Ohio State squashes Hoosiers

COLUMBUS, OHIO -- No. 6 Ohio State ripped apart a close game by outscoring IU 17-0 in the third quarter en route to a 45-17 win in front of a crowd of 104,194 Saturday.\nOhio State freshman running back Maurice Clarett scored three touchdowns to add to his Big Ten leading total of nine for the season.\n"He's a good back," said freshman linebacker John Kerr, who also played against Clarett in high school. "He's powerful, and he's quick."\nIn addition to his three touchdowns, Clarett gained 104 yards on 21 carries.\nBut, Clarett and his Buckeye teammates did not have to travel very far for their scores. Four of Ohio State's (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) scoring drives started from inside the 50-yard line.\n"We had some penalties that gave them good field position, and that really hurt us," coach Gerry DiNardo said.\nThe game was close early. Ohio State's first touchdown came on a two-yard Clarett run with 39 seconds left in the first quarter. The Ohio State drive had started at the 50-yard line after IU (2-3, 0-1 Big Ten) was flagged for a 15-yard facemask penalty on a punt return.\nIU proceeded to score on their next possession via a career-long 49-yard field goal into the wind by sophomore kicker Bryan Robertson.\nOhio State's next drive started at the IU 44-yard line after a 36-yard punt by junior Ryan Hamre. The key play was a 26-yard pass from junior quarterback Craig Krenzel to junior wide receiver Michael Jenkins on third down. Clarett punched the ball in for another two-yard score on the next play.\nOnce again, IU came back with a touchdown after an eight play, 80-yard drive. Senior quarterback Gibran Hamdan hit freshman fullback John Pannozzo with a 41-yard pass that silenced the crowd, and capped it off three plays later with a 17-yard touchdown toss to freshman wide receiver Tyke Spencer with 2:09 left in the first half.\nAnother special teams penalty would give the Buckeyes good field possession, though. Sophomore Antonio Watson was called for a late hit penalty along the Ohio State sideline on the kickoff return, allowing Ohio State to start with the ball at the IU 45.\nA little over a minute later, Clarett was in the end zone again after a four-yard touchdown run to give Ohio State a 21-10 lead at the half.\nDiNardo said he shares some of the blame for the personal fouls that the Hoosiers committed.\n"We (the coaching staff) wanted to be tough and aggressive, so I share some responsibility," he said. \nIU had some wind taken out of its sails on the first possession of the second half as the Buckeyes reached into their bag of tricks with a reverse to sophomore wide receiver Chris Gamble, who streaked down the sidelines for a 43-yard touchdown.\nOn IU's next possession, the sails fell off completely. A Hamre punt was blocked by sophomore Dustin Fox, giving Ohio State the ball at the IU 18. \nA four-yard pass from Krenzel to Jenkins gave the Buckeyes a commanding 35-10 lead with 6:08 left to play in the third quarter.\n"The biggest disappointment for me was the blocked punt and the offense's inability to move the ball in the second half," DiNardo said.\nWhenever IU did show an opportunity to move the ball downfield, dropped passes seemed to jump up and bite them, not the Ohio State defense. Junior wide receiver Glenn Johnson dropped a wide-open 32-yard pass from Hamdan at the Ohio State 40. Two plays later, Spencer dropped what would have been a first down reception. On the next play, Hamre's punt was blocked.\n"I feel like the receivers should always (catch the ball)," sophomore wide receiver Courtney Roby said. "That lies on my shoulders and everybody else's. A play here or there could have gotten us back into the game."\nHamdan passed for 210 yards and didn't have any interceptions, but he wasn't on the field for IU's next score. Senior Tommy Jones was put in after the Buckeyes extended their lead to 45-10. Jones hit Roby for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 3:04 remaining in the game.\nThe loss drops IU's all-time record against Ohio State to 12-61-5. It is the most lopsided series in Big Ten history.