December 4, 2025 • 24 mins
Buckeye Weekly Podcast: How Ohio State Can Defeat Indiana in the Big Ten Championship
In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr break down the strategies and matchups that could lead Ohio State to victory against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both teams, focusing on key factors like offensive line play, defensive performance, and special teams. The episode highlights the areas where Ohio State can capitalize, such as exploiting the right side of Indiana's offensive line and utilizing their dynamic passing game. The hosts also compare the running games and the impact of turnovers and special teams on the outcome. Tune in for a comprehensive analysis of how the Buckeyes can come out on top in this crucial matchup.
00:00 Introduction and Preface
01:17 Analyzing Ohio State's Defensive Edge
04:24 Indiana's Offensive Challenges
10:47 Ohio State's Offensive Strategy
21:21 Special Teams and Final Thoughts
In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr break down the strategies and matchups that could lead Ohio State to victory against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both teams, focusing on key factors like offensive line play, defensive performance, and special teams. The episode highlights the areas where Ohio State can capitalize, such as exploiting the right side of Indiana's offensive line and utilizing their dynamic passing game. The hosts also compare the running games and the impact of turnovers and special teams on the outcome. Tune in for a comprehensive analysis of how the Buckeyes can come out on top in this crucial matchup.
00:00 Introduction and Preface
01:17 Analyzing Ohio State's Defensive Edge
04:24 Indiana's Offensive Challenges
10:47 Ohio State's Offensive Strategy
21:21 Special Teams and Final Thoughts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How's it going, Tony, We I'm sure are going to
have Indiana folks watching this show and you know, looking
at the headline and going this is total disrespect. And
we're going to tell you right up front, we're going
to do a show that is how Indiana wins. And
then we'll have Ohio State people angry and we'll say,
but wait, we did the So just relax, everyone relaxed.
(00:30):
I feel like we need to sort of preface this
show with Indiana is very good this season. Indiana absolutely
deserves to be the number two team in the country.
Indiana absolutely deserves to have a college football playoff first
round by Indiana absolutely could win this game. We will
have a whole show on how that could happen. In
this show, we're gonna end up picking apart the little
just sort of nitpicking a bunch of little stuff on
(00:51):
Indiana's team, where Indiana, this is not a bad team.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
This is not a team.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
That's like, oh boy, glaring holes everywhere. This is a
very good team. Not try to be mean. We're just
saying Okay, here's where if Ohio State wins, here's where
Ohio State may be able to take advantage of some things.
So there you go, save your angry comments or don't,
I don't know whatever, Like it's you know, it's a
free country, Tom.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Let's start with the Ohio State defense, which best in
the nation. Indiana is right there as well, but I
think most people would agree that Ohio State has the
edge and defensive talent over the Indiana defense, not that
they're going to face each other. And when I think
about what the Ohio State defense is going to do,
(01:37):
you look at the weaknesses the perceived weaknesses of the
Indiana side of things, the Indiana offense, and for me,
I just I wonder how stout the offensive line, the
right side of the offensive line can be for Indiana
because I feel like if Ohio State's going to win,
a lot of their victorious plays are going to come
(01:59):
from that side of things. Where we've seen right right
tackle Khalil Benson have some issues this season, the right
guard set some issues this season in the four games
that we've seen. So when I'm watching this and how
is Ohio State going to win? I think a lot
of it. Now, some of it is going to come
from that right side, whether you know it's Kenyata Jackson,
King and Curry or Velle Reese, some of the blitzes
(02:22):
coming through that gap and things of that nature. When
stuff gets blown up in the backfield, don't be surprised
when it's coming from the right side of the Indiana offense.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, it's interesting because we've watched Indiana games sort of
throughout the season. We tried to watch the games against
the best opponents they've played, So we watched Penn State
and Iowa and Oregon, and we watch Wisconsin because it's
the most you know, the most recent game against a
team that can sort of fog a mirror, but you
know it is a it's a right side of the
offensive line that earlier in the season we were saying
(02:55):
all the same stuff about the right side of the
Ohio State offensive line and the right guard and the
right tackle for Oro High State Tigershaball and Philip Daniels.
There were concerns they're watch Ohio State game against Wisconsin
and you're going to see a bunch of like, oh boy,
big problems on the right side of the offensive line.
You watch the last three weeks to get for that
right side of the Ohio State offensive line, including Michigan,
which has a pretty decent defensive front, you stop seeing
(03:16):
a lot of those same issues. They had big problems
picking up twists and stunts and all that kind of stuff.
And with what Indiana does on defense, that would be
a big, big, big concern to me if that was
still the case, But you haven't really seen that the
last few weeks. Bray Lynch, Khalil Benson, that's the right
guard and right tackle. You're still seeing the same stuff.
You're still seeing the same issues. Even in the most
(03:38):
recent games that we've watched. You know, Benson had a
there was a sack that was a guy who came
right between him where it was just it was a
miscommunication thing against Wisconsin, and that's what you saw from
Ohio State against Wisconsin. Ohio State has kind of gotten
that cleaned up. You're still sort of seeing it from Indiana,
and I think Benson just you see guys beating him
around the edge and it's not a ton, but it's
(04:00):
like once or twice a game, and that's going to
make a difference. And you also see him kind of
grabbing and holding sometimes where you get you know, the
guy who's got him beat and it's like he doesn't
always get called, but it's you know that a hold
can really derail a drive as well. So yeah, that's
where everything sort of starts for me in terms of,
you know, how does Ohio State slow down in the offense.
