Indiana football has homework in each phase after loss to Ohio State

By admin — In News — October 17, 2026

   ​BLOOMINGTON — The rematch of last year’s Big Ten title game didn’t disappoint.Indiana football and Ohio State went toe-to-toe with little separating the conference’s top two teams.The No. 5 Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) ended IU’s 22-game win streak and handed the No. 4 Hoosiers (6-1, 3-1) their first loss at home of coach Curt Cignetti’s tenure. Indiana had won 19 straight at Memorial Stadium going back to the 2024 season.Here’s a report card for Saturday’s 19-15 loss:Indiana offense slowed by nonexistent run gameOFFENSE: CWhere has Indiana’s run game gone? The Hoosiers thrives with a balanced attack, but that’s been nowhere to be found the last two weeks. Lee Beebe Jr. and Turbo Richard didn’t have a gain longer than 7-yards through the first three quarters for the once explosive rushing attack.It again put more pressure on Josh Hoover, who once again leaned on Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh to help IU move the ball. Becker topped 100 receiving yards for the third time this season, while Marsh caught a critical 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to make it a one-possession game. They accounted for more than 50% of IU’s offensive production.Watch: Nick Marsh steps out of bounds on potential game-winning touchdown; Indiana loses to Ohio StateOhio State’s Jeremiah Smith bottled up, till he changed gameDEFENSE: BIndiana’s secondary deserves credit for bottling up Jeremiah Smith through three quarters. The Heisman frontrunner didn’t have a catch until there was 12:18 left in the second quarter and went into halftime as OSU’s fourth-leading receiver with just two grabs for 20 yards.Still, Smith helped OSU pull away with a 38-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against double coverage to score for the first time in three tries against the Hoosiers. Indiana’s defenders were well-positioned to make the play, but lost the ball in the air.The Hoosiers defensive front made quarterback Julian Sayin uncomfortable just they did in the Big Ten title game. Sayin froze up in the face of pressure multiple times and threw seven straight incompletions, including an interception, during one first half stretch.He threw a second interception in Indiana territory in the third quarter and nearly lost a fumble in the fourth.What we know: Indiana quarterback in discomfort after leaving Ohio State game, returningMissed kicks costly for IU footballSPECIAL TEAMS: DIndiana field goal kicker Nico Radicic hasn’t looked the same since dealing with a rib injury earlier this year. He missed his second short field goal attempt this season, a 32-yarder that would have allowed IU to take a 10-3 lead in the second quarter. Indiana fans at Memorial Stadium gasped when the normally reliable specialist hit the upright on the attempt.Radicic also missed a 55-yarder in the third quarter that was well short of the mark.Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spot  

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