This one hurts. I don't know what to think. I just know the team that beat Michigan was not the same team I saw play Indiana tonight. It definitely showed. I personally have my own hunch as to why the Buckeyes played as poorly as they did. But hunches and what I actually saw, are two very different things. What went wrong for Ohio State? What could've gone better? And where do they go from here? Let's take a look at the Good, Bad and the Ugly.

The Good: Bo Jackson and Jeremiah Smith

In a game where it looked like Ohio State was largely sleepwalking and a step slower than the Hoosiers all night long, Bo looked like he was genuinely trying to put the Buckeyes on his back with how hard he ran. He carried the ball 17 times for 83 yards. And they probably should've gone to him more often. I like this kid. He has an edge. The Buckeyes still need to continue developing him. But that's where the good ends for this game. Bo can't do everything by himself. Jeremiah Smith can't either. If I told you number 4 hauled in eight catches for 144 yards, you'd swear up and down the Buckeyes win that game on that statistic alone.

The Bad: Fernando Mendoza did Fernando Mendoza things

Unfortunately, nobody else really stepped up when it mattered the most. The Silver Bullets didn't shut down or contain Fernando Mendoza when they absolutely had to. The Hoosiers' signal caller likely just locked up the Heisman Trophy with a clutch night, going 15-23 for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He made clutch throw after clutch throw, and was frustratingly elusive all night long. Not only will he likely be Indiana's first-ever Heisman winner, but he also led the Hoosiers to their first victory over the Buckeyes since 1988.

The Ugly: Poor pass protection

Julian Sayin has had a fantastic season so far. But I remember several weeks ago when I had an appearance on the OH Report podcast. I think it was after the Penn State game. I was impressed with Ohio State's clinical 38-14 win at the time.

But I remember saying that I wanted to see what Julian Sayin was really made of, and that we'd get our answer when he'd be forced to make huge plays in bigger games. This was one of those games, and he did not look good at all. But not all of that was his fault. Being sacked five times by a defense that continuously disguised pressures and schemes is enough to make even a veteran quarterback uncomfortable. Credit to the Hoosiers on that front.

But this one scares me for one big reason: Ohio State's offensive line looked completely exposed. They gave up five sacks, and Indiana just gave every other team the blueprint on how to shut down the Buckeyes. As Sayin goes and as the defense goes, so goes this team.

Bonus: Poor play calling and poor execution

This could definitely be in a category all its own. I don't usually think one coach or one player defines a team. But soon to be former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline was hired to be the next head coach at the University of South Florida (USF) on December 3rd.

I am not sure if Hartline coached in tonight's game. It certainly didn't look like it. Ohio State's offense looked lethargic, sluggish and never got going. It reminded me of last year's game against Michigan.

The Buckeyes were routinely in third and long situations, and went a combined 4-13 on third and fourth down. That's never a recipe for success no matter what team it is that the Buckeyes are playing.

When it's at its absolute best, Ohio State's offense is creative, explosive, free-flowing, dynamic, and incredibly hard for defenses to pin down. I saw none of that tonight. If the Buckeyes play like that again? They'll be a one and done this season in the CFP.

This loss to Indiana scared me for all the reasons mentioned above. Ohio State struggled to slow down an athletic quarterback, couldn't protect their own signal caller at all, and the play calling looked way too vanilla compared to the weapons we have in this offense. Indiana may be a good team. But I know we're better than what we showed tonight. This is the absolute worst time to be having all these breakdowns. They need fixed. NOW.

Coach Day and his Buckeyes did some soul-searching after the loss to Michigan last season, and ended up brutalizing the rest of the bracket on the way to the National Championship. Looks like this team will have to do some big-time soul searching too.

Ohio State now awaits the College Football Playoff selection committee's decision. My hunch? They drop to number 2 and get a first round bye. But one thing's clear: The Buckeyes faced some genuine adversity. And they failed this test.

They're fortunate they get a chance to show the rest of the college football world that the team that played tonight isn't who they are. Now it's time for them to get their crap together, make the necessary adjustments and get after it by playing three straight weeks of great Playoff football!

Statistical Leaders

Julian Sayin: 21-29, 258 yards, TD, INT.

Bo Jackson: 17 carries, 83 yards

Jeremiah Smith: 8 catches, 144 yards

Source

ESPN

Picture Credit

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