I think they're going to because it's a good defense,
(04:21):
but I think they might be able to do even
more in that particular area. And that kind of translates
into the next thing, which is Bernando Mendoza is a
phenomenal quarterback. But if you get pressure in Fernando Mendoz's face,
he will sometimes just kind of throw one up. And
it's not a lot, it's not you know, this guy
is an interception machine. But if you go back and
(04:43):
watch the Iowa game, yeah he gotta threw one up
and had an interception, and he against Oregon, yeah he
kind of threw one up and had an interception. And
these have been like crucial late game interceptions that really
could have cost in the game. And I think Ohio
State is I think most people would agree Ohio State
is sort of like a step better than Oregon this year,
(05:04):
a step better than Iowa this year, and Indiana, to
their credit, was able to overcome those mistakes against those teams.
But if you make one of those mistakes against Ohio State,
that may be it. If Indiana plays it's B plus
game and Ohio State plays its B plus game, Ohio
State probably wins by a field goal or touchdown something
like that. If both teams play their A minus game
(05:28):
or both teams with their C plus game. There are
more guys who are going to be standing in a
stage with Roger Goodell with Ohio State on their bios
in April than there are Indiana. The state Indiana team
is phenomenal, they are great, they are you know, their
three wide receivers are one of the best groups in
(05:48):
the nation.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
But the Ohio State guys are better.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
The linebackers for indian are phenomenal, but the Ohio State
guys are better. So the margin for error for Indiana
is relatively small. And I don't think Fernando Mendoza has
the luxury of throwing well, you know, just just one
bad interception, just as a treat. Just we're gonna do it,
just do it once. We're gonna do this little treat
for me. You're gonna throw a bad interception, like you
don't have that luxury on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Night, Pat Hoogan. Their center is good. He's gonna be
going against Kaden McDonald, who is the Big ten defensive
lineman of the year, and he can penetrate and he
can like the shortest, the straightest path between you know,
two lines. Whatever is just nose tackle a quarterback and
that's that's what that is. And he can just create
(06:34):
the havoc right there where Mendos has to go one
way or the other or stand in the pocket try
to throw over McDonald. So I think just the pressure
from the defensive line is going to be intense. And
then the running game while we are talking, we're just
gonna move from the line of scrimmage back the running
game for Indiana, I see. I see two different kinds
(06:59):
of running game for Indiana with Roman Hemby and Kayln Black.
Where against Iowa two point seven yards per carry, that's
what they average as a team. Against Oregon, three yards
of carry, that's what they average as a team against Wisconsin,
another one of the nation's best run defenses, two point
two yards per carry against Penn State three point five
(07:19):
yards per carry. That's what I'm expecting from Ohio State
because against Purdue nine point six yards per carry, against
Maryland seven point one, UCLA five point six, Michigan State
four point seven, Illinois six point three, they're two different
run games against the good defenses and the bad defenses.
(07:40):
And Ohio State is the best defense. And to me,
how does Ohio State win by proving that and limiting
the run game with five six defenders, which then leaves
you more defenders to defend the past. But we've talked
about it in our rewatch is Roman hemby Kaiteln Black.
They're they're fine. Neither one of them scares you. They're
(08:03):
effective in what they do. But when you look at
they've rusted for over three hundred yards five times this season,
the Hoosiers actually six times this season. It's tremendous. But
then against Iowa it's one o four. Against Oregon, it's
one to eleven. Against Michigan State, it's one thirty two
against Penn State, it's one away against Wisconsin it's eighty three.
(08:26):
Where is the three hundred yard rushing against the good defenses?
And that's where I think Ohio State has a big
advantage in this one, and that they are a very
good run defense, and Indiana does not do well against
good run defenses.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, they have.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
The technical term for that is that their offense doesn't
scale well. And that basically means if you're playing Oklahoma State,
or you're playing you know, Purdue or Rutgers or a
team that doesn't have a good I'm thinking of Oregon
playing Oklahoma State. But you know, pick your bad out
of conference team. If you're playing a bad team, you
(09:01):
can run it up. And you know, even against Illinois,
Illinois was missing like seven guys from the secondary by
the end of that game. So then they're not playing
their normal, you know, the normal caliber of players, and
they can run it up. And Kritzignetti is he is
going to put that pedal through the floor at any
you know, any opportunity.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So they run up really pretty stats.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But when they play better teams, all of a sudden
that that isn't there, and that impacts their past game too,
because how heavy RPO, how RPO heavy their offense is.
If the r isn't there, that makes the p more difficult.
And that's that's where you sort of that becomes a
sort of you know, significant problem that sort of snowballs on.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Them at times.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
They they ended up at twenty points against Iowa, They
ended up at thirty points against against Oregon. They where
did they end up against Penn State? You know that
was that was like they had to really pull one
out of the fires. Twenty four I think against twenty
State twenty seven. Yeah, this is this is a substantially
better defense than any of those those are you know,
Oregon has the guys, but you know, the defense on
(10:04):
the whole is not phenomenal. Penn State sort of has
the guys, the defense is okay, but has been prone
to big plays. Iowa has a couple of the guys,
is extremely sound, but doesn't have the personnel that Ohio
State does. This is an Ohio State team that hasn't
given up sixteen, you know, more than sixteen points all season.
And that involved a touchdown in garbage time for Illinois.
