One of the most important games of the entire College Football season looms Saturday when the Ohio State Buckeyes head to Bloomington to face off with the Indiana Hoosiers. This game has massive implications on the Big Ten Championship and should be a tight one. The purpose of today’s article is a full breakdown and comparison of the talented offenses we will see Saturday. Let’s jump in, starting with the quarterback position!
Quarterback
Julian Sayin (OSU): The junior is having a superb start to the season, throwing for 1,772 yards and 17 touchdowns with an 87.0 QBR and 71.2% completion rate. He’s ranked fourth in the nation in passing yards, tied-3rd in touchdowns and 7th in QBR. Sayin has experience in big games and will be ready to go Saturday.
Josh Hoover (IU): The senior has taken a step up this year, catapulting himself into the top-level quarterback conversations. This year, Hoover has thrown for 1,364 yards, 17 touchdowns, and no interceptions. His QBR is 88.1 and completion percentage is 68.2% He’s tied for third in touchdowns and ranked one spot ahead of Sayin (6th) in QBR.
Winner: Julian Sayin (1-0 OSU)
Sayin is a slightly more accurate quarterback, throwing to the best wide receiver in the country and has plenty of big game experience, giving him the edge over Hoover.
Running Backs
OSU (Bo Jackson, Ja’Kobi Jackson): The Buckeyes have a nice balance in their running game between freshman Bo Jackson and senior Ja’Kobi Jackson. Bo leads OSU with 460 yards and 4 touchdowns on 89 carries. Ja’Kobi has put up 354 yards and 6 touchdowns on 59 carries. This duo brings versatility and speed to the Buckeye offense. However, Ja’Kobi Jackson was recently ruled out for Saturday’s game.
IU (Turbo Richard, Lee Beebe Jr): The Hoosiers have a great balance of their own between junior Turbo Richard and senior Lee Beebe Jr. Richard leads the Hoosiers with 597 yards and 5 touchdowns on 71 carries. Beebe has 551 yards and 4 touchdowns on his own on 98 carries. The duo brings a nice one-two punch to the Indiana offense.
Winner: Indiana (1-1)
The Hoosiers are simply more efficient when they run the ball, giving them the win.
Wide Receivers
OSU (Jeremiah Smith, Devin McCuin, Brandon Inniss): Junior Jeremiah Smith is Jeremiah Smith, he is currently the Heisman favorite and everyone knows the sheer firepower he brings to the table. The senior duo of Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss backup Smith, reeling in a combined 27 catches, 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. Smith has 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns on his own. Basically, he’s really the backbone of OSU’s entire offense.
IU (Nick Marsh, Charlie Becker, Davion Chandler): The Hoosiers have quite the wide receiver room on their hands. The junior duo of Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker are practically equal in all stats. Becker has 30 catches, Marsh 29. Becker has 529 yards, Marsh 528. Becker has 8 touchdowns, Marsh 6. Behind those two is sophomore Davion Chandler, who has 9 grabs for 99 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Winner: Split (2-2)
Jeremiah Smith earns the Buckeyes a point, but the duo of Marsh and Becker tops the rest of OSU’s WR room.
Tight Ends
OSU (Nate Roberts, Mason Williams): Sophomore Nate Roberts is a solid weapon for OSU. He’s got 10 receptions for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns this year. Senior Mason Williams adds 5 catches for 37 yards and a touchdown of his own.
IU (Brock Schott, Trevor Gibbs): The Hoosiers do not rely heavily on their tight ends, as sophomore Brock Schott has one catch for 25 yards, while freshman Trevor Gibbs has 2 for 21.
Winner: Ohio State (OSU leads 3-2)
Despite tight end not being a string suit for either team, the Buckeyes utilize theirs significantly more than the Hoosiers.
Offensive Line
OSU: The Buckeyes’ unit has faced significant adversity over the first half of the season due to injuries, most notably the multiweek absence of starting right tackle Phillip Daniels following a week 2 loss to Texas. This string of absences forced head coach Ryan Day to continuously shuffle his front five. Senior leader Austin Siereveld will be out Saturday for the Buckeyes, continuing the shuffling.
IU: The Indiana offensive line is built on a foundation of veteran coaching and powerful, physical play. They are known for their ability to maintain a clean pocket for quarterback Josh Hoover and create rushing lanes, this unit excels at controlling the line of scrimmage.
Winner: Indiana (3-3)
Wrap-Up
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers are locked dead-even on the offensive side of the ball, tying 3-3. This is a good representation of how Saturday should go, down to the wire. Sansom Sports Media will have game previews out Friday morning!
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