Five Things: Buckeyes Escape Bloomington, Hand Indiana First Loss Since December 2024
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
In a stunning development, Ohio State's special teams outperformed the opponent by a pretty wide margin, in a matchup game no less. That's absolutely worth a Thing.
Placekicker Connor Hawkins calmly buried a 26-yard field goal to give OSU an early 3-0 lead and later converted a 29-yarder giving the Buckeyes a 13-7 cushion early in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, IU's Nico Radicic doinked a 32-yard try with the Hoosiers leading 7-3 in the second quarter and later didn't have enough leg to connect on a 55-yarder that would've cut OSU's lead to 13-10 late in the third quarter.
Indiana's Billy
Geezer Gowers uncorked a 25-yard punt to just the OSU 20 and later a 37-yarder to the OSU 22, wasting chances to pin the Buckeyes deep.
In contrast, Ohio State's much-maligned punter, Joe McGuire, popped a 50-yarder to the IU 19, dropped in a 35-yarder to the IU 6 and lifted a 52-yarder to the the IU 22 and after a modest return, still netted 44 yards. Across his five punts, the Hoosiers amassed eight return yards.
On punt return, Phillip Bell took a kick 14 yards from the IU 13 to give the offense some breathing room.
It wasn't a clinic and it wasn't without flaws but for Ohio State's special teams, it was a Herculean effort on a day the Buckeyes needed every hidden yard they could muster.