(10:26):
And so really they haven't given more than fourteen points
against anyone this season. And so even giving Indiana like sure,
great offense, give you give them an extra touchdown above
anything anyone else has done in non garbage time against
Ohio State. Okay, they get shit at twenty one that
sort of takes you to okay, the other side of
the ball, right, How confident are you that Indiana secondary
(10:49):
is going to be able to hold up against Jeremiah
Smith and Carnell Tate on a fast, dry track. How
confident are you that the safety play is going to
be exactly what they need against those guys and you're
not going to give up a long one. I look
at Jamari Sharp the corner number twenty two. He's good,
he's not incredible, and D'Angelo Ponds is really really good,
(11:13):
but he's five to nine, and it just feels like
there's going to be an opportunity for Jeremiah Smith or
Carnell Tape to go up and use the fact that
they have like a six inch height advantage over DiAngelo
Pons to do something. They're going to have an opportunity
to make a catch against Jamori Sharp that we've seen
lesser receivers make this season. It just it just feels
(11:34):
like this is not a great matchup. And you know,
this is again no shade to no shade to Indiana,
because this is not this is an Ohio State offense
that is not a great matchup for anyone. Amari Ferrell,
the safety number one. He we saw Oregon use tempo,
get him out of position and he sort of gets
lost on some deep balls. This is a far better
(11:56):
secondary than Michigan had. But this is also way better
passing conditions than the buck Gys had fasing Michigan. And
I think there's gonna be a couple big play opportunities
in the past game, and if they can score a
couple of touchdowns in the past game, now you've pretty
much used up most of Indiana's potential offensive output, and
(12:16):
then the pathway winning gets a lot more narrow for them.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
We've watched four or five games now, and their two safeties,
Lewis Moore and Murray Farrell that you mentioned more, has
five interceptions. Farrell has four interceptions. And yet and I
think they each had an interception maybe against Oregon. And
even still, as you're watching them, they don't always pop
(12:41):
up or it's you don't see them necessarily making I
don't think they worry you or they don't scare you, like, well,
let's not throw near that guy, even though they do
have some interceptions. But I think again there's been some
stat padding and some accomplishing some things against lesser opponents,
which is the nature of the Big Ten. We follow
(13:03):
Ohio State, we can tell you all about that, But
when I watched the safeties, it's like, well, you know,
clearly they're all smart, they know what they're doing, but
can they get there? And then the corners you mentioned them,
and even Devin Boy the nicol I think there are
there's an avenue there for Ohio State. Franklin, I think
there's an avenue there against anybody in the nation. So Indiana,
(13:23):
this is no shade to Indiana. This is just Ohio
State's passing game. And as long as they're protected, we
set it against Michigan. If you protect Julian Sayan, you
will win. I think you can say the same thing here.
If you protect Julian Saying and give him time to
pick apart and attack this secondary, you will win, especially
tom if miss If Indiana is going to choose to
(13:46):
play the three linebackers that they they prefer, if they
can to keep three linebackers out there outside of third
and long situations are long to go situations, they'll bring
in boy can number twelve at Nickel and and even
sometimes it'll be three linebackers and five dbs and three
defensive linemen so that they can keep their linebackers out there.
(14:08):
And I don't know that three linebackers against Ohio State's
twelve personnel with that second tight end being Max Claire
flexed out, is a positive matchup for Indiana. And I
guess we could go back and look see what did
Max Clair do last year against Indiana and that'll show
you that maybe you know this or that. But again,
(14:32):
how Max Clair does against Indiana as a pretty boilermaker
doesn't necessarily compute to how he will do against the
Indiana Hoosiers as an Ohio State Buckeye. Last year, I
can tell you he had five catches for thirty six yards,
and the year before that he was out injured. But
(14:52):
I'm just interested to see. I think when we talked
about how is Ohio State win, it's if you're going
to defend the passing with three linebackers and four defensive backs,
that's one of the ways.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah, it feels like you have enough areas that you
can sort of look and go. Ohio State can probably
do something with formation there to set up an advantageous
matchup where you get a safety on Jeremiah Smith. You
get a linebacker on Max Claire and you know Indiana's
linebackers' we've taught you can go back and watch all
(15:27):
of our rewatch shows. We've had nothing but positive things
to say about Indiana's linebackers all week. Aiden Fisher Orlijah Hardy,
Isaiah Jones, like three fantastic linebackers. That's still not a
winning matchup against Max Claire and getting you know, getting
Jeremiah Smith or getting Carnel Tait on a safety, which
is something they can probably do. You can sort of motion,
(15:48):
you can sort of formation your way into that.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
At some point.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Ohio State just doesn't. Ohistate doesn't need to do that
much to get to twenty one, twenty four, twenty seven,
twenty eight points. Indiana kind of needs a lot to
go right in order to get there, and they certainly could.
It probably involves doing something on special teams, doing something
on defense, doing something in terms of stealing a possession
(16:14):
in order for Indiana to get to twenty seven to
twenty eight. It's absolutely possible. It just feels like Ohio
State has just more ways to get there than Indiana does.
And ultimately, you know, when you know when you're looking
This is not a personal guarantee Ohio State wins this
game at my life kind of thing, But it's just
it just feels like, on the balance of probability, there's
(16:35):
a lot more ways for Ohio State to get there
than Indiana, And if the two teams play a comparable
game and the two quarterbacks have similar passing stats, i
think Ohio State probably ends up winning that game.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
In terms of the running game for Ohio State, it's
been clicking and it's getting better and better and better.
Indiana's run defense gave up one hundred and seventeen yards
against State, and that's the only time they've been over
one hundred yards giving up over one hundred yards this
season other than bizarrely two hundred and eighteen yards and
the season opener against All Dominion on twenty three carries.
(17:12):
So I'm guessing there is a couple of long ones
in there. We did not go back and watch the
Indiana Old Dominion game. Sorry about that one. Maybe we
can get it done Saturday while we're waiting for the
game to start. But the way Ohio State's running game
has been doing, and the fact that Penn State went
for one seventeen and that was probably enough to win.
