Just like we’ve done over the last couple of seasons, we’ll be providing a preview of Ohio State’s opponent for the upcoming week. It’s a coronavirus pandemic shortened slate, and a chance of other games being canceled, so we’ll have to stay on our toes.
So, if you want to impress your friends while watching the game, we’ve got your cheat code right here. We do the research, you drop nuggets. You win on Saturdays. It’s as simple as that.
Ohio State’s fourth official game of the year is against an Indiana squad that is remarkably ranked inside the top ten, the two teams first and only matchup when both are that highly ranked. This one is for the lead in the Big Ten East Division, and even though the Buckeyes have been installed as an almost three-touchdown favorite, this could be a donnybrook.
Ohio State vs. Indiana 2020 Football Preview And Prediction https://t.co/tBU64UFRQI
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) November 16, 2020
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Indiana Hoosiers.
NEXT … Indiana’s vitals
Indiana Record
(4-0) – The Hoosiers have beaten the likes of Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State
All-Time Vitals
Record: 495-684-44, No. 122 All-Time
National Championships: 0
Conference Championships: 2, No. 105 All-Time
Bowl Games: 12, No. 87 All-Time
Bowl Record: 3-9, No. 97 All-Time
Consensus All-Americans: 7, No. 61 All-Time
Heisman Winners: None
NFL Draft Picks: 170, No. 53 All-Time
NEXT … Best Season, Best Player of All-Time
Best Season of All-Time
1945 – It’s slim pickings for Hoosier football history, but the time around World War II was the best in the history of the program. Indiana won the Big Ten, got all the way up to a No. 4 national ranking, and finished with just one-tie on the season for a 9-0-1 record. The lone blemish came on a 7-7 tie with Northwestern.
The team was a collection of former WWII vets that were granted 60-day leaves as the war ended in early September. The Hoosiers were led by Indiana legend Pete Pihos and head coach Bo McMillin.
Only national champion Army, Alabama (No. 2) and Navy (No. 3) finished in the polls ahead of the Hoosiers. It was definitely a different era then.
Best Indiana Hoosier of All-Time
Indiana Hoosiers Running Back Anthony Thompson broke the record for most career TD's with 65. He finished his senior season with 1,793 yards on 358 attempts and 24 touchdowns. Along with winning the Maxwell Award, he was also named the Big Ten MVP and Fi… https://t.co/gHW8Pg5mmd pic.twitter.com/p41aeElZTZ
— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) November 1, 2018
Anthony Thompson, RB (1986-1989) – Conversations about the best Indiana football player of all time begin and end with Thompson. He came to Bloomington out of Terre Haute, Indiana as a legendary high school football player and didn’t disappoint.
He rushed for just 806 yards his freshman season, but that had to do more with not giving the kid the ball enough. He went over 1,000 yards each of his last three seasons and finished his career as a Hoosier with 5,299 yards. He rushed for over 1,700 yards his senior season and could have easily won the Heisman, but finished second in the voting behind Houston quarterback Andre Ware.
Still, Thompson was a two-time First-Team All-American and All-Big Ten Performer. He still lives in Bloomington today and probably gets free dinners and upgraded value meals wherever he goes.
Next … Head coach, offensive and defensive style
Current Head Coach
Watch what Indiana head coach Tom Allen said about Ohio State prior to the game Saturday https://t.co/JVhflb5oEv
— Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) November 17, 2020
Tom Allen – 22-20 in his fourth full season at Indiana
Hoosier Offensive Style
Offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer likes to mix things up and utilize matchup advantages. It’s a fairly balanced offensive design with almost equal amounts of rushing and passing attempts. With Michael Penix, Jr. at quarterback, the team will look for more read-options than in previous seasons to take advantage of his ability to make plays on the ground.
The Hoosiers will spread out the defense, and give the quarterback the option to get out in space and create as he desires. Sometimes he’ll make throws out of the pocket, other times he’ll make the read in the spread-attack and either let the running back take it, or pull it himself. It’s a dangerous offensive scheme that defenders will have to remain assignment and gap sound on.
Hoosier Defensive Style
Indiana runs a 4-2-5 scheme that maximizes the talent that it has. Since Allen’s arrival as the defensive coordinator in 2016, the Hoosier defense has steadily improved. With very little fanfare, the UI defense has quietly emerged as a positive for the team. That couldn’t be said for the Hoosiers’ before the arrival of Allen. Even though he’s the head coach now, the same philosophies and way of doing things have remained under defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
Next … Player to watch
Indiana Hoosier to watch
Michael Penix Jr. threw for 320 yards and hit Ty Fryfogle for two touchdown passes as No. 10 Indiana remained unbeaten with a 24-0 victory over Michigan State. Next up for the Hoosiers: Ohio State.
by @noahtrister
https://t.co/T8eSzNGIBv— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 14, 2020
Michael Penix, jr. – QB — Pinex Jr. didn’t get to play against Ohio State last season, but he’s one of the best under center in the league. He won the starting job his freshman season over a pretty good quarterback in his own right, Patrick Ramsey. The Tampa native is a little raw still in the passing game (but improving), but he’s extremely dangerous on the ground. Because of his allusiveness, he’s able to keep plays alive and give receivers time to break free.
It’ll be by far the most mobile quarterback the Ohio State defense has faced this year, and he’ll make some plays. It’ll just be up to the coaching staff and players to limit those breakouts, and stay locked on receivers until he gets past the line of scrimmage. Keep him contained in the pocket and spy if you have to.
Indiana can win the game if …
It can score with Ohio State. There may not be a team in college football that can keep the lid on the Buckeye offense, and that means Indiana will need to keep pace and move the chains and score touchdowns itself. If Indiana can get a few key stops on defense and stay in the game, this one could be a fourth-quarter game.
However, to do that, Penix is going to have to be the playmaker and difference for Indiana. He has to come out and be able to make plays in the passing game as well as with his legs. A one-dimensional Penix is bad enough but containable at times. If he can complete more than the 60.7 percent of his passes he’s slinging around this year, we might be seeing a close one.
