Smart. Disciplined. Poised.
Those three words are a part of everything that Indiana football preaches on a daily basis.
Those three words have been proven successful on the field for each of the last 22 games for Indiana football, each resulting in wins. On Saturday, a team that doesn’t make mistakes made too many, and in key moments didn’t look smart, disciplined, or poised.
No. 5 Indiana fell to No. 4 Ohio State 19-15 on Saturday, in arguably the biggest home sporting event in Indiana University’s history. The Hoosiers had numerous chances in the game to take control and run away with a win, but fell short in some key spots.
Indiana is typically a team under Curt Cignetti that never hurts itself. It’s one of the fewest penalized teams in the country, it doesn’t blow many assignments, and it doesn’t turn the football over.
The Hoosiers entered Saturday’s matchup with the Buckeyes with just one turnover on the season, and just 24 penalties enforced through six games, good for four a game.
It was turnovers, and failed execution that ended up being the deciding factor in a streak ending loss.
Late in the first half, Indiana had driven the ball 66 yards down the field and into field-goal range for Nico Radicic.
Holding a seven to three lead at the moment, the field goal would have put Indiana up by a touchdown before Ohio State’s last drive of the half.
Radicic has essentially been automatic throughout his time at Indiana as place kicker.
The junior had missed just three field goals in his career, and had only missed one extra point.
One of those missed field goals and the missed extra point both came this season. That inconsistency from Radicic continued against Ohio State. The right footed kicker missed from 32-yards, banging it off the left upright.
The Buckeyes then went and drove the ball, 80 yards on 15 plays, draining the clock all the way inside 10 seconds before taking a 10-7 lead into the half on a 2-yard Bo Jackson touchdown catch.
Indiana started with the ball in the third quarter, with a chance to regain momentum and the lead. Instead, wideout Davion Chandler fumbled after a 19-yard catch, setting up Ohio State in plus territory.
The very next drive, Josh Hoover was hit from the blind-side on a fourth-and-short, fumbling the ball to Ohio State again.
The two turnovers were labeled as crucial by Curt Cignetti postgame.
“Offense came out in the third quarter, turned it over the first two series,” Cignetti said. “A critical moment in that game.”
Later in the third quarter, Cignetti elected to let Radicic have an attempt from 55-yards, and attempt that fell well short, continuing to give Ohio State momentum.
Those are mistakes Indiana typically doesn’t make. Those are plays that Indiana forces on other people, but not on Saturday.
So many times we have seen Indiana benefit because of opponents turning the ball over, or being undisciplined, or fazed in big moments. That was almost flipped on its head in the biggest moments on Saturday, not all the moments, but the ones that people will remember.
Despite those mistakes, Indiana had a chance to go win the game, on its home field.
In the fourth quarter, Josh Hoover led the offense down the field and connected with Nick Marsh for a 19-yard touchdown, cutting the Ohio State lead to four.
The Indiana defense continually made play after play to keep the offense in the game, even forcing an Ohio State punt to set up a potential game winning drive.
The Hoosier offense drove down the field, much in part to a few catches by Charlie Becker and a roughing the passer penalty.
It all came down to a fourth-and-four, on the Ohio State 27-yard line. Josh Hoover was looking for Nick Marsh along the sideline in the endzone.
Marsh made the catch, the crowd erupted, everyone in the stadium wearing Crimson and Cream was elated.
Everyone except Nick Marsh.
Marsh knew his foot was out of bounds, not by much, but enough to be ruled incomplete, and to give Ohio State the win on the road.
It wasn’t a great ball, but it was a ball that Marsh could have got a foot in-bounds with better awareness.
At the end of the day, Indiana had the opportunities, the chances, and the moments to once again prove that it is the emerging superpower in college football.
“Had so many opportunities to get it done, not only at the end of the game, but throughout the game,” Cignetti said. “Just too many missed opportunities on offense; I thought our defense really played well.”
Uncharacteristically, when the moments arrived, Indiana didn’t capitalize, it stumbled; and for the first time in 666 days, Indiana found itself on the losing end of a bout. The 22-game winning streak is snapped, the 19-game home win streak is snapped, and Curt Cignetti’s record falls to 33-3.
Losses hurt, especially for a fanbase that has started to get comfortable without them. Now, focus turns to Michigan. Curt Cignetti put his thoughts on the game into words perfectly.
“The sun will come up tomorrow.”
