Columbus, Ohio TreVeyon Henderson ran for a touchdown, Will Howard passed for two and scrambled for another, and No. 2 Ohio State trounced No. 5 Indiana, which had never lost, 38–15 on Saturday.
All Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2) needs to do now is defeat Michigan at home on Saturday to earn a rematch with No. 1 Oregon and a trip back to the Big Ten title game for the first time since 2020. In a thrilling comeback victory on October 12, the Ducks defeated Ohio State 32–31.
The Ohio State defense, which benched quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times, and special teams errors cost the Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) their best chance to defeat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988.
The Buckeyes took control after Indiana punter James Evans fumbled a snap late in the first half and was buried at his own 7-yardline. Henderson swiftly converted that into a 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Buckeyes a 14–7 lead.
Caleb Downs put the Buckeyes ahead 21-7 early in the second half when he received an Evans punt at the Ohio State 21. He then sprinted down the right sideline, cut to the middle, and outran the covering for a touchdown. For the first time since 2014, a Buckeye returned a punt for a score.
Howard’s final stats were 201 yards and 22 for 26. Emeka Egbuka recorded a touchdown and 80 yards on seven catches.
Ty Son Lawson, who led the Hoosiers with 79 running yards, scored short runs on Indiana’s opening and last possessions of the game. For 68 yards, Rourke was 8 for 18.
The takeaway
Indiana: The Buckeyes’ 30th consecutive victory over the Hoosiers marred its remarkable season. After splitting a conference championship with two other teams in 1967, Indiana was aiming for its first one. Now, it won’t occur.
Ohio State: When the Hoosiers became careless, they didn’t blow the chances they had. The Buckeyes dominated the second half and led 14–7 at the interval. It was astonishing how well an offensive line that had been cobbled together due to numerous injuries functioned.
Poll implications
Since Indiana hadn’t faced a nationally ranked team before to Ohio State, several voters were clearly unsure of the state. The Hoosiers will drop after this one.
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