The seventh-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes can win the Big Ten’s East Division crown and clinch a spot in the conference championship game for the second straight year if they are able to get by the visiting Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. Both teams compete in the East Division, and come in at opposite ends of the standings — Indiana in last place with an 0-6 league ledger, and Ohio State in first place at 6-0.The Hoosiers, who will not be going to a bowl game as they are just 3-7 overall, have lost their last five bouts, including a 45-23 decision at Rutgers last Saturday. Following this contest, IU will host intrastate rival Purdue on Nov. 29 to bring the curtain down on the 2014 campaign. Ohio State beat East Division nemesis Michigan State on the road two weeks ago (49-37), and then followed that up with a 31-24 win at Minnesota. The Buckeyes, who have won a record 22 consecutive Big Ten bouts during the regular season, and 12 in a row on the road (longest active streak in the country), have only one scheduled game left on the docket, a Nov. 29 matchup with bitter rival Michigan at home. Ohio State has dominated the series with Indiana since its inception, going 69-12-5, which includes victories in each of the last 18 meetings. The Hoosiers’ last triumph was in Bloomington back in 1988, and their last win in Columbus took place the year prior. With a record four games below .500, it’s certainly not surprising to see Indiana ranked among the worst teams in the Big Ten in nearly every statistical category. That is, other than rushing as RB Tevin Coleman ranks second in the league and the country with an average of 167.8 ypg. He is well off the pace set by Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (190.9 ypg), who set a new FBS single-game record by churning out an eye-popping 408 yards in the Badgers’ recent win over Nebraska. Coleman has rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and scored 12 TDs this season, helping mask the deficiencies of the Indiana passing attack, which accounts for only 191.8 ypg and has resulted in a grand total of seven TDs. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld has been somewhat efficient (.605), and Shane Wynn (43 rec., 568 yards, three TDs) has been the team’s top target down the field…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Buckeyes hoping to earn spot in Big Ten title tilt
