Being the Buckeye beat’s black sheep blog, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to pat ourselves on the back. So, throughout the season, members of our staff will be making predictions about that day’s game. They will go on the record with what they think the final score will be, who the game’s MVP will be, and what the major storyline will be coming out of the day.
This evening, at 8 p.m. ET, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) will play for their first Big Ten Championship since 2020, as they take on the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers (12-0). As of the writing of this article, the Buckeyes are 4.5-point favorites, with the total points mark set at 46.5 points. So that means that the Vegas oddsmakers see the game as finishing somewhere in the ballpark of 26-21 in favor of OSU.
Check out what our staff members think and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below. As we move forward with the season, you will be able to keep up with just how well our prognosticators do on a weekly basis HERE.
Michael Citro
Score Prediction: Ohio State 30, Indiana 24
Offensive MVP: I think the offensive MVP is going to have to be Julian Sayin if the Buckeyes are going to win. Indiana has a stout run defense, and even though the Hoosiers have a couple of All-Big Ten defensive backs, I think Sayin will find Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith when needed.
Defensive MVP: Arvell Reese seems the likely candidate for defensive MVP as he’ll be called upon to stop both the run and the pass. He’ll likely also spy Fernando Mendoza, who likes to make plays with his legs as well as throwing the football.
Major Storyline: The major storyline will be Ohio State entering the College Football Playoff as the top seed, but a potential rematch with Indiana could be a major part of the postseason after a close Big Ten title game.
Alex Frank
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Indiana 24
Offensive MVP: There are a lot of players who could be the offensive MVP. For me, I’m going with Bo Jackson. Part of the reason I believe the Buckeyes win this game is their ability to run the football. Not only will that benefit their own offense, but it will also keep Indiana’s explosive offense off the field. Jackson will continue his hot streak, rushing for 142 yards on 27 carries and scoring a touchdown on a run of over 50 yards.
Defensive MVP: Caleb Downs is going to make his presence felt in this game. He’s going to have a big game-changing play, and he’s going to put on a tackling clinic. Indiana’s offense will not move the ball as well as it did in the regular season, and a big reason why will be because of Downs.
Major Storyline: First and foremost, the Buckeyes will be the only undefeated team in college football after winning this game. That will matter because it will show just how much above every other team in college football OSU is. In addition, though, I believe we will see another edition of this game in Miami in mid-January. These are the two best teams in college football, and Saturday will show that. But again, the Buckeyes are a tier above everybody else and will be after Saturday.
Joey Gertz
Score Prediction: Ohio State 27, Indiana 20
Offensive MVP: A healthy Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, in a dome, with a Big Ten championship and the Heisman Trophy on the line? I expect Julian Sayin to be throwing early and often en route to a big day.
Defensive MVP: Caden Curry is an Indiana kid, making his first trip to Indy as a Buckeye, having played at Lucas Oil Stadium multiple times in high school state championship games. Indiana likes to run a lot of RPO and put pressure on the edges, putting Curry in a prime position to wreck his home-state team.
Major Storyline: Julian Sayin will be Ohio State’s first Heisman trophy winner since Troy Smith. What a remarkable first season as a starter for the second-year player. Even if this storyline doesn’t come true, Sayin has led this team to 12-0, a win over TTUN, and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff in his first season, not bad with at least another year in Columbus to go.
Justin Golba
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Indiana 17
Offensive MVP: The game’s offensive MVP will be Jeremiah Smith. This is a game that the Smith and Julian Sayin connection will hit better than it has all year, with Smith recording 10 catches for two touchdowns.
Defensive MVP: Davidson Igbinosun has quietly been one of the best cornerbacks in the country over the season, and he will keep up his hot play in the Big Ten Championship Game. Indiana has two great receivers in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper, and OSU will need a great performance from Igbinosun to slow them down. I think he will have an interception and limit the dangerous Sarratt to a quiet game.
Major Storyline: Ohio State continues its undefeated season and extends its winning streak to 17 games, with two of its three goals now accomplished. The Buckeyes will now move on to attempt to complete all three for the first time since 2014 (beat Michigan, win the Big Ten championship, and win the national title).
Dan Hessler
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Indiana 16
Offensive MVP: Julian Sayin throws for more than 250 yards and three touchdowns with a completion percentage greater than 75%.
