Lantern
Troy and pals trample Indiana
David Briggs
As the crowd leisurely filtered into Ohio Stadium during Saturday's first quarter, the Ohio State offense politely waited.
And waited. Hardly resembling the Big Ten's all-time passing efficiency leader, Troy Smith missed wide on his first four passes as the Buckeyes left the field after their first two possessions without a first down. They even found themselves trailing late in the first quarter for just the third time this year.
It turns out top-ranked OSU was just killing time before the show. Smith's worst start of the season gave way to his best showing in the Buckeyes' 44-3 dusting of Indiana (4-4, 2-2 Big Ten).
Media Credit: David Heasley
Sophomore tailback Maurice Wells runs away from the Indiana defense on Saturday.
"Some games are going to go the way you want them to go right away, some aren't," Smith said. "I wouldn't say I was out of synch."
After waiting for those last "Block O" stragglers to fill the section's last rows and giving ample time to those fans combing the area for a joint with ESPN-U, Smith tossed three of his next eight passes for scores en route to a four-touchdown first half showing that further cemented his hold as Heisman front-runner.
And with a little help from his buddy Ted Ginn Jr., who took a reverse from Smith and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to tight end Rory Nicol, the Buckeyes rolled to a season-high 540 yards of offense.
OSU could do little wrong, continuing to steamroll their way - no team has come within 17 points of the Buckeyes this year into a Nov. 18 meeting with Michigan that is looking more and more certain to serve as a national semifinal game.
"After that (start), we did everything we had to do to have a decisive victory," coach Jim Tressel said.
Just as impressive on the other side, OSU's defense delivered more of the same. The Buckeyes held the opposition to a touchdown or less for the seventh time this season and imposed perpetual misery on IU quarterback Kellen Lewis.
OSU sacked the redshirt freshman and reigning Big Ten offensive player of the week four times, allowing just 165 yards of total offense.
"We were attacking well, stinting around, getting in the quarterback's mind," defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said. "A lot of guys are stepping up through the season and making a name for themselves."
Any questions that remained for a defense replacing nine starters have been answered. OSU's 17 forced turnovers leads the Big Ten, their pass defense is third in the conference and their once-maligned play against the run gets better by the week. On Saturday, the Buckeyes held IU to minus-three rushing yards through three quarters and are now giving up less than 100 yards a game on the ground this year.
Media Credit: Matthew Hashiguchi
OSU's Vernon Gholston chases down IU quarterback Kellen Lewis.
"I'm not surprised at all," Smith said. "I probably was one of the biggest ones campaigning for the defense to let everyone know that they were not a factor we have to worry about."
It's made for a team seemingly without a weakness. Championship groups will inevitably have off games on one side of the ball, speaking to the importance of picking one another up on any given Saturday. For OSU, amid one of college football's most dominating stretches of the past two decades, that's been of little worry.
"I said all week I voted them No. 1 and nothing today changes my opinion of that," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. "That's a very good football team."
Surprisingly, Hoeppner went on to say that OSU did nothing his coaches didn't expect - save perhaps Ginn's touchdown pass. Which is nice, but when the Buckeyes complete passes to eight different receivers, is there really a way to prepare?
"Hopefully not," said Anthony Gonzalez, who joined the aerial festivities with his five-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
"Well, that's the idea. That's what we're hoping to do," Gonzalez said. "That's how you know you're complete, if you can throw it to (everyone)."
"We're an equal opportunity employer," Tressel said. "We'll throw to whoever is open."
And against an Indiana defense ranked 10th in the Big Ten, this included plenty of Nicol and true freshman Jake Ballard as OSU opened the game in a two tight end set. Smith connected with an open Nicol streaking down the middle of the field for a 23-yard touchdown toss to open the Buckeyes scoring late in the first quarter. Nicol was also on the receiving end of Ginn's memorable 38-yard third quarter scoring toss down the right sideline.
Ballard made an impressive splash onto the stat sheet with a diving touchdown catch just before halftime. It was his first career catch.
Hoeppner also apparently wasn't surprised that Smith delivered another Heisman signature play - it's becoming a weekly occurrence in Buckeyeland.
This week's play came early in the second quarter as Smith rolled to his left, spun away from an Indiana defender and fired a 31-yard touchdown pass off his back foot to Ginn in the left corner of the end zone.
Smith's four touchdown passes equaled a career high.
"I watch film of other quarterbacks," Gonzalez said. "And I think, 'Wow, they're really not that good.' Really, Troy is that much better than everybody I've been seeing."
And with the rushing tandem of Antonio Pittman and freshman Chris Wells - the pair rushed for 170 yards Saturday - the same can be said for the rest of Troy's boys.
"I got to watch the best offense in the country with the best player in the country, No. 10," defensive tackle David Patterson said.
In other words, another ho hum day for No. 1. A day where little went wrong, yet still left the Buckeyes pining for more.
"I feel like we took one more step and we have to get much, much better," Tressel said.
Not exactly a pleasant thought for opposing coaches
) was throwing a temper tantrum about the lost down. Nobody around me seemed to notice or care.
