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Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day explained why the Buckeyes scored a late touchdown in their decision win over the Indiana Hoosiers. The top-5 showdown was close through the first half, with Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard and company struggling to gain a rhythm. The second half was a different story, and Ohio State pulled away to win 38-15 and move one step closer to a Big Ten championship. However, there was a controversial moment towards the end of the game.
The Buckeyes were up 31-15 at the 38-second mark on a 2nd and goal play. At this point in the game, the Hoosiers had two timeouts to stop the clock. Will Howard punched it in from the one-yard line to confirm the 23-point win. When NBC Sports lead college football reporter Nicole Auerbach asked about the last-minute score, Ryan Day's response was to the point.
“We said, leave no doubt.”
Ohio State picked up another dominant top-5 win
Ryan Day's program has put together one of the best resumes in the country. With two top-5 wins against No. 5 Indiana and No. 4 Penn State, Ohio State is an absolute lock to make the College Football Playoff, regardless of what happens next week against its heated rival Michigan. The No. 2 Buckeyes again started slow before dominating the second half.
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![Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin gives a thumbs up while walking off the field after the game of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Ole Miss defeated Duke 52-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lane-Kiffin-after-bowl-game-.jpg)
The standout unit in this game was the defense. The Indiana Hoosiers came into Columbus as the second-highest scoring offense in the country, at 43.9 points per game. That gaudy stat took a huge hit today. The Hoosiers put up 151 yards for the entire game, including only 68 yards through the air from star quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The grad transfer was one of the main reasons for Indiana football's historic 10-0 start.
With the big picture in mind, one concern that the Buckeyes will need to correct is the lackluster run game. While running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are two of the best in the country, Ohio State's ground game had another subpar performance relative to expectations. Ryan Day's team rushed the ball 29 times for 115 yards and one touchdown.
Through the air, Will Howard had a gritty performance after an early interception. The transfer from Kansas State completed 22 of 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Howard also had one touchdown on the ground, the controversial score that sealed the 38-15 victory.
Looking ahead, the Buckeyes have at most two more games on the season. Ryan Day's team closes the regular season at home against a struggling Michigan Wolverines team. Should Ohio State topple its rival, a rematch against the No. 1 team in the country, Oregon, lurks. A matchup that the Buckeyes are chomping at the bit to get after their tough loss against the Ducks earlier in the year. All things considered, Ohio State might be the favorite in this matchup, especially with it being on a neutral field in Indianapolis.
While Ryan Day's decision to score a touchdown toward the end of the Indiana game was controversial, now is not the time for the Buckeyes to care about making any friends. The College Football Playoff Committee has proved itself to be very inconsistent over these past few weeks, and the SEC and Big Ten champions are competing for that overall No. 1 seed in the bracket. With slim margins, style points might be what it comes down to in the end.