Defensive MVP: Arvell Reese is going to make life difficult for Indiana’s offense, recording a sack, two tackles for loss, and forcing a turnover.
Major Storyline: The major storyline will be Ohio State proving this year’s team is even better than last year’s national championship squad. OSU will leave this game with just one final goal to achieve: winning the program’s first-ever back-to-back national titles.
Connor Lemons
Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Indiana 13
Offensive MVP: Julian Sayin cements his spot as the Heisman favorite with 275 yards and two passing touchdowns, while also using his legs to rush for a season-high 25 yards, picking up multiple first downs with his legs.
Defensive MVP: Sonny Styles will be a game wrecker on Saturday, picking up a sack, two tackles for loss, and eight total tackles.
Major Storyline: If Indiana was considered the best team in the country aside from Ohio State, just how far ahead of the pack are the Buckeyes this year?
Brett Ludwiczak
Score Prediction: Ohio State 30, Indiana 20
Offensive MVP: Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin solidifies himself as the Heisman favorite after dueling with Francisco Mendoza, throwing three touchdowns in the Ohio State win.
Defensive MVP: Buckeye safety Caleb Downs shows why he was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. With Downs roaming the secondary, Mendoza has his worst game of the season.
Major Storyline: Ohio State wins its first Big Ten title since 2020 in a game that sees Indiana score the most points out of any Buckeye opponent so far this season. The difference is that Ohio State is a little deeper, and that wears on the Hoosiers as the game goes on. Ohio State puts the rest of the college football world on notice as it proves that it is the prohibitive favorite to go back-to-back.
Gene Ross
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Indiana 20
Offensive MVP: The Buckeyes get their first Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006 as Julian Sayin throws for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in an impressive win over a great defense.
Defensive MVP: Continuing his hot streak down the stretch, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. records two sacks and helps to slow down the Indiana run game.
Major Storyline: Ohio State’s defense allows the most points it has all season, but holding Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers to 20 points is still a massive victory for Matt Patricia, as IU is the best team Ohio State will play the rest of the way.
Matt Tamanini
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Indiana 13
Offensive MVP: I know most of my colleagues have selected Julian Sayin, and rightfully so (as I too think he cements his first of two Heisman Trophies tonight), so I am going to go in a slightly different direction. I am picking the Ohio State offensive line. The right side of the line has had its struggles this season, but just like last season, the unit is gelling at just the right time, and they will keep Sayin clean and will open up holes for Bo Jackson.
Defensive MVP: Last week, I went with Matt Patricia, because I thought his defense was going to shut down Michigan, which they did. I would love to take the easy way out again, but I am going to go with Kayden McDonald. Indiana has a top-10 rushing offense, but they will struggle to find running lanes against this Buckeye defense, especially because leading rusher Roman Hemby (and his complementary back Kaelon Black) is a mostly between-the-tackles back, and Kay Mac is going to clog up every hole that even thinks about opening up.
Major Storyline: Here’s the thing, Indiana is the second-best team in college football, but the gap between the Hoosiers and Ohio State is more significant than we have seen in recent years. While there might be a bigger chasm between IU and the No. 3 team (whoever that is), the difference between this Ohio State squad and Curt Cignetti’s team is just too much for the Bloomington Bombers to overcome.
While I wouldn’t say that Ohio State has played with its food for most of this season, they have not been especially worried about putting up style points, pulling out all of the stops, or — in Ryan Day’s terms — stepping on the gas. They will do all three on Saturday, cementing themselves as the new Death Star of college football and putting the rest of the sport on notice. Not only is the program going to stay at the top of the sport, but Ryan Day is the clear heir apparent to Nick Saban’s crown.
Ryan Weckstein
Score Prediction: Ohio State 34, Indiana 24
Offensive MVP: Julian Sayin will have his Heisman moment in this game. He will go for 350 yards and three touchdowns. This will be the capper for his Heisman campaign.
Defensive MVP: I’m going to go with Caleb Downs on this one. He will seal the game with an interception and will have two pass breakups along the way.
Major Storyline: The general public will finally be able to watch the best two teams in the country in prime time (thanks, Big Noon). With that said, Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza will put on an air show for everyone watching. Sayin has not played in a dome yet this season, and I believe it will only help improve upon the stellar effort he had last week in less-than-ideal elements. Don’t be surprised if you see this matchup again in January.
