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

Coming off back-to-back road wins over Top 25 teams, No. 6 Ohio State (10-1) looked sluggish in a 42-27 victory over Indiana (3-8) in Ohio Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Buckeyes coughed up three turnovers in the first half, which kept the Hoosiers within striking distance. Kevin Wilson's squad took a 20-14 lead midway through the third quarter, which officially put Ohio State on upset alert.

That's when Jalin Marshall came to the rescue, scoring four unanswered touchdowns (one punt return and three receiving) to seal the game for Urban Meyer and clinch the Big Ten East Division title. 

How did the Buckeyes grade out from a closer-than-expected 15-point victory over Indiana?

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

Pass Offense: J.T. Barrett has looked nearly unstoppable since a Week 3 matchup against Kent State, but he got off to a rough start against the Hoosiers. The redshirt freshman threw for just 79 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but he also tossed two costly interceptions.

He found his bearings in the second half, though. Barrett connected on 15 of 22 passes in the final two quarters and finished the game with 302 passing yards and four touchdowns. All three of his second-half touchdowns went to Marshall, who finished the day with five receptions for 95 yards.  

Run Offense: Ezekiel Elliott sparked Ohio State’s offense early when he broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run on the game’s third play. The Buckeyes piled up 166 yards on the ground in the first half, but they slowed in the second half, finishing with 225. Elliott registered a team-high 107 yards on just 13 carries, and Barrett chipped in 78 yards. Freshman Curtis Samuel was a surprise contributor, gaining 40 yards on six carries.

Pass Defense: Without Nate Sudfeld at quarterback, Indiana's passing attack has really struggled this year. Things were no different on Saturday, as backup quarterback Zander Diamont completed just 40.7 percent of his passes for 114 yards and no touchdowns. The Buckeyes came up with a game-clinching interception when Tyvis Powell picked off a Diamont pass late in the fourth quarter.

Indiana receiver Shane Wynn had success, accounting for 93 of the Hoosiers' 114 yards through the air. He was the only positive in an otherwise forgettable performance from Indiana's passing attack. 

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Run Defense: Ohio State did a decent job of limiting the nation’s second-leading rusher in the first half, holding Tevin Coleman to 50 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. But the Buckeyes lost contain on a huge quarterback run from Diamont, who got loose for a 53-yard run to set up Indiana’s first touchdown.

Things went from bad to worse in the second half, though, when Coleman broke free on a perimeter run for a 90-yard touchdown. On Indiana's final possession, he broke free again for a 52-yard score. He finished the day with 228 yards and three touchdowns on just 27 carries. 

Special Teams: Ohio State's special teams have not only failed to produce big plays this year—they've been flat-out mediocre. That wasn't the case against Indiana, however. Sure, Sean Nuernberger missed a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. But that negative play was negated by a pair of incredible efforts from Cameron Johnston and Marshall.

Johnston set things up when he pinned Indiana at its own 1-yard line with a line-drive punt late in the third quarter. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Marshall took the ensuing Hoosiers punt 54 yards to the house to give Ohio State a lead it wouldn't surrender. 

Those two plays sparked a much-needed Ohio State rally.

Coaching: The Buckeyes gained 130 yards on their first two drives, but they produced just 115 on their final five possessions to close out the first half. That stretch included three turnovers and two three-and-outs, as Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman failed to find a way to move the ball. 

The third quarter started in similar fashion, which opened the door for Indiana to take the lead. The pair of special teams plays from Johnston and Marshall got the Buckeyes back on track, which led the coaching staff to adjust and attack Indiana's perimeter defense. It was an uneven game for Ohio State's coaching staff, and Meyer will want to tighten things up before Michigan comes to town next week. 

All stats via NCAA.com.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.