Indiana football came agonizingly close to extending its winning streak to 23 games Saturday, but the Hoosiers couldn't finish the job against Ohio State.
After overcoming a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit for the second consecutive week, Indiana found itself within inches of pulling off another dramatic comeback. This time, however, the Hoosiers came up short.
Following the loss, head coach Curt Cignetti praised Indiana's effort while acknowledging the mistakes and missed opportunities that ultimately proved costly.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Cignetti's postgame press conference.
Indiana gave itself a chance, but couldn't seize it
It wasn't pretty for much of Saturday, but Indiana was a foot away from potentially extending its winning streak to 23 games in the final seconds.
"Tough one not to win; I thought our kids gave great effort and fight," Cignetti said postgame. "We gave ourselves a chance to win."
Indiana overcame plenty of mistakes to put itself in position to win, from missed field goals and penalties to inaccurate throws and missed opportunities offensively.
But there's a difference between giving yourself a chance and capitalizing on it. Against an opponent of Ohio State's caliber, those mistakes become much more difficult to overcome, even when the defense keeps you within striking distance.
"We weren't good enough today to seize it," Cignetti said. "It was right there for the taking."
A mixed bag from Josh Hoover
The final numbers weren't particularly impressive for Josh Hoover, who completed just 50% of his passes Saturday. His performance was a mixed bag, with inaccurate throws and missed opportunities offset by several impressive plays.
"When you play quarterback, it's all about getting the ball to the open guy, on time, accurately," Cignetti said. "Certainly had a couple of misfires, but [Hoover] had some nice plays too."Hoover struggled to consistently find his rhythm through the first three quarters, but he elevated his play in the fourth as Indiana mounted its comeback.
On the Hoosiers' final offensive possession, Hoover delivered a throw to Nick Marsh that nearly became the game-winner. The pass led Marsh slightly out of bounds, another example of how close Indiana came without quite finishing the play.
Still, Cignetti pointed to execution as the biggest reason Indiana's passing attack struggled to consistently produce.
"We had a lot of opportunity we didn't cash in on," Cignetti said, "particularly in the second half."
Indiana largely succeeded in limiting Jeremiah Smith
One of the biggest questions entering Saturday was whether Indiana's secondary could contain Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith.
For the most part, the Hoosiers answered that question.
Smith finished with four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, well below his season averages entering the contest.
"They didn't target him much early in the game," Cignetti said. "Almost like early in the game he was sort of a decoy."
That appeared particularly evident on Ohio State's touchdown late in the first half, when Smith drew the attention of three Indiana defenders before the Buckeyes dumped the ball off to a running back for the score.
Smith eventually made his impact felt with a 38-yard touchdown reception, but even that play required an unusual sequence. The pass was affected by the wind, and Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe misjudged its trajectory.
"We had great coverage," Cignetti said. "Underthrown into the wind, just misjudged the ball."
The touchdown was costly, but Indiana's overall performance against one of the nation's most dangerous receivers was encouraging. Smith never took over the game the way he has against other opponents this season.
Indiana's resilience showed again, even in defeat
For the second consecutive week, Indiana found itself trailing by multiple scores in the fourth quarter.
Last week against Nebraska, the Hoosiers completed the comeback. Against Ohio State, they came within inches of doing it again.
"I thought we did a nice job of regrouping, kind of similar to last week," Cignetti said. "Defense just wouldn't give in."
That defensive effort was particularly important. Despite Indiana's offensive struggles, the defense continued making timely stops and giving Hoover and the offense opportunities to get back into the game.
It's a trait Indiana has demonstrated repeatedly under Cignetti, and one that should continue to serve the Hoosiers well moving forward.
But Saturday also showed the limits of relying on late-game resilience. Indiana has now needed substantial fourth-quarter comebacks in consecutive weeks, and while the Hoosiers nearly pulled off another one, they ultimately left themselves too little margin for error.
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