1. Indiana University is located in Bloomington, about an hour southwest of Indianapolis. IU is the state's flagship public university. The school's motto is Lux et Veritas, which translates to: "Light and Truth".
2. Indiana's colors are crimson and cream and the mascot is the Hoosier. No one knows exactly what a Hoosier is, other than a term for a resident of Indiana. Some say that Hoosier comes from an old Indian word, hoosa, which apparently meant "maize". Whatever the origin of the obscure word, Hoosier now apparently means: "friendliness, neighborliness, an idyllic contentment with Indiana landscape and life." At least that's according to the Indiana Historical Society, which is probably not the most objective source for such information.
3. Indiana has played football for 129 years. The Hoosiers have been good at football for exactly ten of those 129 years. Indiana's overall record is 475-665-44, for a .438 winning percentage. Among Power5 teams, only Wake Forest (.407) has a worse winning percentage.
4. Indiana is not a charter member of the Big Ten, but they have been in the conference since 1900. In conference play, the Hoosiers have a record of 205-495-24 (.300 winning percentage), and have been outscored 17,590 to 11,047 (24.3 to 15.1 on a per game basis). In 115 years of participating in Big Ten football, the Hoosiers have just two conference championships (1945; 1967).
5. Indiana does not have a recognized national championship, or any unrecognized national championships for that matter. The closest that Indiana has come to a national championship was the 1945 season when the team compiled a fine record of 9-0-1 (the Hoosiers' only undefeated season in their history). Indiana's only blemish was a 7-7 tie with Northwestern in the second week of the season. The Hoosiers outscored their opponents by a total of 276 to 56 and they finished 4th in the final AP poll.
6. Indiana has finished ranked in the final polls only six times in their history, with their highest ranking being 4th (AP in 1945; AP in 1967). The last time that the Hoosiers finished a season ranked was 1988, when they were 19th in the AP poll and 20th in the coaches poll.
7. Indiana has been to eleven bowl games, with a record of 3-8 in those contests. Indiana's only major bowl appearance was the 1968 Rose Bowl, where they lost to national champion Southern Cal by the score of 14-3. Indiana's most recent bowl appearance was in last year's Foster Farms Bowl (a 26-24 loss to Utah), which ended an eight-year bowl drought.
8. Indiana's greatest player of all time was undoubtedly running back Anthony Thompson, who was a two-time All American (consensus in 1988; unanimous in 1989) and the Hoosiers' only major award winner (Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, both in 1989; also Big Ten Player of the Year in both 1988 and 1989). For his Indiana career, Thompson rushed 1,161 times for 5,299 yards (4.56 average) and 67 touchdowns; and caught 102 passes for 755 yards (7.40 average) and one touchdown.
9. Just two years after Thompson graduated, the Hoosiers produced their second unanimous All American, running back Vaughn Dunbar. In 1991, Dunbar had 364 carries for 1,805 yards (4.96 average) and 12 touchdowns.
10. Indiana's third (and to date last) unanimous All American was yet another running back, Tevin Coleman. In 2014, Coleman rushed 270 times for 2,036 yards (7.54 average) and 15 touchdowns, including a career-long 90-yard touchdown run against Ohio State. Coleman's 90-yard burst was the second-longest play from scrimmage ever allowed by Ohio State (tied with two others).
11. Indiana has produced just three other consensus All Americans: Bill Hillenbrand (back, 1942); John Tavener (lineman, 1944); and Rob Ravensberg (end, 1945).
12. A Hoosier great who did not earn All American recognition was quarterback Antwaan Randle El. For his Hoosier career, Randle El had 11,364 total yards (7,469 passing; 3,895 rushing) and 87 total touchdowns (42 passing; 44 rushing; 1 receiving). Randle El was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1998 and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2001. The following spring he was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he became an All Pro and Super Bowl champion. For his NFL career, Randle El had 9,221 all-purpose yards and 27 total touchdowns.
13. In 1949, Indiana's George Taliaferro became the first black player drafted by the NFL (Chicago Bears, 13th round, 129th selection). At IU, Taliaferro played quarterback, halfback, defensive back, and punter. In 1948, Taliaferro led the Hoosiers in both rushing and passing, and he was named a first team All American. In 1981, Taliaferro was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
14. Pete Pihos played end and fullback for the Hoosiers during the 1940s. Pihos was named a first-team All American in both 1943 and 1945, and during his time in Bloomington he set several team records in receptions, touchdowns, and scoring. Pihos subsequently played nine seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won two NFL championships and earned All Pro honors six times. Pihos is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
15. Ohio State has a record of 73-12-5 against Indiana, for an .839 winning percentage. Ohio State has outscored Indiana 2,354 to 983, for an average score per game of 26 to 11.
16. Despite their great success against the Hoosiers, the Buckeyes failed to gain a win in the first six games of the series, going 0-5-1. The Buckeyes got their first win in 1914, and since that time have a record against the Hoosiers of 73-7-4 (.893 winning percentage).
17. Woody Hayes lost his first contest against Indiana in 1951. Since that loss, the Buckeyes own a record of 52-2-2 in the series, for a .946 winning percentage.
18. Indiana last beat Ohio State in 1988. Led by the great running back Anthony Thompson, who had 32 carries for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns, the Hoosiers trounced the Buckeyes by the score of 41-7. That victory gave the Hoosiers a brief two-game winning streak in the series, as they had also beaten the Buckeyes in 1987 by the score of 31-10. The only other winning streak by the Hoosiers in the series was four games from 1903 to 1913.
