Quarterback Julian Sayin watched the end of Ohio State’s Oct. 17 game against Indiana in a sling. Despite that, the Buckeyes earned a 19-15 win over the reigning national champions and ended the Hoosiers’ 22-game home winning streak.
Sayin left after being sacked during the fourth quarter. Before he left, he had passed for 235 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. After the game, coach Ryan Day said it would be a matter of “weeks” before Sayin is likely to return.
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Ohio State’s defense, meanwhile, wreaked havoc against the Hoosiers, forcing two fumbles. Indiana’s offense had not fumbled in 1,437 plays, the longest active streak in the FBS.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was held to four catches but finished with 68 yards and a 38-yard touchdown catch.
See how the Buckeyes graded out below. Grades are given on a scale of one to five Buckeye leaves.
Offense grade: 2 leaves
Indiana Hoosiers safety Preston Zachman (6) hits wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026.
Moments before kickoff on Fox Sports, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was asked how to stop Jeremiah Smith. His response: “By hitting the quarterback before he throws the ball.”
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It was a sound strategy. While Sayin completed his first four passes, he went 6-for-17 the rest of the first half. He missed open wide receivers and neglected to use his legs to escape the pocket.
When faced with pressure, Sayin looked frantic. The clearest example came on a screen play in the second quarter, when Sayin failed to find the running back, froze and took a 10-yard sack instead of throwing the ball away.
Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was locked up in double coverage the entire game. A cornerback would cover Smith at the line of scrimmage and another defensive back would loom five yards behind to make sure Smith could not break away.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Julian Sayin (10) during the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026.
Both of Sayin’s interceptions came on attempted passes to Smith. Up 3-0, Sayin forced a pass to Smith, which Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe broke up and tipped to defensive back Amare Ferrell. Sayin’s second interception again landed in the arms of Ferrell, and it came on a target to Smith in the third quarter. The ball sailed far beyond his reach.
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Still, Smith broke through in the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-1 at Indiana’s 38-yard line, Sayin chucked up a jump ball while Smith was in double coverage. Before the ball reached the end zone, Smith pivoted and boxed out both defenders for a touchdown he made look easy.
Smith made an impact in other ways. In the last minute of the second half, Ohio State went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2. Smith dragged three defenders with him on a pass play, leaving Bo Jackson uncovered for a score.
Wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. had catches of 21 and 30 yards on that touchdown drive.
Ohio State’s run game clearly took a hit with the injuries to offensive lineman Austin Siereveld and running back Ja’Kobi Jackson. Bo Jackson was inefficient, averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Isaiah West, however, stepped up in the second half and finished with six carries for 45 yards.
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Defense grade: 4 leaves
Ohio State’s defense delivered with two crucial takeaways.
On Indiana’s opening drive in the third quarter, freshman Jay Timmons executed a perfect peanut punch, separating Indiana wide receiver Davion Chandler from the ball at the Indiana 45-yard line, which led to an OSU field goal.
Eight offensive snaps later and down 13-7, the Hoosiers sat at the Ohio State 27-yard line and went for it on fourth-and-4. Safety Jaylen McClain, who had lined up on the defensive line, blew past the left side of protection and hit Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover, forcing another fumble and preventing a score.
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Hoover completed 20 of 40 throws and was sacked once.
The Hoosiers failed to establish a reliable ground game with Turbo Richard averaging 2.9 yards per carry. And Ohio State and Indiana were gridlocked at 19-15 for the final 10 minutes of the game – even with Kenyatta Jackson Jr. sidelined with an injury.
On a handful of occasions, Indiana’s wide receivers burned the Ohio State secondary in one-on-one coverage. Charlie Becker, a likely first-round NFL draft pick, grabbed nine receptions for 165 yards. Plus, there would have been a much different feel about the defense if Nick Marsh kept one foot inbounds on Indiana’s final offensive play. But with the offense struggling while navigating a quarterback change, the defense came up with key stops.
