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The college football season will be going on for another two months as the national championship will conclude the season in late January, but the regular season is almost over. It feels like everything just got started, but there are only two more weeks left before conference championship week. The intensity is ramping up all around the country, and once again, we have numerous games that will have big College Football Playoff implications. One of those games will be taking place in the Big Ten as Will Howard and #2 Ohio State will look to knock off undefeated Indiana.
When the Ohio State football has a top-five matchup against an undefeated team in late November, it's usually against Michigan. That has happened each of the last two years. However, this season, it's against… Indiana? Yep, the Hoosiers are 10-0 and ranked #5 in year one of the Curt Cignetti era, and they are hoping to pull off the school's biggest win ever this weekend.
Before we talk more about Will Howard and predictions for his performance, let's take a deeper look at both of these teams.
Indiana is 10-0 for the first time ever
What Curt Cignetti has done in just one season at Indiana is truly remarkable. No offense to the Hoosiers, but that is not a football school. It is a basketball school, and this time of the year, that's usually all Indiana fans care about. This season is different.
Indiana is 10-0 for the first time in school history, but there is still a lot that this team wants to accomplish. The Hoosiers have a chance to get one step closer to a Big Ten title game berth if they can beat Ohio State this weekend, but it's going to be a very tough game. Not many people are giving the Hoosiers a chance, but they're used to people doubting them.
A lot of people are saying that Indiana hasn't played anybody good yet, but regardless of who their opponents have been, it's not easy to go 10-0. This program has NEVER done it before. The Hoosiers deserve all the credit in the world.
Ohio State needs this win
The pressure is all on the Ohio State football team this weekend. The Buckeyes are the team that spent millions on their roster ahead of this national title or bust season. They already have a loss on the season and a second one before they play Michigan would not be ideal. Ohio State should be able to beat the Wolverines to get into the College Football Playoff regardless, but you never know in college football.
This is a great opportunity for the Buckeyes to pick up a good win against a top-five team, and a win would pretty much lock up a trip to the Big Ten title game. Ohio State would need to beat Michigan, which like we just talked about, it's no guarantee, but that should be a win.
Right now, all of their focus is on Indiana. The Hoosiers are a good team, and if the Buckeyes are going to win, Will Howard needs to play a good game. Here are three predictions for his performance:
Will Howard will throw for over 300 yards
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This Indiana football team is good, but they haven't played a team even close to as good as Ohio State. That's just the reality of the situation. Will Howard has been terrific this season and he will be too much for the Hoosiers to handle. He will have a big day.
Will Howard will throw three touchdown passes
Indiana has not faced a quarterback like Will Howard yet this season, and he will give them some fits. The Hoosiers also haven't gone up against wide receivers like the Buckeyes have. All in all, it will be a challenge. Howard will connect for at least three touchdown passes.
Will Howard and Ohio State will cruise
Indiana is a good team and they will still finish 11-1 and make the playoff. However, they aren't ready to take down a team like Ohio State on the road. Will Howard and the Buckeyes will cruise to a 42-24 win.
Ohio State and Indiana will kick off at noon ET from Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, and the game will be airing on Fox. The Buckeyes are currently favored by 12.5 points.
Week 13 college football preview
Indiana-Ohio State is a big one, but that's just the tip of the iceberg this weekend. There are a ton of marquee matchups, and it's going to be a fun weekend of college football.
ESPN's College GameDay will be headed to Columbus for this huge top-five matchup. It was an easy choice for the show that goes to the biggest game of the week as this is essentially a Big Ten title play-in game.
In the ACC, the team to watch this weekend is Miami as they look to avoid a second conference loss. They will be hosting Wake Forest. Clemson also has just one conference loss, but they have two non-conference games to end the season.
Moving over to the Big 12, there are two big games this weekend. Colorado and Kansas will squaring off in Kansas City, and another massive one will be taking place in Tempe. Two-loss Arizona State is trying to find a way into the conference title game, and they will be hosting #14 BYU this weekend. A win would be huge for the Sun Devils.
In the Big Ten, the Ohio State-Indiana matchup is huge, but Penn State-Minnesota is another game to keep an eye on. The Nittany Lions are hoping to stay in the running for a Big Ten title berth, but going on the road to play the Golden Gophers will be tricky.
There aren't a lot of big games in the SEC this weekend as its the annual November cupcake week down south, but Ole Miss could have a tricky test on the road against a Florida team that just knocked off LSU. That looks like the best matchup of the weekend in the SEC.
With just two weeks remaining, things are getting intense. Enjoy another crucial week of what has been a fun college football season.