19. Four of Indiana's twelve wins in the series (33.3%) have been by shutout: 1904 (8-0); 1905 (11-0); 1937 (10-0); and 1947 (7-0). In addition, Indiana held Ohio State scoreless in 1929 and 1959 (both 0-0 ties).
20. Indiana last tied Ohio State in 1990, by a score of 27-27. Since that tie, Ohio State has beaten Indiana 22 times in a row (including the vacated game in 2010).
21. In the 2011 contest, Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller had an 81-yard touchdown run, tied for seventh-longest in Buckeye history. The Buckeyes had a great day running the ball as Daniel Herron (141 yards), Carlos Hyde (105 yards), and Miller (105 yards) each eclipsed the 100-yard mark. The passing game wasn't so hot, as a young Braxton Miller completed just 5 of 11 passes for 55 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Ohio State prevailed, 34-20.
22. Urban Meyer's first game against Indiana in 2012 was a wild affair. The Buckeyes got off to an early 10-0 lead and it looked like it was going to be another typical blow out of the Hoosiers. But then Indiana running back Stephen Houston busted off a 59-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 10-7. A minute later Indiana blocked a punt and a short-field touchdown gave the Hoosiers a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter. Ohio State re-took the lead on a Bradley Roby blocked punt and a 60-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith, and the Buckeyes led 24-14 at the half. The teams traded scores early in the third quarter, with Indiana kicking a 22-yard field goal and Ohio State getting a 67-yard touchdown run from Braxton Miller to extend their lead to 31-17. Indiana responded with a 76-yard touchdown reception by Shane Wynn to make it a one-score game. A pair of touchdown runs by Carlos Hyde extended Ohio State's lead to 18 points (45-27) early in the fourth quarter. The teams traded touchdowns and Ohio State still had a nearly insurmountable 18-point lead (52-34) with just 6:47 left on the clock. Then the Hoosiers really got down to business. They went on a 10-play, 74-yard touchdown drive (converting two third downs and one fourth down) to cut the lead to 52-41 with 1:40 remaining. Indiana recovered the ensuing onside kick and went 48 yards in five plays, using up only 35 seconds in the process. The Hoosiers successfully executed the 2-point conversion to cut the Buckeye lead to 52-49. Ohio State finally secured victory when Philly Brown recovered the onside kick.
23. For the past six seasons, the series has seen an incredible number of big scoring plays by both sides:
| Year | Player | Team | Play | Yards | --TD-- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Braxton Miller | Ohio State | Run | 81 | yes |
| 2011 | Daniel Herron | Ohio State | Run | 48 | no |
| 2011 | Carlos Hyde | Ohio State | Run | 47 | no |
| 2011 | Daniel Herron | Ohio State | Run | 40 | no |
| 2011 | Kofi Hughes | Indiana | Reception | 43 | no |
| 2012 | Braxton Miller | Ohio State | Run | 67 | yes |
| 2012 | Devin Smith | Ohio State | Reception | 60 | yes |
| 2012 | Devin Smith | Ohio State | Reception | 46 | yes |
| 2012 | Shane Wynn | Indiana | Reception | 76 | yes |
| 2012 | Tevin Coleman | Indiana | Kick return | 60 | no |
| 2012 | Stephen Houston | Indiana | Run | 59 | yes |
| 2013 | Braxton Miller | Ohio State | Run | 41 | no |
| 2014 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | Run | 65 | yes |
| 2014 | Jalin Marshall | Ohio State | Reception | 54 | yes |
| 2014 | Jalin Marshall | Ohio State | Punt return | 54 | yes |
| 2014 | Tevin Coleman | Indiana | Run | 90 | yes |
| 2014 | Zander Diamont | Indiana | Run | 53 | no |
| 2014 | Tevin Coleman | Indiana | Run | 52 | yes |
| 2014 | Shane Wynn | Indiana | Reception | 49 | no |
| 2015 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | Run | 75 | yes |
| 2015 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | Run | 65 | yes |
| 2015 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | Run | 55 | yes |
| 2015 | Zander Diamont | Indiana | Run | 79 | yes |
| 2016 | Parris Campbell | Ohio State | Kick-off return | 91 | no |
| 2016 | Malik Hooker | Ohio State | Interception | 47 | no |
| 2016 | Nick Westbrook | Indiana | Reception | 50 | no |
| 2017 | Parris Campbell | Ohio State | Reception | 74 | yes |
| 2017 | Johnnie Dixon | Ohio State | Reception | 59 | yes |
| 2018 | Parris Campbell | Ohio State | reception | 71 | yes |
| 2018 | Stevie Scott | Indiana | run | 45 | no |
| 2019 | Damon Arnette | Ohio State | interception | 96 | yes |
| 2019 | JK Dobbins | Ohio State | run | 56 | no |
| 2019 | Master Teague | Ohio State | run | 40 | yes |
| 2019 | Peyton Hendershot | Indiana | reception | 49 | yes |
25. The Buckeyes will be glad not to see quarterback Zander Diamont this season. In the 2014 contest, Diamont had both his career-long pass (49 yards) and career-long run (53 yards); under his guidance, the Hoosiers had a lead late in the third quarter before finally falling to the eventual national champions, 42-27. In 2015, Diamont set a new career-best with a 79-yard touchdown run and came nine seconds and nine yards short of upsetting the then top-ranked Buckeyes. Diamont did not play against the Buckeyes last year, and then quit football at the end of the 2016 season due to concussion concerns.
26. I don't know if the kid can play, but Indiana redshirt junior walk-on tight end Ryan Watercutter has one of the best names in college football.
27. Ohio State and Indiana square off in Bloomington tomorrow (August 31, 2017) at 8:00 PM. The game will be televised on ESPN. The Buckeyes are currently favored by 21.5 points.
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