There will be no shortage of star power on the field when the Indiana Hoosiers play host to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. Who are each squads brightest stars?
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Two of the top three scoring offenses in the Big Ten will be on the field when the Ohio State Buckeyes (1) face the Indiana Hoosiers (3) on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana. There are stars all over the field on offense and playmakers on defense. Here are the statistical leaders for Saturday.
Passing Leaders
Indiana: Josh Hoover (88-129, 1,364 yards, 17 TDs, 0 INTs)
Ohio State: Julian Sayin (116-163, 1,772 yards, 17 TDs, 2 INTs)
Both quarterbacks are capable of taking over a game and making big throws. Indiana's Josh Hoover was boom-or-bust last week in Lincoln as four of his 12 completions accounted for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He's found a rhythm with both Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker and is beginning to find his check downs quicker as well.
Sayin, the Buckeye quarterback, has the best receiver on the planet at his disposal and has not shied away from getting Jeremiah Smith the ball. The Hoosiers will look to pressure Sayin, as they did last season, and make him uncomfortable in the pocket.
Rushing Leaders
Indiana: Turbo Richard (71 carries, 597 yards, 5 TDs)
Ohio State: Bo Jackson (89 carries, 460 yards 4 TDs)
Indiana did not find success on the ground last week as Nebraska played seven men in the box and quarterback Josh Hoover made some poor reads in the RPO run game. Turbo Richard had just 10 yards on the ground after a career-high 204 against Rutgers. Indiana will try to pound the run again this week, but needs to be more successful.
Ohio State's Bo Jackson will have to carry a bigger load Saturday with number two running back Ja'kobi Jackson sidelined with an injury. Bo Jackson is not as explosive a runner, but is good enough to be a factor in the game.
Receiving Leaders
Indiana: Charlie Becker (30 receptions, 529 yards, 8 TDs)
Ohio State: Jeremiah Smith (48 receptions, 916 yards, 11 TDs)
The star power on both sides at receiver is awesome for the Indiana-Ohio State showdown. The Hoosiers have two All-American-caliber receivers who are separated by one catch and one yard.
While Charlie Becker carried the load early for IU, Nick Marsh shouldered the burden last week against Nebraska. Both are big playmakers and violent blockers in the run game.
On the other side is the best player in the sport, Jeremiah Smith. He is putting his name into the conversation about being the best receiver to ever play college football. However, he has been a one-ring circus this year.
Tackles Leaders
Indiana: Isaiah Jones (46 total Tackles, 28 solo, 1 TFL, 1 INT)
Ohio State: Earl Little Jr. (30 total tackles, 13 solo, 1 PBU)
Isaiah Jones has not been the havoc creator he was last season, but he's playing a different role. His physical hit on Nebraska running back Jamal Rule helped wake up a sleepy IU defense as well.
For the Buckeyes, replacing four first-round picks has not been easy. Earl Little came over from Florida State to bring some experience to the unit. However, it's never a great sign when a team's leading tackler is from the secondary.
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Sammy, a native of New York City, is a 2009 graduate from Indiana University with a degree from the School of HPER (Public Health) in Sports Communication and Broadcasting. He started Hoosier Huddle in July of 2013 and has been the statistician for Indiana Football radio broadcasts since 2019. He also has a Masters Degree in Physical Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and a voter for the Outland Trophy, Ray Guy Award, Lou Groza Award, Eddie Robinson Award and the FWAA All-American Team.