Indiana vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes

Coming off back-to-back road wins over Top 25 teams, No. 6 Ohio State University (10-1) looked sluggish in a 42-27 victory over Indiana University (3-8) in Ohio Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Buckeyes coughed up three turnovers in the first half, which kept the Hoosiers within striking distance. Kevin Wilson’s squad took a 20-14 lead midway through the third quarter, which officially put Ohio State on upset alert.

That’s when Jalin Marshall came to the rescue, scoring four unanswered touchdowns (one punt return and three receiving) to seal the game for Urban Meyer.

How did the Buckeyes grade out from a closer-than-expected 15-point victory over Indiana?

Pass Offense: J.T. Barrett has looked nearly unstoppable since Week 3 against Kent State University, but he got off to a rough start against the Hoosiers. The redshirt freshman threw for just 79 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but he also tossed two costly interceptions.

His poor play changed in the second half, though. Barrett connected on 15 of 22 passes in the second half and finished the game with 302 passing yards and four touchdowns. All three of his second-half touchdowns went to Marshall, who finished the day with five receptions for 95 yards.

Run Offense: Ezekiel Elliott sparked Ohio State’s offense early when he broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run on the game’s third play. The Buckeyes piled up 166 yards on the ground in the first half, but they slowed in the second…

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