(17:33):
It was just you know, a good offensive effort to
score when they needed to. By Indiana, I feel like
thirty three for one to seventeen, which is Penn State.
What Penn State did, Ohio State can do that. I
also don't know that they need to when Ohio State
has this dynamic passing attack and this defense. So that's
(17:53):
the other thing where it's like, well, Ohio State needs
to win the rushing battle. I don't don't know that
that's true, but I also think they will because of
Whig State's defense. So how many yards do they need
to rush? I don't know that there is a number,
and I don't know that there is a yards per carry.
When if you score three touchdowns through the air, that
might be enough in this game. So how does Ohio
(18:14):
State win with the rushing battle? I think it will
just it's just the nature of the game. It will
just probably happen because Indiana shouldn't be able to run
the ball well and Ohio State runs the ball a
little bit well enough, then you probably win the rushing battle.
But that's even that doesn't mean you're going to win
(18:34):
the game. But how do you see this running game
going because I could see one hundred and twenty yards
rushing and if that's all they get, that's all I get.
But the way things have been going for Ohio State,
I could also see them doing much better than that.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, Indiana has one of the best run defenses in
the country on a yards per kerry basis, their top ten,
and so this is not going to be an easy
defense to run against. But this is also an Ohio
State run game that has gotten substantially better over the
last month, and not just because they've played some bad
run defense. Yes, they've played some bad run defenses, but
in October they ran for three point five five yards
(19:09):
per carry five touchdowns in three games. In November five
point one six yards per carry twelve touchdowns in five games.
So you're basically a yard and a half per carry better.
And yes, some of that's opponent adjusted, but Michigan's run
defense is not dissimilar from Indiana statistically, and Ohio State
ran forty seven times or one hundred and eighty six
(19:29):
yards and four touchdowns. Now, they struggled in short yardage,
which is you know, that's something that we've seen from
both teams. But this is the spot where Indiana. To me,
Indiana probably needs to out rush Ohio State at least
you know, yards per carry basis in order to win
this game, to keep their you know, keep their passing
game sort of flowing and operating. Ohio State can win
(19:50):
this game without winning the rushing battle on the yards
per play basis, because I don't I don't think either
team is putting up five yards per carry or anything
like that. But if this is, if this is one
team is at three point eight and one team is
at three point six, I sort of look at that
and shrug and go ye, okay, And that doesn't change
the fact that I think Ohio State probably wins this game,
and I don't think Indiana is gonna be able to
run the ball that effectively on the Ohio State defense,
(20:13):
and with Ohio State being at least better in the
run game, if Ohio State gets to four yards of carry,
I kind of go, yeah, okay, they're probably they're almost
certainly winning the game. If they get to four yards
per carry and don't turn the ball over a bunch
like that's that's probably a winning number for Ohio State
and for Indiana, they certainly could get there. I mean
Roman Hemby and Kaylon Black. They We've talked about this
(20:35):
all week. They've run hard, like you've got to really
really really tackle well, get them down to the ground
so you don't have the you know, we've seen a
bunch of times good defense is stopping them short of
aligned to gain and then they just sort of leg drive,
fall forward and pick up the first down. This is
a very very good tackling Ohio State team sunny styles,
rvel Reees, Ken McDonald, Caleb downs like, these are guys
(20:57):
who are phenomenal tacklers, very very quick to the ball.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
I think that this is a game where.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
It's not going to take that much. If you get
them down short of the line to gain, then that's
the end of the possession on third and one, fourth
and one. You know, that's the point where you can't
you know, the margin for error for Indiana is relatively
small against pretty good defenses, and this is a better
than pretty good defense.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
In terms of the special teams. Does Ohio State don't
lose the special teams? I don't think you necessarily need to, Like,
don't don't get a punt blocked, how do you win?
Don't get don't give up a cheap one like that.
Don't get caught. Look, don't get caught running on a
kickoff before you actually see the ball leave the toe
and things of that nature. Don't lose badly on special teams.
(21:42):
And you should be okay because Indiana special teams their
punting game is very similar to Ohio States, which is
very nondescript. But these will be ideal conditions, so you
don't need to battle that. So I think that rightly
helps both teams. But as long as it helps Ohio State,
then that's also another path to victory for the Buckeyes.
Do you see much of an advantage one way or
the other for the special teams?
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Not really.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
I mean we've seen Indiana get trying pressure punts and
get get in there and impact punts, and so if
they can do that, yeah, that that's a huge, huge
momentum swing in this game. Their field goal kicker, Niko
Radicich is perfect on the season. It's gonna be perfect conditions.
You would expect him to go, you know, one hundred
(22:24):
percent on whatever kicks he has this this weekend. You
don't want more than maybe one or two of those,
and you maybe don't want more than one of those
if you're Indiana, because I don't think you know, I
think this was a lesson that Michigan learned last week.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
You don't win games with field goals.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
This is not one where you're gonna you're gonna kick
four field goals and that's going to be the way
you win this game. Like they're gonna they're gonna have
to score touchdowns, but if they need all, if the
game is tied, or if the you know, late and
you're lining up for a field goal, Indiana's got to
feel pretty good about things, or you know, right before halftime.
We've seen Kurt Signetty be super super aggressive in those
situations and try and steal three points there. And they
(23:00):
have a really good kicker from inside inside fifty and
then they have a guy who made a fifty.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Eight yard or against Oregon.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
So yeah, you can bombs away from further out than
you think and have a you know, an actual meaningful
chance of making it. So yeah, if to me, the
run game and the special teams are kind of similar,
as long as Ohio State is not losing it by
a lot, that's probably fine. If it's if special teams
are a push and the run game is a push.
