Here. We. Go.
Ohio State football is back and it’s a little bit of an unusual opener with the Buckeyes traveling on the road for a Big Ten conference game against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsOSU is favored to win this one handily, but it’s the first game of the year and there are concerns about how everything is going to fit together. Will there be some things to iron out? Sure. Might it take a few games to figure out what the identity of this Ohio State team is? You bet.
You can also bet the Hoosiers will come out and try to put a opening stamp on the season with an initial effort with lost of emotion and energy knowing there’s a big game on the docket right out of the gate.
But still, the Buckeyes are the more talented squad and there’s plenty of reasons to believe they’ll take care of business in Bloomington, Indiana.
Here are five reasons Ohio State will win the first game of the year against the Indiana Hoosiers.
The talent gap
Why it makes sense
There may not be too many teams in the league that have a bigger gap in talent than Ohio State and Indiana. There are some very good frontline players for the Hoosiers, but the depth isn’t close to where it needs to be to stay with a team like the Buckeyes. I expect Indiana to come out with emotion to start, but as the game goes on, the talent should win out easily.
An improved defense
Why it makes sense
There was a statistical and palpable improvement on the defensive side of the ball from 2021 to 2022, but there will still issues giving up big plays in the biggest games. All indications point to this year’s defensive unit being deeper, more talented, and a hungrier bunch. Sum it up with the lessons defensive coordinator Jim Knowles learned from last season, and look for this defense to be dominant. Defense travels, and in a season opener, it should make all the difference in the world.
A healthy backfield
Why it makes sense
Both running backs dealt with injury concerns most of the season in 2022. TreVeyon Henderson ended up having surgery, and Miyan Williams also struggled staying on the field almost the entire season. You could feel the issues it caused without those two options in the backfield, but both appear to be 100% healthy and ready to go. Look for the running game to set the tone in this one with two guys that are two of the better backs in the country.
THE mismatch at wide receiver
Why it makes sense
Yes, there are questions that need answers at the quarterback position. However, there may not be a team more equipped to plug and play under center than Ohio State. The Buckeyes have the best receiver unit in college football, and that’s a major mismatch against every single team on the schedule (look no further than the Georgia game last year). Guys are going to be open because Indiana just doesn’t have the personnel to stay with Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming, etc. When in doubt, look for your best skill guys that will wiggle free and make a play, or two, or several — when needed.
The "home" atmosphere
Why it makes sense
I guess we’ll see, but traveling to Indiana isn’t exactly the equivalent of setting a hornet’s nest on fire and knocking it down with a broom. Historically, OSU fans travel very well to Bloomington, and even if not, the stadium is rarely full. There shouldn’t be a ton of crowd noise to mess with the operation of the offense, and not much emotion to feed off of for the home team. Maybe we see something different than we normally do and the Hoosier fans show up, but that’s doubtful.
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