Ohio St. 76 - 5 Miami (Ohio) (Final)

I'm sorry, Miami of Ohio fans, but you don't deserve the usual post for a new UCFC applicant.  The score in this game was 49-5 at the half, and things didn't get any better in the second half.  The Redhawks were playing for the Big Gold Trophy, and we expect more of the Old College Try than a 71-point defeat.

With today's game, the exhibition phase of OSU's season has come to an end.  Let's see how they've done so far:

08/31/19:  Ohio St. 45 - 21 Florida Atlantic
09/07/19:  Ohio St. 42 - 0 Cincinnati
09/14/19:  Indiana 10 - 51 Ohio St.
09/21/19:  Ohio St. 76 - 5 Miami (Ohio)

Who would have thought that Florida Atlantic would be the most competitive team on that list?

But give credit where credit is due.  Ohio State has looked very good so far.  Now let's see who they play in the regular season:

09/28/19:  at Nebraska
10/05/19:  MICHIGAN ST.
10/18/19:  at Northwestern
10/26/19:  (13) WISCONSIN
11/09/19:  MARYLAND
11/16/19:  at Rutgers
11/23/19:  (13) PENN ST.
11/30/19:  at (11) Michigan

(That's not a typo.  Wisconsin and Penn State tied for 13th place in last week's poll.)

Now Wisconsin crushed Michigan 35-14 today, so the Badgers will move up and the Wolverines will move down.  But you will note that OSU has Wisconsin at home and Michigan on the road, so that's a favorable development for the Buckeyes.

Right now, it appears that OSU will be favored in all of its remaining games, and will be heavily favored in all of the games except for the one against Wisconsin, where the Buckeyes will be at home.  College football is a crazy sport, and we've all seen odd things happen, but right now you have to think that OSU will be extremely disappointed if they don't keep the Big Gold Trophy through the end of November.

Indiana 10 - 51 Ohio St. (Final)

The Hoosiers put up even less resistance than expected.  OSU rolls to another easy win.

Indiana 3 - 23 Ohio St. (8:30 left in 2d Quarter)

Well, that was pretty easy.  Starting from a 1st and 15 on its own 20, OSU began with a 56-yard run by J.K. Dobbins (of LaGrange H.S. in LaGrange, Tex.)  Four plays later, Justin Fields tossed his second touchdown pass of the game, this one a 9-yarder to K.J. Hill (of N. Little Rock H.S. in Little Rock, Ark.)

ESPN's gametracker now gives OSU a 96.5 percent chance of victory.  That's good enough for me, so this blog will take the rest of the afternoon off, unless something really amazing happens.

Indiana 3 - 16 Ohio St. (10:15 left in 2d Quarter)

OSU is starting to impose its will on this game.  The Bucks' defense stopped IU three and out, and then Chris Olave -- the same guy who just caught a touchdown pass -- blocked the punt.  The ball rolled out of the back of the end zone for a safety, and OSU had two more points.  They'll also get the ball back.

Indiana 3 - 14 Ohio St. (11:26 left in 2d Quarter)

A lovely drive by OSU there.  The Buckeyes hammered IU with a strong running game, and then a fake handoff turned into an easy 37-yard pass from Fields to Chris Olave (from Mission Hills H.S. in San Marcos, Calif.)  Olave was about 4 yards behind everyone else, and it looked for all the world as though he and Fields were playing catch in a very large back yard.  Blake Habeil (of Canisius H.S. in Buffalo, N.Y.) added the extra point, and OSU now has an 11-point lead.

Indiana 3 - 7 Ohio St. (13:50 left in 2d Quarter)

The OSU defense holds without too much trouble, and IU punts to the OSU 37.

So far OSU had 135 total yards to 60 for Indiana.

Indiana 3 - 7 Ohio St. (46 seconds left in 1st Quarter)

So far the Hoosiers are giving it the old college try.  OSU had one drive that ended on a missed field goal, another that ended on a 3-yard touchdown run by QB Justin Fields (of Harrison H.S. in Kennesaw, Ga.), and another that ended in a punt.  IU has only had one decent drive, which ended in a field goal by Logan Justus (of Mt. Vernon H.S. in McCordsville, Ind.)

And now, at the end of the first quarter, IU has the ball, facing 2d and 3 on its own 25.

We are on FOX, and we have the ever-excellent Gus Johnson on the mike.