Ohio State wins the game because they're passing game.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Better, say, maybe the team that wins is the team
that kicks fewer thirty five yard and underfield goals this game.
Keep if you win the red zone, pretty good chance
you are going to win this game. That's another path
for Ohio State. So there you go. That is how
Ohio State will win this game. As as Tom told you,
there will be another the flip side of that is coming,
(23:50):
so save you're angry posts and whatnot until you see
the flip side and then of course reciprocate. So that
will do it. If you hit the thumbs up, we
would appreciate that. Go ahead and continue to find this
buckeyehuddle dot com as well. That will do it from here.
Thank you all for tuning in and we will talk
to you all later
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How's it going, Tony, We I'm sure are going to
have Indiana folks watching this show and you know, looking
at the headline and going this is total disrespect. And
we're going to tell you right up front, we're going
to do a show that is how Indiana wins. And
then we'll have Ohio State people angry and we'll say,
but wait, we did the So just relax, everyone relaxed.
(00:30):
I feel like we need to sort of preface this
show with Indiana is very good this season. Indiana absolutely
deserves to be the number two team in the country.
Indiana absolutely deserves to have a college football playoff first
round by Indiana absolutely could win this game. We will
have a whole show on how that could happen. In
this show, we're gonna end up picking apart the little
just sort of nitpicking a bunch of little stuff on
(00:51):
Indiana's team, where Indiana, this is not a bad team.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
This is not a team.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
That's like, oh boy, glaring holes everywhere. This is a
very good team. Not try to be mean. We're just
saying Okay, here's where if Ohio State wins, here's where
Ohio State may be able to take advantage of some things.
So there you go, save your angry comments or don't,
I don't know whatever, Like it's you know, it's a
free country, Tom.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Let's start with the Ohio State defense, which best in
the nation. Indiana is right there as well, but I
think most people would agree that Ohio State has the
edge and defensive talent over the Indiana defense, not that
they're going to face each other. And when I think
about what the Ohio State defense is going to do,
(01:37):
you look at the weaknesses the perceived weaknesses of the
Indiana side of things, the Indiana offense, and for me,
I just I wonder how stout the offensive line, the
right side of the offensive line can be for Indiana
because I feel like if Ohio State's going to win,
a lot of their victorious plays are going to come
(01:59):
from that side of things. Where we've seen right right
tackle Khalil Benson have some issues this season, the right
guard set some issues this season in the four games
that we've seen. So when I'm watching this and how
is Ohio State going to win? I think a lot
of it. Now, some of it is going to come
from that right side, whether you know it's Kenyata Jackson,
King and Curry or Velle Reese, some of the blitzes
(02:22):
coming through that gap and things of that nature. When
stuff gets blown up in the backfield, don't be surprised
when it's coming from the right side of the Indiana offense.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, it's interesting because we've watched Indiana games sort of
throughout the season. We tried to watch the games against
the best opponents they've played, So we watched Penn State
and Iowa and Oregon, and we watch Wisconsin because it's
the most you know, the most recent game against a
team that can sort of fog a mirror, but you
know it is a it's a right side of the
offensive line that earlier in the season we were saying
(02:55):
all the same stuff about the right side of the
Ohio State offensive line and the right guard and the
right tackle for Oro High State Tigershaball and Philip Daniels.
There were concerns they're watch Ohio State game against Wisconsin
and you're going to see a bunch of like, oh boy,
big problems on the right side of the offensive line.
You watch the last three weeks to get for that
right side of the Ohio State offensive line, including Michigan,
which has a pretty decent defensive front, you stop seeing
(03:16):
a lot of those same issues. They had big problems
picking up twists and stunts and all that kind of stuff.
And with what Indiana does on defense, that would be
a big, big, big concern to me if that was
still the case, But you haven't really seen that the
last few weeks. Bray Lynch, Khalil Benson, that's the right
guard and right tackle. You're still seeing the same stuff.
You're still seeing the same issues. Even in the most
(03:38):
recent games that we've watched. You know, Benson had a
there was a sack that was a guy who came
right between him where it was just it was a
miscommunication thing against Wisconsin, and that's what you saw from
Ohio State against Wisconsin. Ohio State has kind of gotten
that cleaned up. You're still sort of seeing it from Indiana,
and I think Benson just you see guys beating him
around the edge and it's not a ton, but it's
(04:00):
like once or twice a game, and that's going to
make a difference. And you also see him kind of
grabbing and holding sometimes where you get you know, the
guy who's got him beat and it's like he doesn't
always get called, but it's you know that a hold
can really derail a drive as well. So yeah, that's
where everything sort of starts for me in terms of,
you know, how does Ohio State slow down in the offense.
I think they're going to because it's a good defense,
(04:21):
but I think they might be able to do even
more in that particular area. And that kind of translates
into the next thing, which is Bernando Mendoza is a
phenomenal quarterback. But if you get pressure in Fernando Mendoz's face,
he will sometimes just kind of throw one up. And
it's not a lot, it's not you know, this guy
is an interception machine. But if you go back and
(04:43):
watch the Iowa game, yeah he gotta threw one up
and had an interception, and he against Oregon, yeah he
kind of threw one up and had an interception. And
these have been like crucial late game interceptions that really
could have cost in the game. And I think Ohio
State is I think most people would agree Ohio State
is sort of like a step better than Oregon this year,
(05:04):
a step better than Iowa this year, and Indiana, to
their credit, was able to overcome those mistakes against those teams.
