It's been a remarkable season for coach Curt Cignetti and his undefeated Indiana Hoosiers (10-0).
The Hoosiers were expected to finish 17th in the Big Ten, but are currently the No. 5 team in the nation.
This weekend, the Hoosiers will travel to Columbus to take on the second-place Ohio State Buckeyes in hopes of clinching a ticket to the College Football Playoff.
Still, many fans and sports bettors alike aren't convinced that's the case, as the Hoosiers have played the 106th-toughest schedule this season, according to ESPN's FPI.
The spread has fluctuated throughout the week and currently has the Buckeyes at -10.5 at multiple sportsbooks.
What can we expect from this Big Ten matchup? Are double-digit spreads ridiculous or justified in a top-five matchup?
I'm leaning toward the former.
For one, the Bucs have suffered injuries to several offensive linemen throughout the season.
That list includes Josh Simmons, Zen Michalski and, most recently, starting center Seth McLaughlin, who tore his Achilles tendon in practice this week.
And now the Bucs must face a Hoosiers front line that is holding opponents to the second fewest rushing yards per game (78.9) behind Army.
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Their past three opponents, including Donovan Edwards and the Wolverines and Jonah Coleman's Huskies, have allowed only 49.7 rushing yards per game, the fewest in China during this span.
If Ohio State can't establish a run game, the Hoosiers can rely on Michail Kamara and the rest of the elite pass rush (fourth-best in the nation according to PFF) to put pressure on Will Howard. A long day with a new center and an overhanging O-line.
I'll work with Indiana to at least get this close.
play: Hoosiers +10.5 (-110, Caesars Sportsbook)
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Andrew Norton has handicapped the NBA, WNBA, NFL, College Basketball, Football, UFC, and Golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he delivered an outstanding ROI of 14.1%, cashed in 60% of his NBA spread picks, and led Tallysight in SportsIQ metrics.
