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Will_Logan

A Hypothetical Hoosier Victory

By Will_Logan, in Indiana Hoosiers Football

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Will_Logan    145

Will_Logan
Posted
It's not getting any easier being a Hoosier football optimist.This week is more of a wish-list than a "keys to victory." I don't think any rational football fan could truly justify picking the Hoosiers to upset a legitimate National Championship contender, so some irrational things are going to have to take place. Not completely unthinkable, just not anything you'd want to bet any amount of money on. Here are five such wishful scenarios:


#1 Indiana's Greatest Strength Exposes the Buckeye's Greatest Weakness
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Indiana has the B1G's number one passing offense while the Buckeyes surprisingly have given up the third most passing touchdowns in the conference. The OSU secondary has struggled against good passing offenses this year.
Look for Shane Wynn to have a breakout game. With only two regular season games remaining, Wynn has recorded less than half of the receptions he had in the 2012 season. He also hasn't had a 100 yard game yet this year, a feat he accomplished in last year's OSU game. He will also have some added motivation playing back in his home state against the team that never offered him a scholarship despite his success at Glenville High School, a perennial OSU pipeline.


#2 Indiana Finds a Way to Protect the Football
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Turnovers have been absolutely murderous for the Hoosiers this season. Two costly fourth quarter interceptions kept Indiana from pulling off an upset in Ann Arbor. The backward pass in the Minnesota game will torture Hoosier fans eternally (especially if Indiana loses to OSU and then beats Purdue). And the Hoosiers never stood a chance against Wisconsin after turning the ball over on its first two possessions.

Aside from the general "shoot yourself in the foot" nature of turnovers, the Indiana defense simply can't handle any extra possessions being given to the opposing offense. The Indiana offense has to make protecting the football a top priority Saturday if they are going to have a fighting chance. Ready for the bad news? Ohio State leads the conference in sacks and is second in interceptions.

#3 Ohio State is More Focused on Michigan than the National Championship
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Ohio State had a bit of a hiccup last week in allowing the B1G's worst team to hang 35 points. Urban Meyer said after that he felt his team was getting too distracted by their BCS potential. That's good news if the #3 team in the nation has trouble concentrating, because next week's game against rival-of-all-rivals Michigan could serve as a huge distraction. In any other season, it would be 100% plausible to think the Buckeyes will be looking forward to the Wolverines, and they may well be.

However, the problem is that OSU may have an even bigger game in their future. Normally, OSU would just be focused on taking care of Indiana then moving on to Michigan. But, because of the BCS design, OSU doesn't merely need to beat Indiana on Saturday, they have to tear them limb from limb. In theory, even if they win, a close game against the Hoosiers could cost them a shot at the National Championship. Will the Buckeyes be thinking about a 100-0 victory on Saturday or finishing the regular season with a win in Ann Arbor?

#4 The Offense Remembers Last Year Better Than Last Game
Last week, the Indiana offense was kept out of the end zone for only the second time in the Kevin Wilson era. Last year, however, Indiana had their best scoring game of the season against Ohio State. If the offense from last week shows up Saturday, obviously most of us will be shutting off our TVs before half time and heading to the liquor store. If the offense from last year's game shows up, the Hoosiers might have a chance.

The Buckeye defense is not invincible. The Buckeyes have already surrendered 34 points to Cal, 24 to Wisconsin and Iowa, 30 to Northwestern, and 35 last week against Illinois. They are not on the same level as MSU or Wisconsin, so the Hoosiers should be able to get back on track offensively this week.

#5 Indiana Cares More about Bowling Than Ohio State Cares About Its Seniors and the Record Books
Even without taking the National Championship into consideration this is a big game for the Buckeyes. First of all, it's their senior day, and their all worked up about it.


Second, they have a chance to break the all-time school winning streak. They tied the record last week with their 22nd consecutive win. Three years ago, the team lost seven games. Two years into Urban Meyer's reign, the 2013 Buckeyes are on the verge of breaking a record set by Woody Hayes, an immortal fixture in Buckeye lore. It would also be something predecessor Jim Tresel never accomplished. Admittedly impressive.

But the Hoosiers have some motivation of their own. Seniors like Kofi Hughes, Ted Bolser, Mitch Ewald, and Greg Heban have given their hearts and souls to the program yet have never had the experience of playing in a bowl game. It's something other players and coaches alike have referenced, and it's all on the line Saturday.

Prediction:
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In 1937, Ohio State was undefeated and had cruised through their schedule, defeating opponents by a combined score of 99-0. They seemingly had the conference title locked up, but the Indiana Hoosiers marched into Columbus and ruined their season with a 10-0 victory. Little did the Ohio State faithful know this was a "to be continued" episode with Part II coming 76 years later.

HOOSIERS 52 BUCKEYES 42

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