But if you make one of those mistakes against Ohio State,
that may be it. If Indiana plays it's B plus
game and Ohio State plays its B plus game, Ohio
State probably wins by a field goal or touchdown something
like that. If both teams play their A minus game
(05:28):
or both teams with their C plus game. There are
more guys who are going to be standing in a
stage with Roger Goodell with Ohio State on their bios
in April than there are Indiana. The state Indiana team
is phenomenal, they are great, they are you know, their
three wide receivers are one of the best groups in
(05:48):
the nation.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
But the Ohio State guys are better.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
The linebackers for indian are phenomenal, but the Ohio State
guys are better. So the margin for error for Indiana
is relatively small. And I don't think Fernando Mendoza has
the luxury of throwing well, you know, just just one
bad interception, just as a treat. Just we're gonna do it,
just do it once. We're gonna do this little treat
for me. You're gonna throw a bad interception, like you
don't have that luxury on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Night, Pat Hoogan. Their center is good. He's gonna be
going against Kaden McDonald, who is the Big ten defensive
lineman of the year, and he can penetrate and he
can like the shortest, the straightest path between you know,
two lines. Whatever is just nose tackle a quarterback and
that's that's what that is. And he can just create
(06:34):
the havoc right there where Mendos has to go one
way or the other or stand in the pocket try
to throw over McDonald. So I think just the pressure
from the defensive line is going to be intense. And
then the running game while we are talking, we're just
gonna move from the line of scrimmage back the running
game for Indiana, I see. I see two different kinds
(06:59):
of running game for Indiana with Roman Hemby and Kayln Black.
Where against Iowa two point seven yards per carry, that's
what they average as a team. Against Oregon, three yards
of carry, that's what they average as a team against Wisconsin,
another one of the nation's best run defenses, two point
two yards per carry against Penn State three point five
(07:19):
yards per carry. That's what I'm expecting from Ohio State
because against Purdue nine point six yards per carry, against
Maryland seven point one, UCLA five point six, Michigan State
four point seven, Illinois six point three, they're two different
run games against the good defenses and the bad defenses.
(07:40):
And Ohio State is the best defense. And to me,
how does Ohio State win by proving that and limiting
the run game with five six defenders, which then leaves
you more defenders to defend the past. But we've talked
about it in our rewatch is Roman hemby Kaiteln Black.
They're they're fine. Neither one of them scares you. They're
(08:03):
effective in what they do. But when you look at
they've rusted for over three hundred yards five times this season,
the Hoosiers actually six times this season. It's tremendous. But
then against Iowa it's one o four. Against Oregon, it's
one to eleven. Against Michigan State, it's one thirty two
against Penn State, it's one away against Wisconsin it's eighty three.
(08:26):
Where is the three hundred yard rushing against the good defenses?
And that's where I think Ohio State has a big
advantage in this one, and that they are a very
good run defense, and Indiana does not do well against
good run defenses.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, they have.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
The technical term for that is that their offense doesn't
scale well. And that basically means if you're playing Oklahoma State,
or you're playing you know, Purdue or Rutgers or a
team that doesn't have a good I'm thinking of Oregon
playing Oklahoma State. But you know, pick your bad out
of conference team. If you're playing a bad team, you
(09:01):
can run it up. And you know, even against Illinois,
Illinois was missing like seven guys from the secondary by
the end of that game. So then they're not playing
their normal, you know, the normal caliber of players, and
they can run it up. And Kritzignetti is he is
going to put that pedal through the floor at any
you know, any opportunity.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So they run up really pretty stats.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But when they play better teams, all of a sudden
that that isn't there, and that impacts their past game too,
because how heavy RPO, how RPO heavy their offense is.
If the r isn't there, that makes the p more difficult.
And that's that's where you sort of that becomes a
sort of you know, significant problem that sort of snowballs on.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Them at times.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
They they ended up at twenty points against Iowa, They
ended up at thirty points against against Oregon. They where
did they end up against Penn State? You know that
was that was like they had to really pull one
out of the fires. Twenty four I think against twenty
State twenty seven. Yeah, this is this is a substantially
better defense than any of those those are you know,
Oregon has the guys, but you know, the defense on
(10:04):
the whole is not phenomenal. Penn State sort of has
the guys, the defense is okay, but has been prone
to big plays. Iowa has a couple of the guys,
is extremely sound, but doesn't have the personnel that Ohio
State does. This is an Ohio State team that hasn't
given up sixteen, you know, more than sixteen points all season.
And that involved a touchdown in garbage time for Illinois.
