Bloomington gets top billing as No. 5 Indiana hosts No. 4 Ohio State in its first AP top-10 matchup. The unbeaten Hoosiers ended a 30-game losing streak to the Buckeyes last year on their way to a national championship, and now they've won 22 straight. Ohio State arrives with a loss to Texas and unfinished business. Beating the Buckeyes once was historic. Doing it twice? Since 2000, only Michigan and Wisconsin have beaten Ohio State in consecutive years, and Indiana has a chance to join that short list in front of its own fans.
Both teams rank in the top 10 in adjusted efficiency, and both can score while making opponents work on defense. Indiana has the country's most efficient passing attack, with Josh Hoover yet to throw an interception. But Ohio State ranks first in passing success rate allowed. Nebraska held the Hoosiers to 13 first downs and a single third-down conversion last week, and Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith get the more inviting passing matchup against an Indiana secondary that has allowed big gains through the air.
The betting picture is led by the UNDER 50.5 total. Ohio State's defense has been especially difficult to throw against, and Indiana's pressure can stall Buckeyes drives even when they connect on big plays. Sayin has been sacked seven times across road games this season, and Ohio State has scored only three second-half points at Texas.
The second pick is Jeremiah Smith 130+ receiving yards (-103). Ohio State keeps giving Smith more chances, with 11 targets per game, up from 8.2 last season, and his yards per catch have risen from 14.3 to 19.1. He finished with 164 and 206 yards in his last two road games, and Smith can pile up yards even if Ohio State doesn't pile up points.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing