Ohio State provides lackluster performance against Indiana

by Madison Bibbey

Staff Writer

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

The college football season kicked off spectacularly on September 2nd, 2023, as the Ohio State Buckeyes clashed with the Indiana Hoosiers in a highly anticipated matchup. At Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, the game highlighted some strengths and potential weaknesses the Buckeyes have to start the season. Ultimately, the Buckeyes came out victorious with a score of 23-3.

The Ohio State-Indiana game was more than just the start of a new season; it was a showcase of two quarterbacks fighting for the top position. Before the game, head coach Ryan Day said that Kyle McCord would start the game, but Devin Brown would also play. While what he said technically turned out to be accurate, Brown only played two series. Though McCord led the Buckeyes to a win, he did not play lights out. McCord did not throw a touchdown pass, had an interception, and went the wrong way on a running play that forced Ohio State to settle for a field goal.

Ohio State’s offense was not up to the standard seen in previous years. The Columbus Dispatch shared in an article that “Ohio State has averaged at least 41 points a game each of the past seven seasons, and averaged 52.3 points in season openers over that stretch.” While in the 2022 season opener, OSU only scored 21 points while playing No. 5 ranked Notre Dame. Indiana is unranked.

The Buckeyes offense scored only two touchdowns, both rushing. Star receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka only had a total of 34 yards combined. However, wide receiver Justin Fleming and Tight End Cade Stover stepped up with 156 yards combined.

The Buckeyes' defense picked up the slack, holding Indiana to only a field goal. But OSU’s defense only allowed the Hoosiers' 8 first downs in the entire game. The defense also kept Indiana out of their red zone entirely. However, with only one sack, there is still room to improve for OSU’s defense. A Cleveland.com article noted that some of OSU’s defense was a bit unsatisfied; “‘We wish it was a donut,’ defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said, referring to a big zero on the scoreboard. ‘But hey, we’ll take it.’" The defense dominated and should look even better against Youngstown State on September 9th.

Overall, Ohio State’s offense was lackluster despite the hype. Many viewed the game expecting Ohio State to put on a show. In a poll done by The Jag Times on Instagram, 71% of 45 voters watched the game. While the offense was disappointing, the defense seemed strong. The September 9th game against Youngstown State should be more exciting.