(10:26):
And so really they haven't given more than fourteen points
against anyone this season. And so even giving Indiana like sure,
great offense, give you give them an extra touchdown above
anything anyone else has done in non garbage time against
Ohio State. Okay, they get shit at twenty one that
sort of takes you to okay, the other side of
the ball, right, How confident are you that Indiana secondary
(10:49):
is going to be able to hold up against Jeremiah
Smith and Carnell Tate on a fast, dry track. How
confident are you that the safety play is going to
be exactly what they need against those guys and you're
not going to give up a long one. I look
at Jamari Sharp the corner number twenty two. He's good,
he's not incredible, and D'Angelo Ponds is really really good,
(11:13):
but he's five to nine, and it just feels like
there's going to be an opportunity for Jeremiah Smith or
Carnell Tape to go up and use the fact that
they have like a six inch height advantage over DiAngelo
Pons to do something. They're going to have an opportunity
to make a catch against Jamori Sharp that we've seen
lesser receivers make this season. It just it just feels
(11:34):
like this is not a great matchup. And you know,
this is again no shade to no shade to Indiana,
because this is not this is an Ohio State offense
that is not a great matchup for anyone. Amari Ferrell,
the safety number one. He we saw Oregon use tempo,
get him out of position and he sort of gets
lost on some deep balls. This is a far better
(11:56):
secondary than Michigan had. But this is also way better
passing conditions than the buck Gys had fasing Michigan. And
I think there's gonna be a couple big play opportunities
in the past game, and if they can score a
couple of touchdowns in the past game, now you've pretty
much used up most of Indiana's potential offensive output, and
(12:16):
then the pathway winning gets a lot more narrow for them.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
We've watched four or five games now, and their two safeties,
Lewis Moore and Murray Farrell that you mentioned more, has
five interceptions. Farrell has four interceptions. And yet and I
think they each had an interception maybe against Oregon. And
even still, as you're watching them, they don't always pop
(12:41):
up or it's you don't see them necessarily making I
don't think they worry you or they don't scare you, like, well,
let's not throw near that guy, even though they do
have some interceptions. But I think again there's been some
stat padding and some accomplishing some things against lesser opponents,
which is the nature of the Big Ten. We follow
(13:03):
Ohio State, we can tell you all about that, But
when I watched the safeties, it's like, well, you know,
clearly they're all smart, they know what they're doing, but
can they get there? And then the corners you mentioned them,
and even Devin Boy the nicol I think there are
there's an avenue there for Ohio State. Franklin, I think
there's an avenue there against anybody in the nation. So Indiana,
(13:23):
this is no shade to Indiana. This is just Ohio
State's passing game. And as long as they're protected, we
set it against Michigan. If you protect Julian Sayan, you
will win. I think you can say the same thing here.
If you protect Julian Saying and give him time to
pick apart and attack this secondary, you will win, especially
tom if miss If Indiana is going to choose to
(13:46):
play the three linebackers that they they prefer, if they
can to keep three linebackers out there outside of third
and long situations are long to go situations, they'll bring
in boy can number twelve at Nickel and and even
sometimes it'll be three linebackers and five dbs and three
defensive linemen so that they can keep their linebackers out there.
(14:08):
And I don't know that three linebackers against Ohio State's
twelve personnel with that second tight end being Max Claire
flexed out, is a positive matchup for Indiana. And I
guess we could go back and look see what did
Max Clair do last year against Indiana and that'll show
you that maybe you know this or that. But again,
(14:32):
how Max Clair does against Indiana as a pretty boilermaker
doesn't necessarily compute to how he will do against the
Indiana Hoosiers as an Ohio State Buckeye. Last year, I
can tell you he had five catches for thirty six yards,
and the year before that he was out injured. But
(14:52):
I'm just interested to see. I think when we talked
about how is Ohio State win, it's if you're going
to defend the passing with three linebackers and four defensive backs,
that's one of the ways.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah, it feels like you have enough areas that you
can sort of look and go. Ohio State can probably
do something with formation there to set up an advantageous
matchup where you get a safety on Jeremiah Smith. You
get a linebacker on Max Claire and you know Indiana's
linebackers' we've taught you can go back and watch all
(15:27):
of our rewatch shows. We've had nothing but positive things
to say about Indiana's linebackers all week. Aiden Fisher Orlijah Hardy,
Isaiah Jones, like three fantastic linebackers. That's still not a
winning matchup against Max Claire and getting you know, getting
Jeremiah Smith or getting Carnel Tait on a safety, which
is something they can probably do. You can sort of motion,
(15:48):
you can sort of formation your way into that.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
At some point.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Ohio State just doesn't. Ohistate doesn't need to do that
much to get to twenty one, twenty four, twenty seven,
twenty eight points. Indiana kind of needs a lot to
go right in order to get there, and they certainly could.
It probably involves doing something on special teams, doing something
on defense, doing something in terms of stealing a possession
(16:14):
in order for Indiana to get to twenty seven to
twenty eight. It's absolutely possible. It just feels like Ohio
State has just more ways to get there than Indiana does.
And ultimately, you know, when you know when you're looking
This is not a personal guarantee Ohio State wins this
game at my life kind of thing, But it's just
it just feels like, on the balance of probability, there's
(16:35):
a lot more ways for Ohio State to get there
than Indiana, And if the two teams play a comparable
game and the two quarterbacks have similar passing stats, i
think Ohio State probably ends up winning that game.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
In terms of the running game for Ohio State, it's
been clicking and it's getting better and better and better.
Indiana's run defense gave up one hundred and seventeen yards
against State, and that's the only time they've been over
one hundred yards giving up over one hundred yards this
season other than bizarrely two hundred and eighteen yards and
the season opener against All Dominion on twenty three carries.
(17:12):
So I'm guessing there is a couple of long ones
in there. We did not go back and watch the
Indiana Old Dominion game. Sorry about that one. Maybe we
can get it done Saturday while we're waiting for the
game to start. But the way Ohio State's running game
has been doing, and the fact that Penn State went
for one seventeen and that was probably enough to win.
(17:33):
It was just you know, a good offensive effort to
score when they needed to. By Indiana, I feel like
thirty three for one to seventeen, which is Penn State.
What Penn State did, Ohio State can do that. I
also don't know that they need to when Ohio State
has this dynamic passing attack and this defense. So that's
(17:53):
the other thing where it's like, well, Ohio State needs
to win the rushing battle. I don't don't know that
that's true, but I also think they will because of
Whig State's defense. So how many yards do they need
to rush? I don't know that there is a number,
and I don't know that there is a yards per carry.
