Will Ohio State Win the National Championship? The Indiana Game Will Tell

Last season, thee Ohio State Buckeyes beat Penn State in dramatic fashion and then promptly got blown out by the beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. This season is a redux. Ohio State did the first part correctly, and maybe even more impressively. Instead of the Iowa Hawkeyes as the trap game, they face the Indiana Hoosiers.

Will history repeat? A solid maybe.

The Hoosiers are 4-1, but no one really considers them a legit 4-1. No one is predicting any sort of huge upset here, but that would be a mistake.

The Buckeyes defense has problems. We can pretend that they righted the ship against a powerful Penn State squad, but did they? Trace McSorley ran for 175 yards. The OSU line is fantastic, even without the other Bosa. The linebackers and defensive backs are talented, if you are an NFL scout. If you are a college coach, they give you ulcers for their stupid angles and ability to over run plays.

If Ohio State hammers Indiana, I will be ok with calling them a championship caliber team. But it’s Indiana, you say? Well if they do, they will prove to me they can stay in their lanes, play big in games they really don’t want to, and take care of business. If Indiana wins, no one will consider the Bucks a championship team. If Indiana is close, it will show me that Ohio State is not always ready to go and the defense still struggles. A lot of people will excuse such a close game, because of Indiana’s record and the proximity to the Penn State win. I will not be one of those people.