But No. 2 Ohio State's 38-15 victory in front of 105,751 loud fans at Ohio Stadium was a struggle until two punt plays proved decisive. The Buckeyes capitalized on a fumbled punt snap late in the second quarter to take their first lead, and Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.

At some point late in the second quarter, if it wasn’t clear before, the talent gap became apparent. Ohio State and Indiana were locked in a close game on the scoreboard, but it was clear that the Buckeyes had the Hoosiers on the ropes after the visitors committed just one too many errors to rebound from — notably,

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) host the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0) in a Big Ten battle with plenty of College Football Playoff implications on Saturday.

Ohio State’s path back to the Big Ten Championship is simple, though easier said than done. All the Buckeyes have to do is get through a third top-five opponent of the season, then beat a rival they haven’t beaten since pre-COVID-19.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to take on the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in one of the most important games of the college football season. The Big Ten championship, College Football Playoff and potentially the national championship could all be affected by the outcome of Saturday's game in