This week is another major test for the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, who go on the road to face the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
During his weekly press conference on Monday, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti praised Ohio State’s talent and coaching staff.
“We’re playing a great team this week at home in Ohio State. They’re a great football team with a lot of great players, and they’re extremely well coached. Ryan Day does a great job, and both coordinators and all the position coaches are really, really good,” said Cignetti.
Cignetti, Day Trade Praise Ahead of Ohio State-Indiana Showdown
Later in his press conference, Cignetti talked about facing an Ohio State program that’s used to winning championships.
“Winning does a lot of good things, and I think that’s what’s happened. You’ve got an opponent coming in here that’s used to winning and winning championships, and there isn’t a stronger brand in America than Ohio State football,” Cignetti said.
“It’s been that way for years and years. We’re a team that’s still developing, and I’m sure they’d say the same thing about their team. It ought to be a great environment.”
During his press conference, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said this weekend’s game against Indiana will be a huge challenge.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge. They do an excellent job up front on defense,” Day said. “Their defensive line is one of the biggest challenges we’ll have all season.”
When asked about Indiana star wide receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, Day was very complimentary.
“These guys in particular are very clean route runners,” Day said. “They’re really strong on contact, have really good body control, have run-after-the-catch ability.
“Certainly, Becker has made some big-time plays in big-time moments, and Marsh is playing as good as anybody right now. This is a huge challenge for our secondary.”
With both coaches bracing for a tight game, Mark Followill shared his pick with Ohio State Buckeyes on SI.
Mark Followill Picks Ohio State in a Near Coin Flip
In an exclusive interview, Mark Followill, the TV play-by-play voice of the Dallas Mavericks and a Big Ten Network broadcaster who called Ohio State’s win over Maryland last weekend, gave his prediction for Saturday’s top-five showdown and explained why he’s leaning toward the Buckeyes.
“To me, this is a very even matchup. But when in doubt, because of what I’ve seen in person and what I saw of his performances in the lead-up to the game, I’m going to lean toward the team that’s got the best player on the field,” Followill said. “I don’t want to say he can win the game single-handedly, but if the game is in the balance, he’s more likely than anyone else to make a game-tipping play."
He went on to say that he likes Indiana's team as well, but Ohio State's playmakers make it difficult to sway his opinion on where the result will go.
“I like Indiana’s defense a lot. They can pressure the passer without having to sell out to do it. But Ohio State is showing me that, on top of having an explosive playmaker in Jeremiah Smith who can pop off a big play at any time, they can dominate the line of scrimmage and the run game even when their offensive line isn’t at full strength,” Followill said. “If you’ve got that, I’m going to roll with them..
"I think it’s going to be a fantastic freaking game. If you’re going to pin me down and force me to make a prediction, that’s the way I’m going to lean. I’ll give you 52-48.”
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers kick off Saturday at 12 pm EDT at Memorial Stadium, with the game airing on FOX.
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