Ten Things We Learned From Ohio State's Win Over Indiana

Ohio State survived a wild 19-15 win over Indiana, and on this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr go back through the game to find the things that stood out most on a second viewing.They take a closer look at Jay Timmons’ impact on the defense, the problems that surfaced when he left the field, Isaiah West’s growing role at running back, Ohio State’s struggles in heavy personnel near the goal line, Julian Sayin taking too many hits, Chris Henry Jr.’s continued emergence, and the officiating issues that affected both teams.They also revisit Indiana’s final play, the Nick Marsh catch that came inches from changing the entire outcome, and what this game may tell us about both Ohio State and Indiana moving forward. 0:00 — Rewatching Ohio State’s wild win over Indiana0:35 — How close Indiana came on the final play2:35 — Could these teams meet again in Indianapolis?4:10 — Ohio State’s defense looks different without Jay Timmons6:12 — Jay Timmons’ remarkable day6:57 — Should Legend Bey have gotten more opportunities?8:36 — Isaiah West’s growing role at running back10:24 — Ohio State’s inconsistent running game10:55 — Why 14 personnel needs to go13:10 — Does Ohio State really need to “punch it in”?15:45 — Why spreading the field makes more sense17:07 — Offensive line problems continue19:01 — Was Julian Sayin already banged up?21:00 — Chris Henry Jr. is starting to emerge22:11 — Chris Henry Jr. climbing Ohio State freshman receiving lists24:40 — The officiating was bad in both directions26:37 — Ohio State has to overcome bad calls too29:10 — Josh Hoover took a beating29:56 — Indiana’s late mistakes and penalties30:50 — Did the moment get too big for Indiana?31:47 — The challenge of defending a national championship32:54 — Final thoughtsOne of the clearest takeaways was just how important Timmons has become. He broke up passes, forced a turnover, tackled well in space, and handled difficult coverage assignments, while Ohio State’s secondary became much more vulnerable when he was unavailable. On offense, Tony and Tom spend plenty of time questioning Ohio State’s insistence on using heavy personnel near the goal line, especially when it means taking Jeremiah Smith off the field. The fourth-down touchdown showed exactly how much defensive attention Smith commands even when he doesn’t touch the ball.They also discuss the beating Julian Sayin has taken in recent weeks and why the offensive line’s protection issues are becoming impossible to ignore.Subscribe to the Buckeye Insiders YouTube channel for more Ohio State football coverage, and join the conversation at BuckeyeInsiders.com.