and Jones are both big, left-handed players and can hurt you if left open. If you defend them hard and bring them out of the lane on the offensive end, then they struggle. Watford easily won the Jones battle, and Jones is a better all-around player than Thomas.

And the last big reason to bring them out of the lane is it opens up lanes to penetrate in. Indiana guards won’t have to worry about Sullinger and Thomas’ ability to alter shots. Due to that, it means both big men will be out of position for a rebound and the Hoosiers can capitalize on the opportunity and even get an over the back call.

If they don’t do this, then Ohio State will eat Indiana alive down low. Both guys are great rebounders and defenders in the lane. That’s why you must bring them out. They average 13.3 rebounds per game between the two of them.

Maximize Possessions by Shooting Effectively

The easiest way for Indiana to stay in this game and put all of these factors in play is to shoot the ball well. The Hoosiers have shot well in almost every game this season except a couple.

Ohio State, as stated earlier, struggles to defend on the road. If you extend them out and hit shots like the Hoosiers can, then Ohio State will get out of control.

Kansas won by shooting over 50 percent, and South Carolina shot well also.

Indiana needs to limit turnovers and the three-man weave offense they ran up top, and work to get open shots. If they work hard enough, they definitely will.

If the Hoosiers take all of these factors into consideration, which I believe they will, I have no doubt there will be another upset in Assembly Hall on Saturday evening.