Ohio State Football: Preview and Prediction Week 13 vs Indiana Hoosiers

Here's everything you need to know before the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to take on the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers at home on Saturday in a contest that decides the could decide the fate of the Big 10 Conference Championship game.

Many believed the Week 13 contest would be the perfect tune-up game for the Buckeyes before the team's final regular season game against the Michigan Wolverines. However, head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers blew through expectations this season, and now hold a perfect 10-0 record heading into Saturday.

With Oregon presumably locking up a spot in the conference championship, both Ohio State and Indiana are on the hunt for the chance to play in Indianapolis come conference championship week.

Saturday's matchup will be the third top 5 opponent the Buckeyes encountered this season, as the program lost Week 7 to the Oregon Ducks and defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions in Week 10.

What To Watch For

The biggest storyline heading into Week 13's matchup against the Hoosiers is the injury report of Buckeyes' center Seth McLaughlin.

Ohio State's offensive line caught the injury bug in 2024, as guard Donovan Jackson dealt with an injury at the beginning of the season, and tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending injury during the loss to the Oregon Ducks. McLaughlin joins the ongoing list with an apparent ruptured achilles.

Head coach Ryan Day plans to shift former starting center Carson Hinzman back to the center position, while sophomore Austin Siereveld fills the empty left guard position. Hinzman's experience at center is not the concern for the Buckeyes on Saturday, rather it's Siereveld's lack of starting reps that poses an issue for the offensive line.

Indiana's Key Player: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke

In order to stop the efficient Hoosier offense, Ohio State must limit quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

The senior gunslinger fueled the offense for a majority of the season, throwing for 2,410 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. While the stats do not pop, Rourke continues to prove himself as a high-end college quarterback through his efficiency downfield. Rourke is 29-for-72 with four touchdowns and one interception on passes 10+ yards and outside the hashmarks, according to PFF.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' unit needs to generate enough pressure through the trenches to stop any big plays in the air.

The X Factor: Ohio State's Secondary

Week 13's contest is another important test for the Buckeyes' secondary unit.

The last true challenge Ohio State's defensive backs faced was in Week 7 against Oregon. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel carved up the Buckeyes, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks wide receivier duo of Tez Johnson and Evan Steward also did a number against the Buckeyes, as the two finished for a combined 14 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

While Indiana's offense is not as good as the No. 1 team in the nation's, the Hoosiers possess the ability to win downfield with speed, just like the Ducks used in Week 7.

Prediction: Ohio State 28, Indiana 21