Game Preview: IU seeks first conference win in No. 5 Ohio State matchup
After suffering a 20-15 loss to No. 10 Michigan State last weekend, Indiana is still winless in all three of its conference matchups. To achieve its first conference win, IU has to upset No. 5 Ohio State at home this Saturday, its fourth top-10 opponent this season and a program it hasn't beaten since 1988.
Unlike IU, Ohio State has a flawless 3-0 conference record, defeating Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland. The Buckeyes are 5-1 overall, defeated by then-No. 12 Oregon 35-28 at home.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud and running back TreVeyon Henderson are two players leading Ohio State's offensive powerhouse that could pose a problem for IU.
Stroud has thrown for 1,699 yards and 18 touchdowns while only throwing three interceptions. The freshman threw one interception in his first three starts, but he has not thrown another in his two most recent starts since then. Henderson has rushed for 605 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 8.8 yards per attempt.
"They do about everything perfect," IU defensive coordinator Charlton Warren said in a press conference on Monday. "Run it, throw it, pass it, protect it."
Still, Warren is prepared to face Ohio State's offense and is looking for ways to stop Stroud, his receiving core and Henderson.
"I think you have to have balance, Warren said. "You got to be able to stop the run... Keep a lid on the passes and then you got to find your spots to pressure. You don't want to be so one-sided where you're great on one end, but every time they hand the ball off, it's a gain of 20."
IU's defense managed to successfully withstand arguably the best running back in the NCAA last week in Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III. That same success could allow the defense to eliminate one major threat of Ohio State's offensive arsenal.
However, pass pressure is significant in forcing mistakes against a skilled quarterback. In last year's matchup, IU's pass rush forced Justin Fields to throw two interceptions. While the Hoosiers lost that game, the defense still provided a chance for the offense to win.
That exact scenario has carried over to the 2021 season for the Hoosiers. The defense has given the offense a chance to win almost every game, yet they are 2-4.
IU's offense has been struggling to score a touchdown in the red zone, and it's been the team's Achilles heel. So far, it's been a coin flip whether IU scores a touchdown in the red zone; the Hoosiers have converted 12 of 24 times.
"We haven't scored touchdowns in the red zone," IU offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said on Monday. "It's really not that much more complicated than that. We've had opportunities in the red area and we haven't scored touchdowns, and ultimately, that leads to points."
IU settled for two field goals in the red zone last weekend against Michigan State. If just one of those drives resulted in a touchdown, it could have given the Hoosiers their first conference win. Instead, they are winless.
"If we were able to do that on one drive Saturday, we would have won the game," Sheridan said.
But scoring in the red zone hasn't been the only concern for IU's offense. Quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle have thrown multiple interceptions, with Tuttle throwing two and fumbling the ball in his first start of the season last weekend.
"Our quarterbacks have turned the ball over too much, period," Sheridan said. "That's pretty evident to everybody, so that can't happen. That's led to us losing games."
Like Stroud, Tuttle will presumingly feel more comfortable as time goes on. He and the offense will need to be in sync, capitalizing on red zone opportunities to earn their first conference win of the season and first win against Ohio State in nearly 33 years.
The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m Saturday, Oct. 23rd, and will be available to watch on ABC.
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