When if you score three touchdowns through the air, that
might be enough in this game. So how does Ohio
(18:14):
State win with the rushing battle? I think it will
just it's just the nature of the game. It will
just probably happen because Indiana shouldn't be able to run
the ball well and Ohio State runs the ball a
little bit well enough, then you probably win the rushing battle.
But that's even that doesn't mean you're going to win
(18:34):
the game. But how do you see this running game
going because I could see one hundred and twenty yards
rushing and if that's all they get, that's all I get.
But the way things have been going for Ohio State,
I could also see them doing much better than that.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, Indiana has one of the best run defenses in
the country on a yards per kerry basis, their top ten,
and so this is not going to be an easy
defense to run against. But this is also an Ohio
State run game that has gotten substantially better over the
last month, and not just because they've played some bad
run defense. Yes, they've played some bad run defenses, but
in October they ran for three point five five yards
(19:09):
per carry five touchdowns in three games. In November five
point one six yards per carry twelve touchdowns in five games.
So you're basically a yard and a half per carry better.
And yes, some of that's opponent adjusted, but Michigan's run
defense is not dissimilar from Indiana statistically, and Ohio State
ran forty seven times or one hundred and eighty six
(19:29):
yards and four touchdowns. Now, they struggled in short yardage,
which is you know, that's something that we've seen from
both teams. But this is the spot where Indiana. To me,
Indiana probably needs to out rush Ohio State at least
you know, yards per carry basis in order to win
this game, to keep their you know, keep their passing
game sort of flowing and operating. Ohio State can win
(19:50):
this game without winning the rushing battle on the yards
per play basis, because I don't I don't think either
team is putting up five yards per carry or anything
like that. But if this is, if this is one
team is at three point eight and one team is
at three point six, I sort of look at that
and shrug and go ye, okay, And that doesn't change
the fact that I think Ohio State probably wins this game,
and I don't think Indiana is gonna be able to
run the ball that effectively on the Ohio State defense,
(20:13):
and with Ohio State being at least better in the
run game, if Ohio State gets to four yards of carry,
I kind of go, yeah, okay, they're probably they're almost
certainly winning the game. If they get to four yards
per carry and don't turn the ball over a bunch
like that's that's probably a winning number for Ohio State
and for Indiana, they certainly could get there. I mean
Roman Hemby and Kaylon Black. They We've talked about this
(20:35):
all week. They've run hard, like you've got to really
really really tackle well, get them down to the ground
so you don't have the you know, we've seen a
bunch of times good defense is stopping them short of
aligned to gain and then they just sort of leg drive,
fall forward and pick up the first down. This is
a very very good tackling Ohio State team sunny styles,
rvel Reees, Ken McDonald, Caleb downs like, these are guys
(20:57):
who are phenomenal tacklers, very very quick to the ball.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
I think that this is a game where.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
It's not going to take that much. If you get
them down short of the line to gain, then that's
the end of the possession on third and one, fourth
and one. You know, that's the point where you can't
you know, the margin for error for Indiana is relatively
small against pretty good defenses, and this is a better
than pretty good defense.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
In terms of the special teams. Does Ohio State don't
lose the special teams? I don't think you necessarily need to, Like,
don't don't get a punt blocked, how do you win?
Don't get don't give up a cheap one like that.
Don't get caught. Look, don't get caught running on a
kickoff before you actually see the ball leave the toe
and things of that nature. Don't lose badly on special teams.
(21:42):
And you should be okay because Indiana special teams their
punting game is very similar to Ohio States, which is
very nondescript. But these will be ideal conditions, so you
don't need to battle that. So I think that rightly
helps both teams. But as long as it helps Ohio State,
then that's also another path to victory for the Buckeyes.
Do you see much of an advantage one way or
the other for the special teams?
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Not really.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
I mean we've seen Indiana get trying pressure punts and
get get in there and impact punts, and so if
they can do that, yeah, that that's a huge, huge
momentum swing in this game. Their field goal kicker, Niko
Radicich is perfect on the season. It's gonna be perfect conditions.
You would expect him to go, you know, one hundred
(22:24):
percent on whatever kicks he has this this weekend. You
don't want more than maybe one or two of those,
and you maybe don't want more than one of those
if you're Indiana, because I don't think you know, I
think this was a lesson that Michigan learned last week.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
You don't win games with field goals.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
This is not one where you're gonna you're gonna kick
four field goals and that's going to be the way
you win this game. Like they're gonna they're gonna have
to score touchdowns, but if they need all, if the
game is tied, or if the you know, late and
you're lining up for a field goal, Indiana's got to
feel pretty good about things, or you know, right before halftime.
We've seen Kurt Signetty be super super aggressive in those
situations and try and steal three points there. And they
(23:00):
have a really good kicker from inside inside fifty and
then they have a guy who made a fifty.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Eight yard or against Oregon.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
So yeah, you can bombs away from further out than
you think and have a you know, an actual meaningful
chance of making it. So yeah, if to me, the
run game and the special teams are kind of similar,
as long as Ohio State is not losing it by
a lot, that's probably fine. If it's if special teams
are a push and the run game is a push.
Ohio State wins the game because they're passing game.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Better, say, maybe the team that wins is the team
that kicks fewer thirty five yard and underfield goals this game.
Keep if you win the red zone, pretty good chance
you are going to win this game. That's another path
for Ohio State. So there you go. That is how
Ohio State will win this game. As as Tom told you,
there will be another the flip side of that is coming,
(23:50):
so save you're angry posts and whatnot until you see
the flip side and then of course reciprocate. So that
will do it. If you hit the thumbs up, we
would appreciate that. Go ahead and continue to find this
buckeyehuddle dot com as well. That will do it from here.
Thank you all for tuning in and we will talk
to you all later
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