NCAAF Game Preview - Ohio State at Indiana
Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

FlaSt
7
Bama
24
F
OSU
49
Ind
21
F
WestMI
31
USC
49
F
Kent
3
Clem
56
F
Akr
0
PSU
52
F
UTEP
7
Okla
56
F
Wash
30
Rut
14
F
UtSt
10
Wisc
59
F
Tuls
24
OkSt
59
F
Mich
33
Fla
17
F
GaSo
7
Aub
41
F
BYU
0
LSU
27
F
App
10
UGA
31
F
Lou
35
Purd
28
F
B-C
13
MiaFL
41
F
Stony
17
SoFL
31
F
C Ark
19
K St
55
F
WVU
24
VaTec
31
F
MD
51
Tex
41
F
MonSt
0
WaSt
31
F
Tenn
42
GATec
41
F(1OT)
FLInt
17
UCF
61
F
Presb
7
Wake
51
F
URI
27
C Mi
30
F(2OT)
TnSt
17
GASt
10
F
Elon
13
Toled
47
F
Buff
7
MIN
17
F
APSU
14
Cin
26
F
UND
16
Utah
37
F
HolyC
20
UConn
27
F
FlaAM
7
Ark
49
F
ULMon
29
Mem
37
F
NMS
31
AzSt
37
F
Ford
6
Army
64
F
UNCC
7
E Mi
24
F
Rich
34
SamHu
48
F
CenCt
7
Syr
50
F
Navy
42
FlAtl
19
F
ColSt
3
Colo
17
F
BC
23
NIU
20
F
MoStU
43
MIZ
72
F
Wyo
3
Iowa
24
F
Ball
21
Ill
24
F
BGSU
10
MSU
35
F
Cal
35
UNC
30
F
YSU
21
Pitt
28
F OT
PorSt
32
OreSt
35
F
VMI
0
AF
62
F
NCSt
28
SCar
35
F
AlaAM
7
UAB
38
F
NEV
20
NW
31
F
W&M
10
UVA
28
F
Temp
16
ND
49
F
Troy
13
Boise
24
F
EWa
10
TxTch
56
F
KY
24
SMiss
17
F
ChaSo
0
MissSt
49
F
Alb
17
OD
31
F
JMU
34
ECU
14
F
NCC
7
Duke
60
F
MiaOH
26
Marsh
31
F
HBU
11
TxSt
20
F
Hamp
0
Ohio
59
F
SFA
14
SMU
58
F
E Ky
17
W Ky
31
F
Lamar
14
NorTx
59
F
NWSt
24
LT
52
F
SouLA
48
ULLaf
51
F
SEMO
16
Kans
38
F
Lib
48
Bayl
45
F
UMass
28
CoCar
38
F
CAPly
13
SJSU
34
F
SoAl
27
Miss
47
F
Gram
14
Tul
43
F
Abil
14
NM
38
F
JacSt
0
TCU
63
F
ArkSt
36
Neb
43
F
Vand
28
MidTN
6
F
NoIa
24
IASt
42
F
SoUt
21
Oreg
77
F
UCDav
17
SDSU
38
F
How
43
UNLV
40
F
(N/A)
0
Fres
66
F
NoAZ
24
Ariz
62
F
WCU
18
Hawaii
41
F
TxAM
44
UCLA
45
F
Hou
UTSA
Canc
No. 2 Ohio State, former coach Wilson visit Indiana
Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:20 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University coach Tom Allen knows the challenge his team faces Thursday night.

"Biggest home opener in the history of our program," Allen said. "I've know I've said that many times, but it is what it is, That's exactly the situation we find ourselves in."

The Hoosiers will host No. 2 Ohio State in a season opener against the Big Ten powerhouse at 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The Buckeyes finished 11-2 last season, reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals before losing to Clemson 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl.

The ESPN College GameDay crew, which includes former IU coach Lee Corso, is making its first live visit to Bloomington for a football game, where most of the spotlight is shining on the visitors.

The game will remark the return of former IU coach Kevin Wilson, who was forced to resign after philosophical differences with athletic director Fred Glass after the regular season. There were concerns how injured players were handled under Wilson. Allen was then promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach prior to the Foster Farms Bowl, which IU (6-7) lost to Utah 26-24.

Wilson was hired as the Buckeyes offensive coordinator in January.

Allen said he hasn't mentioned Wilson's return to the players

"Very genuinely, it's all Ohio State," Allen said. "Really haven't mentioned that once."

Allen said he expects the offensive scheme of the Buckeyes to be a combination of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and Wilson.

"As you go back and look at how they performed last year, they hung 62 on Maryland and beat Nebraska by 60-something," said Allen, who was close as the Buckeyes beat Nebraska 62-3. "It wasn't like they were anemic, you know?"

Allen said he keeps telling players it will be a game of adjustments on both sides. The Buckeyes averaged 39.4 points per game last season.

Meyer said quarterback J.T. Barrett has made the biggest strides in accuracy and his relationship and timing with the wide outs.

"To say that he mastered our offense, he's done that quite a while ago," Meyer said. "It's just the timing, the execution and the trust."

Barrett threw for 2,555 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. Sophomore Mike Weber is back for the Buckeyes at running back, rushing for 1,096 yards and nine TDs.

The Hoosiers' rushing attempts will likely be by committee. Allen said he expects four or five guys to gain meaningful time at running back. The Hoosiers must replace Devine Redding, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the previous two seasons. Redding left early for the NFL.

"Mike Majette is kind of that solidifying, does everything really well kind of guy," Allen said. "(Freshman) Morgan Ellison has been a surprise. I knew he was a good player, thought he might need time to develop, but he's right there in the mix. Devonte Williams has been as quick and explosive as he's always been and Cole Gest, getting him back was good. He's got a great burst."

Gest played in three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Tyler Natee is the leading returning rusher with 237 yards.

Meyer said playing this season opener is a little easier than 2016 because 15 starters return compared to six returning starters in 2016.

"Last year was very alarming because our whole team was new," Meyer said. "This year is a little more comfort because guys have been in the environment before. This is a whole different set of circumstances because it's on the road in a Big Ten game. But we've practiced as such and like I said, Billy Prince is snapping a ball to J.T. every play, as long as they stay healthy and that's a little more comforting."

The Hoosiers return Richard Lagow as starting quarterback. He threw for 3,363 yards, but had just two more TDs (19) than interceptions (17).

The Buckeyes have won 21 consecutive games vs. the Hoosiers and lead the all-time series 72-12-5. IU's last win over the Buckeyes came in 1988 in Bloomington. The Hoosiers did give visiting Ohio State a scare before falling 34-27 in the final seconds in 2015. Host Ohio State won 38-17 last year.

IU senior linebacker Tegray Scales said this an opportunity the Hoosiers have to take advantage of against the Buckeyes.

"You don't get this opportunity often," Scales said. "It's one of the biggest openers in Indiana history. We embrace it and plan to take it head on."

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