Will Howard threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, while TreVeyon Henderson scored on a run as No. 2 Ohio State defeated the previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15 on Saturday.
Now, Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2) just needs to beat Michigan at home next Saturday to return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and have a chance for a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks had beaten Ohio State 32-31 in a close game on October 12.
Indiana (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) had its best chance to defeat Ohio State for the first time since 1988, but mistakes in special teams and a strong Ohio State defense that sacked quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times stopped them.
“In life, all good things come to an end,” said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.
Late in the first half, Indiana punter James Evans fumbled a snap and was tackled at his own 7-yard line, allowing Ohio State to take over. Henderson quickly turned that into a 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead.
In the second half, Caleb Downs caught an Evans punt at the Ohio State 21-yard line, ran down the sideline, cut to the middle, and outran the coverage to score a touchdown, putting Ohio State up 21-7. This was the first time Ohio State had returned a punt for a touchdown since 2014.
Howard completed 22 of 26 passes for 201 yards, and Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.
“Our guys just played with a chip today, and that’s the way you got to play the game of football,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day.
Indiana scored on its first and last possessions, with both touchdowns coming from short runs by Ty Son Lawson, who led the Hoosiers with 79 rushing yards. Rourke was 8 for 18 for 68 yards.
“We had communication errors, pass protection, every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened,” Cignetti said.
Indiana’s 151 total yards was its lowest of the season, and it was the most points the Hoosiers’ defense had given up.