Special teams grade: 4 leaves
When they needed reliable points, Ohio State kicker Connor Hawkins delivered two short field goals. The Buckeyes lacked that in a 13-10 Big Ten title game loss to Indiana. In a close game, the special teams unit did not make any costly mistakes on returns or punts. Punter Joe MacGuire landed three of five kicks inside the 20-yard line.
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Coaching grade: 3 leaves
The glaring issue for Ohio State’s offense seems to be red zone playcalling. The Buckeyes often line up near the goal line without their best player, Jeremiah Smith, on the field. The one time Ohio State broke through – on Bo Jackson’s fourth-down touchdown – OSU lined up in a spread formation with Smith on the field. Smith commands attention, and coordinator Arthur Smith ought to lean into that when designing red zone plays.
Ohio State’s uncharacteristically aggressive call to go for it on the fourth-down touchdown ended up being the difference maker.
Meanwhile, Matt Patricia’s unit faced a veteran quarterback and experienced offensive line. Still, the Buckeyes created pressure by disguising blitz packages, most prominently on McClain’s sack. Ohio State’s defense is developing multiple playmakers that have improved since the Texas loss.
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Officials: 2 leaves
The officials were inconsistent. When Sayin targeted Smith on an underthrown deep shot in the second quarter, opposing defensive back Preston Zachman lifted Smith and pushed him out of the way, but Zachman was not flagged for pass interference. On the final play of the game, it appeared that linebacker Riley Pettijohn was being held while trying to pursue the quarterback, but the officials did not throw a flag for holding.
The officials did make the right call on Jermaine Mathews Jr., after a hit on Hoover. Mathews was flagged for roughing the passer, but not targeting. The officials also spotted that Luke Fahey was hit after sliding by linebacker Isaiah Jones, a crucial call that kept a drive alive.
Indiana: 3 leaves
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026.
Indiana lost the game, if not by 12 inches, then certainly by a foot. On the Hoosiers’ final offensive play, Hoover sailed a pass to a wide-open Marsh in the end zone, who failed to get a foot in bounds.
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Cignetti is known for running a tight operation, but Indiana’s two turnovers killed the team’s third-quarter momentum, and the late hit on Fahey allowed Ohio State to kill valuable time.
Indiana kicker Nico Radicic missed a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter, which – at first blush – makes it questionable as to why Cignetti would send him out to attempt a 55-yarder in the third quarter, a kick that fell well short. But Cignetti knew Hoover had been wincing in pain a few snaps earlier. While that may have ruled out going for it on fourth down, it still may have benefited the Hoosiers to punt instead and put the Buckeyes in worse field position. Ohio State ended up scoring on the next drive.
Indiana’s secondary provided the rest of college football a blueprint on how to cover Smith, and there was not much the Hoosiers could do against him on the jump ball touchdown.
Becker caused several problems for Ohio State, creating separation on short routes and winning contested balls. Hoover showed durability, but also missed several open throws over the heads of his receivers.
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With a strong finish, the Hoosiers should make the College Football Playoff.
Fun factor: 5 leaves
A close, thrilling game between two top-five teams. Though the offense was sloppy on both sides, it was an incredibly tense and can’t-miss game that nearly came down to the very last play.
Game MVP: Jay Timmons, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jay Timmons (25) breaks up a pass intended for Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker (80) during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026.
Final stats: Seven total tackles, two pass breakups, one forced fumble
Timmons nearly had an interception to go along with his forced fumble, but couldn’t hang onto the ball in the fourth quarter. Simply put, Timmons is a game-wrecker. He broke up two Indiana touchdown passes, including one with Becker in one-on-one coverage, and executed a perfect peanut punch in the middle of the field. He’s a budding star in the Buckeyes’ secondary.
Overall grade: 3 leaves
It wasn’t pretty, but Ohio State avenged its loss in the Big Ten championship and won a crucial top-five matchup. Sayin was struggling, but losing him will make things difficult in the back half of Ohio State’s schedule.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State’s grades are in after showdown with Indiana
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