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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports football

Column: Loss to Ohio State says Hoosiers have a long way to go

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State has built a winning football program.

IU only hopes to do so.

Saturday’s meeting between the two teams at Ohio Stadium showed how large the gap between the two programs truly is.

The No. 2 Buckeyes (6-0, 2-0) played to win the game. They took shots down field from their first possession until their last one.

The Hoosiers (3-2, 0-2) did not. They ran predictable plays on predictable downs all
afternoon. First down usually consisted of a handoff to Trea Burgess, Nick Turner or Antonio Banks. More times than not, the play went for one yard or less.

Second down featured a Tandon Doss end-around on more than one occasion. What about third down? Either a swing pass, a short hitch or some other play that left the Hoosiers in a punting situation, whether they executed it or not.

The IU coaching staff was content to keep the game close (how’d that work out?).
Because IU has the football program it does, Bill Lynch and his staff seem happy to settle for the a respectable defeat rather than going for the a program-changing victory.

“They totally dominated us in the first half, in every way that you can,” Lynch said. “We were just trying to find a way to get a first down. It was really one of those games, and again, it’s really a credit to them.”

The Buckeyes were fundamentally sound.

The Hoosiers, much of the time, were not. They missed several tackles, blew multiple defensive assignments and didn’t seem to be on the same page offensively.

Lynch said he keeps his team from practicing in full pads because he wants to keep his guys healthy.

Not only has that been somewhat unsuccessful so far, those practices have led to poor form and missed tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

How do you expect your guys to tackle in the game if they don’t tackle in practice?

The Buckeyes’ secondary has the ability to shut down certain receivers.

The Hoosiers’ secondary has a difficult time stopping any receiver.

Not only did Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor have about three days in the pocket when he dropped back, he could target any IU corner or safety and know his guy was going to make the catch.

Running back Brandon Saine ran down the sideline against Mitchell Evans for a touchdown. Wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher cut over the middle against no one in particular (zone coverage broke down).

Receiver DeVier Posey came back for a ball in the corner of the end zone against Adrian Burks.

This secondary is beaten up, yes, but something has to change. These guys have been gashed by almost everybody this season.

Did I expect IU to beat the Buckeyes?

No.

But I didn’t anticipate a 31-0 game — with Ohio State outgaining IU 320-68 in yards at the end of the first half.

“They’re a good team,” Burks said. “No. 2 in the country for sure.”

It’s interesting how every IU player and coach we talked to alluded to Ohio State’s ranking. That tells a lot about where this program is in comparison to other schools. Most players and coaches would tell you they don’t pay any attention to the rankings.

The Hoosiers can’t go 30 seconds without mentioning it.

Being outplayed by a team that has superior athletes is one thing, but that’s not the only area in which IU was overmatched Saturday.

The Buckeyes were also a whole lot smarter and tougher than the Hoosiers.

That’s why Ohio State is building toward another appearance in the BCS National Championship, and IU is on track for another finish at the bottom of the Big Ten.

For years we have heard the IU football program is building.

After a 38-10 loss to the Buckeyes, I can’t help but notice how far it is from the finished product.

Ohio State has built a mansion. IU is still working on the foundation.

E-mail: jmalbers@indiana.edu

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