Ohio State graduate quarterback Will Howard (18) handles the ball right before the snap during the game against Indiana Saturday. The Buckeyes defeated the Hoosiers 38-15. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Ohio State last lost to Indiana Oct. 12, 1987. Thirty-seven years later, and the Buckeyes haven’t made the same mistake since.
In Ohio State’s third top-five matchup of the season, and only the Hoosiers’ second in program history, the Buckeyes never faltered.
“[Indiana] had a heck of a turnaround man,” Ohio State quarterback Will Howard said. “But you’ve got to remember you’re coming in to play the Buckeyes. It’s a little different.”
Here are three insights I took away from the Buckeyes’ dominant 38-15 win over the Hoosiers Saturday.
Caleb Downs — period.
If it was ever a question, Saturday’s game proves that history repeats itself in unbelievable ways.
When safety Caleb Downs was 9 years old, then-Buckeye Jalin Marshall returned a punt for a touchdown in Ohio State’s 42-27 win over the 2014 Hoosiers. Ten years and one day later, Downs was the next Buckeye to find the end zone off an Indiana punter’s leg.
Good things happen when a team’s best players are on the field.
Earlier this week, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day noted that Indiana’s top running back, Justice Ellison, also plays on special teams.
“[It] shows special teams are important to them but it also makes you be aware of ‘Hey, there’s a running back back there when they’re punting,’” Day said.
Ohio State’s best player is on special-teams duty, too, and it was just a matter of time before his presence was game-altering.
That time came Saturday, when Downs picked up a punt off the ground at the Buckeyes’ 21-yard line. Spinning, swerving and sprinting as the Hoosiers only hoped to lay a hand on him, Downs ran 79 yards the other way to put Ohio State up 21-7.
“It felt like it was the right thing — for me to have the ball in my hands,” Downs said.
To Howard, the score was inevitable once Downs had control over the ball.
“I forget who was next to me, but I go, ‘[No.] 2 is taking this 74 yards to the crib right here,’” Howard said.
Howard was effusive in his praise for Downs.
“He’s a special player, man,” Howard said. “He might be one of the best football players I’ve been around, period.”
Howard has delivered everything and more for the Buckeyes
When Howard transferred to Ohio State, he knew he didn’t need to be Superman. He just needed to be himself.
That means being a calm and steady presence in the face of pressure, which is exactly what he did Saturday, completing all 14 of his first pass attempts.
Howard is the first quarterback in program history to complete at least 80% of his passes in six games, also achieving a personal best.
“If it’s a good completion percentage, it means I’m making good decisions with the football and keeping us on track,” Howard said. “As long as we’re in games, I’m not really worried about stats.”
Even when faced with adversity, Howard doesn’t let his focus slip.
In a 7-7 tie with over five minutes to go in the first half, Howard dropped back to pass from the Hoosiers’ 22-yard line and threw an interception at the 11. Instead of putting his head down and Ohio State losing momentum, he helped the Buckeyes score the game’s next 24 points.
Game after game, Howard makes the right reads and leads the offense on methodical scoring drives.
“I think Buckeye Nation has now seen, after 11 games, that this guy is a winner,” Day said. “He’s tough, he cares about his teammates; he’s a leader.”
Cody Simon is elite
When defensive coordinator Jim Knowles dialed up a blitz against Indiana, it felt like Simon was in the backfield in the blink of an eye.
“What I focus on is really just doing my job,” Simon said. “We practice those a lot during the week, and I just try to do what they tell me to do.”
The linebacker came into the Indiana game with 2.5 sacks on the year. On Saturday, he doubled his season total in less than two quarters.
Simon finished the contest with a game-high 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Simon was a freshman when the 2020 Ohio State-Michigan game was canceled due to COVID-19, and he stuck around to see Ohio State drop its next three rivalry games versus the Wolverines.
Now, Simon is primed for next week’s hotly anticipated matchup.
“You can’t take these wins for granted because it’s hard to get the Big Ten wins this week,” Simon said. “After today and tomorrow, we will focus fully on them. We’re just trying to do our job to come back and get this win.”
