The Hoosiers have taken care of business, defeating an in-state Ball State team to open the season, and blowing out an FCS opponent by the largest margin of victory at Memorial Stadium. However, now the real Big Ten East gauntlet begins, and the Hoosiers start with arguably the best in the division: the Ohio State Buckeyes.

With solid attendance last season, it will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers handle business in a game where fans are likely to show up in force. Against Ohio State, you can expect a sea of red and Indiana fans are hoping that they out number the contingency from Columbus.

How to Watch: The Indiana Hoosiers versus the Ohio State Buckeyes

WhoWeek 3: Indiana Hoosiers versus the Ohio State Buckeyes
When12:00 pm ET / Saturday, September 14, 2019
WhereMemorial Stadium (Bloomington, Indiana)
TicketsFind the Lowest Ticket Prices on SeatGeek
WatchBig Ten Network
StatsLive Stats
ListenIU Radio Network
SpreadOSU -16, O/U 60.5

You can find the latest 2019 Indiana Football schedule (printable) here.

Meet the Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes visit Bloomington having outscored their opponents 87-21 in the previous two games. All 21 points given up came from Ohio State’s week one match up against Florida Atlantic. In short, they have completely dominated their first two games behind transfer quarter back Justin Fields.

Coming into the season, the Buckeyes were ranked as the top dog or the runner-up for the Big Ten conference. Many analysts predicted Michigan to be one of the top performing teams. Considering Michigan’s double-overtime win against Army in Ann Arbor, it’s hard to dispute that the Hoosiers are going to be hosting the top team in the Big Ten East division.

New head coach Ryan Day has taken over for one of the most legendary coaches in college football, and so far he has done very well himself. He had a three-game stint last year when Urban Meyer was suspended, and so far things look rosy in Columbus. Ryan Day has head coach experience on the road when the Buckeyes defeated No. 15 TCU last season in “Jerry World.” This match up against Indiana will be his first road Big Ten game as the head coach of the Buckeyes.

Get to Know the Ohio State Buckeyes

Key Offensive Players

On a loaded Ohio State roster, the most prominent name from the offseason has to be Georgia transfer Justin Fields. Fields has completed 38 of 50 total passes for a total of 458 yards and six touchdowns. Fields has ran 21 times across two games and has added three touchdowns via ground mail. On top of all of that, he still has no picks on the season.

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2019

Junior running back J. K. Dobbins is the main attraction on the ground averaging 6.1 yards per carry in 2019. In total, he’s already accumulated another 232 yards and he is nearing the 2,700 yard mark in his Ohio State career. He’s backed up by redshirt freshman Master Teague.

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Ohio State may have the most experience at the receiver core with seniors K.J. Hill, Binjimen Victor, and Austin Mack. Hill currently leads the team with 11 total receptions and one touch down. Victor leads the team in receiving yards, along with sophomore Chris Olave. With a new quarterback, these wide receivers are all seeking career numbers for 2019.

The tight-end to watch out for is sophomore Jeremy Ruckert. The 6-foot-5, 250 pound New York native has found the end zone twice this season. He has impressive abilities on both pass protection as well as route running.

Key Defensive Players

Senior linebacker Malik Harrison has a had a great start to his last year in Columbus. He is one of three players in double-digit tackles on the season (10) and he currently leads the team with the most tackles for loss (4.5). He’s supported at the linebacker position by juniors Pete Werner and Baron Browning. Across two games, Ohio State has given up an average of less than 65 yards per game.

Chase Young leads the team in sacks. The 6-foot-5 defensive end is one of the most dangerous players in the Big Ten on the defensive line now that the Bosa brothers are finally out of the Big Ten. Tyler Friday, who plays on the other end has been out due to an undefined ailment.

Michael Penix is going to be throwing into a very tough secondary with Jordan Fuller, the team’s leading tackler, and Jeff Okudah in the middle of coverage. Both upperclassmen have double digit tackles on the season. In two games, Ohio State has given up an average of 186 yards. Despite a highly guarded backfield, expect Indiana to test their luck in the air as a key to victory.

Week 3: What to watch for against the Ohio State Buckeyes

1. Can Penix Handle the Pressure of a Top Defense?

Michael Penix has been described as a calm and collected quarterback. In the pocket, he’s so far showed the same type of ability to remain cool under pressure. Among Indiana’s quarterbacks, Penix is as good as any in terms of not getting flustered on pass rushes. However, now the Hoosiers get to face a sizable team like Ohio State. Each one of Ohio State’s defense linemen weigh at a minimum of 260 pounds.

The key to winning the game for the Hoosiers is to be effective in the passing game, which is a lot of pressure for a quarterback, especially considering he is only a redshirt freshman. Can Penix step up his performance on a big game day?