AN INCH IS A LOT: INDIANA COMES UP JUST SHORT

The Indiana Hoosiers. The Ohio State Buckeyes. How one inch can determine an entire season.​

It was a top-five matchup in Bloomington, IN, this weekend, where No. 5 Indiana hosted No. 4 Ohio State. The 2025 national champions against the 2024 national champions.

The best head coach in the country, the Hoosiers’ Curt Cignetti, against the best player in the country, the Buckeyes’ Jeremiah Smith. To say the stakes mattered would be an understatement.

A pivotal game for both the Big Ten and CFP race had all the feelings of a game that could turn into a rematch in the near future.

​The game went back and forth. Ohio State led early on a field goal, before Indiana brought it back with a touchdown off of a fantastic interception from superstar veteran safety Amare Ferrell.

Ferrell's pick led to a TD from RB Turbo Richard to push the score to 7-3.

Shortly after, Ohio State took back momentum. The Buckeyes scored on a big fourth-and-goal from Sayin to RB Bo Jackson to take the lead back going into halftime, 10-7.

The Buckeyes dominated the vast majority of the second half. They hit a field goal to take a 13-7 lead, before getting in the end zone to make it 19-7 with Jeremiah Smith. A failed two-point conversion after Smith's TD didn’t seem like a big deal until Indiana came back.

The Hoosiers scored a touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter to make it just a four-point game at 19-15, as the two-point conversion was completed with a Josh Hoover pass to Richard.

Then, after a quick stop against the Buckeyes backup QB, Indiana got the ball back with a chance to win the game.

After a clinical two-minute drive from the Hoosiers offense, the game came down to a must-have it fourth and four.

Despite needing just four yards, the Hoosiers wanted to take a shot at the end zone. And wide receiver Nick Marsh was wide open. The throw came; it landed in his hands, and the crowd exploded. Until they realized his foot was an inch out of bounds. The Buckeyes win.

One inch can change a football game. A season. It can determine someone’s job. That’s why people say football is a game of inches. And for Ohio State, it’s a blessing, while for Indiana, it’s a curse that could live with them over the next few weeks and could completely mess their season up.

The biggest problem for both teams was the quarterback play. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin couldn’t consistently make plays for his squad, while Indiana’s Josh Hoover was severely limiting the offense’s potential as I predicted in my preview article for this matchup earier this week.

Hoover’s struggles throughout the entire game continued on the last possession. He couldn’t find a receiver in stride or make a deep throw. But on fourth down with the game on the line, it looked like he had a chance. It made it seem like neither team was willing to do what it takes to win, and with quarterback play that consistently bad, both teams could be in trouble.

Even more trouble for the Buckeyes was the fact that Sayin left the game in a sling after a strip sack from Indiana DL Mario Landino.

Replacing Sayin was freshman gunslinger Luke Fahey. Fahey is a Southern California native who stands at 5'10.

To say Fahey struggled mightily in his 4th-quarter relief performance for Sayin would be an extreme understatement. Ryan Day trusted him so little that Fahey attempted just 2 passes and he completed neither. On the ground, Fahey ran for -2 yards.

Sophomore QB Tavien St-Clair would be next in line for the Buckeyes if they reevaluate their QB position with Sayin out for 3-4 weeks. St-Clair stands at 6'3 and as a former five-star, holds a much higher ceiling than the less physical Fahey. Don't be surprised if St-Clair sees game action soon.

Indiana looks to bounce back against Michigan in week eight while Ohio State gets a bye prior to an Halloween trip to LA against USC.