3 reasons why Ohio State will squash Indiana on Saturday
By Alec Hartman
3. The Buckeyes’ efficiency on offense will wear down the Hoosiers
It’s alright to be a perfectionist but Justin Fields’ version of perfect should be considered unhealthy. Fields has just 11 incompletions through three weeks of football with many of those incompletions, not by his own fault. He has certainly been a man on a mission this season as his list of mistakes is nearly nonexistent.
As typical of the Buckeyes in recent years, Fields has a bevy of receivers at his disposal to aid his success. His best-known comrades include the nation’s best duo consisting of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. The two combined for three touchdowns and over 160 yards last game against Rutgers. Fields had tossed a touchdown to four different receivers last week.
The Buckeyes have not been shy to introduce new faces to their offense on a weekly basis with Jameson Williams making a fine introduction against Rutgers. Fields’ first touchdown of the game went to Williams as he beat the defense and caught it in the end zone. Tight end Jeremy Ruckert had his breakout game against Penn State where he caught two touchdowns and followed that up last week with another score.
The Hoosiers have a top 20 total defense in the nation this season which is an area the team has been consistent with since they finished within the top 50 last season. This sounds good but it was not evident in the last matchup with the Buckeyes as they gave up over 500 yards of offense and six touchdowns. The Hoosiers currently lead the Big Ten in sacks with Tiawan Mullen leading the team with 2.5 sacks.
One of the Hoosiers’ most favorable statistics is in the category of turnovers as junior cornerback Jaylin Williams is tied for most interceptions in the Big Ten. Fortunately, Fields has been diligent as a passer and has only thrown a grand total of three interceptions in his Buckeye career with none this season. Expect the Buckeyes to continue their dominance with Fields under center.