Indiana vs. Ohio State: Live Game Grades and Analysis for the Buckeyes

Final Score: Ohio State 42, Indiana 14

Ohio State locked up the Leaders Division championship with a 42-14 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on senior day in Columbus. Check out how the Buckeyes graded out below in this victory.

For the full box score, check out NCAA.com.

Positional Unit	1st Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C	B
Run Offense	A	A
Pass Defense	B	C
Run Defense	A	B+
Special Teams	A	A
Coaching	A	A-

Game Analysis for the Ohio State Buckeyes

Pass Offense

Although Braxton Miller only threw sparingly, he did find some big plays in the second half to end up with two touchdowns. The only disappointment was that only one forward pass was completed to a wide receiver, especially with the talent at wideout that OSU has.

Run Offense

Both Miller and Carlos Hyde easily rolled to over 100 yards on the ground and two touchdowns apiece on a messy day. The Buckeyes dominated the line of scrimmage to achieve over 300 rushing yards yet again in Big Ten play.

Pass Defense

As expected, Indiana had a big day passing, and mostly with Nate Sudfeld at the helm. However, the Buckeyes made all the clutch stops until the fourth quarter. They held the Hoosiers to only two touchdowns despite 320 passing yards.

Run Defense

After stuffing the Hoosiers for a half, Tre Roberson burned the Buckeyes with a few quarterback draws late. Still, Indiana struggled most of the game despite ending up with one of the few 100-yard rushing performances against OSU.

Special Teams

An early punt block was all Ohio State needed to roll into a dominant lead. The Buckeyes also contained dynamic returner Shane Wynn for the most part, which other good teams have struggled to do.

Coaching

Ohio State may not have dominated the statistics against Indiana, but the important play calls were made when it mattered. Much better than the 2012 game against the Hoosiers.

First-Half Analysis for the Ohio State

Pass Offense

Pass protection was not perfect, as Braxton Miller was rushed and fumbled one time in the process of being sacked. However, Ohio State has only attempted nine passes and is not looking to win the game through the air.

Run Offense

The Buckeyes dominated up front as expected, leading to big starts for Miller (136 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Hyde (71 yards, 2 touchdowns). The game plan of running until Indiana collapses is working perfectly thus far.

Pass Defense

Nate Sudfeld hit his first eight passes, but the Buckeyes then pressured him more and held him to 12-for-20 passing on the half. Ohio State’s defense is holding up much better than last week against a better offense.

Run Defense

Indiana could not get anything going with Stephen Houston, which caused the Hoosiers to end the half with just 23 rushing yards. The Buckeyes are pitching a shutout because Indiana is too one-dimensional.

Special Teams

Jordan Hall and Dontre Wilson each had nice returns in the first half, but the key play was the punt block setting up the third touchdown. Dominant effort so far by this unit, which makes a big difference.

Coaching

Ohio State came out with a conservative offensive plan and an aggressive defensive plan, which is working. Expect more of the same in the second half.