It’s been apparent for nearly the entire season, but Saturday’s performance made it blatantly obvious: Ohio State—the defending national champion, the unanimous preseason No. 1, the shoo-in for a College Football Playoff berth—is vulnerable. Really vulnerable. The Buckeyes remained undefeated Saturday, holding off Indiana 34–27 thanks to a Heisman-worthy effort from running back Ezekiel Elliott and a defensive line that disrupted the Hoosiers’ offense. But through five weeks, Ohio State has bore a striking resemblance to last year’s Florida State squad—not 2012 Alabama, the last team to repeat as a national champion. Just as with the Seminoles last year, who managed to go unbeaten through the regular season despite rarely looking dominant, the Buckeyes could allay their concerns with the idea that they have a target on their back and therefore get every team’s best shot. That’s likely true, but it shouldn’t excuse their own poor execution. In every game Ohio State plays this season, it will have a talent advantage that should render moot motivation ploys about “dethroning the champs.” On Saturday, a backup quarterback and a backup running back for a program that has had one winning season in the past 20 years came within nine yards of taking Ohio State to overtime. Zander Diamont deserves credit for rallying the Hoosiers when the Buckeyes seemed to have seized momentum. The quarterback even outran Ohio State’s defense for a 79-yard touchdown that came right on the heels of Ezekiel Elliott’s seemingly backbreaking 75-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter. If this were the first time Ohio State got tested this season, it’d be understandable. A tight road battle with an undefeated conference foe is reasonable…
Continue Reading: Ohio State holds off Indiana, but Buckeyes remain vulnerable
