Undefeated Indiana entered Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday hoping to make a statement.
But instead, it was home-fielding Ohio State that made its mark.
And in their big win, the Buckeyes weren't afraid to get rough.
Will Howard completed 22 of 26 passes for 206 passing yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State's decisive 38-15 victory over the Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium.
But Indiana, which entered the game as the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, had a cocky attitude heading into the Big Ten, with head coach Curt Cinetti criticizing experts and fans and pointing out the weaknesses in the Hoosiers' schedule. did. .
Heading into this weekend, ESPN ranked Indiana 106th in terms of SOS, but Cignetti said it's more nuanced than that.
“Please do your research” Sininetti He said Wednesday on the podcast “The Triple Option.”. “Google it…and you'll find out something about us besides our name, what we've done in the past, and what someone says about our schedule.”
But Indiana was given no advantage in the biggest game of the year. They only gained 151 yards compared to Ohio State's 316 yards of total offense.
Nothing worked for quarterback Curtis Rourke. He completed just eight passes for 68 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per completion.
So, as time expired in the fourth quarter, Ohio State had some fun at Indiana's expense.
Howard appeared to insult Indiana's coach by shouting “Google it” on the sideline after the touchdown and then smoking a fake cigarette before stepping out.
The scoreboard operators also had fun creating fake newspapers with headlines like: Google it!
Both teams currently have records of 10-1 and 7-1 in Big Ten play, but while Ohio State has solid momentum in the College Football Playoff, Indiana has fallen a bit in the rankings. Maybe.
