This Big Ten Opponent Will Be A Tough Matchup For The Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes' schedule continues to strengthen with this Big Ten team's surprising start to the season.

Oct 19, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers Myles Price (4) celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

While the Ohio State Buckeyes were recovering during the bye week, a future opponent's stock continued to rise after the team's Week 8 performance.

The Indiana Hoosiers have completely blown through expectations in 2024. Most analysts predicted the Hoosiers to be a bottom-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten, however, head coach Curt Cignetti has led his squad to an impressive 7-0 start this season.

On Saturday, the Hoosiers faced the team's first true test in the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite star quarterback Kurtis Rourke going down with a hand injury early in the contest, Indiana managed to take down Nebraska at home, 56-7. Senior running back Justice Ellison carried the load on offense, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

Along with a strong offense led by Rourke, the Hoosiers' defense has been elite. The unit has allowed an average of 13.7 points per game and 262.6 yards per game, which both rank seventh amongst all FBS teams. The combination of quality offensive plan and a stout defense has led to Indiana being ranked No. 13 in the Week 9 edition of the AP Top 25 Polling.

With the Buckeyes being the lone team on Indiana's schedule to be in the AP Top 25, there's a real chance that Ohio State's Week 13 matchup against the Hoosiers could have implications on the Big Ten Championship.

On top of the major implications, OSU will have to play longtime rival Michigan the following week. Head coach Ryan Day must have his squad ready for the final two weeks of the regular season in order to potentially get another crack at the Oregon Ducks.