This Thursday, August 31, the Ohio State football team kicked off its season with a convincing 49-21 win vs. Big Ten rival Indiana. The margin of victory, however, is not indicative of how the whole game went, as Indiana did lead 14-13 at halftime. The Buckeyes outscored the Hoosiers 36-7 in the 2nd half to achieve such a big margin of victory. The game, which was on the road for the Buckeyes, should provide needed confidence to begin the season, and set the tone for the games to come.

In a game filled with touchdowns and big plays, there was one player that stood out above all: not J.T. Barrett, but instead Running Back J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins, who was filling in for injured starter Mike Weber, ran for an astonishing 181 yards on 29 carries, an average of 6.2 yards per carry. In the passing game, Buckeye Quarterback J.T. Barrett had a strong game, completing 20 of 35 pass attempts, throwing for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a huge 74 yard touchdown to Wide Receiver Parris Campbell.

Despite losing so big, the Hoosiers had a strong passing game that they leaned on through all four quarters. Indiana Quarterback Richard Lagow threw for a ridiculous 410 yards, completing 40 of 65 passes, and throwing 3 touchdowns despite 2 interceptions. Usually on the receiving end of Lagow’s passes was Wide Receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr., who had 11 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown. Indiana’s run game, however, was limited, with their leading rusher Morgan Ellison only gaining 24 yards the whole game.

Ohio State only has so much time to celebrate, as they have to get prepared to face a top-5 team, the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners, this Saturday, September 9. Oklahoma will be a tough test, as they come into Saturday’s game after defeating UTEP last week by an overwhelming score of 56-7. Needless to say, Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a good one.