November has been good to the Buckeyes. Since 2004, Ohio State is 20-2 in their last month of the season. In order for them to have a chance to play for the Big Ten title they need to play their best again during the home stretch.
Their first challenge will be Indiana.
Now the Hoosiers don’t scare anyone. It’s true their program has had its share of setbacks and as a result, Indiana hasn’t been able to put together a competitive program. That said Kevin Wilson is trying to establish change that will put them on course to be a formidable force.
Though they are a young team, they play extremely hard. Even when games are out of reach, they don’t give up. That mantra should help them eventually get over the hump and improve.
On paper, they shouldn’t provide the Buckeyes much of a challenge. Indiana’s defense is one of the worst in the Big Ten. On average, they give up 36 points a game. Offensively, they have struggled against some of the better defenses; particularly Penn State’s where they only managed 256 total yards. When you add all of this up it’s easy to see Ohio State should be able to dominate.
The challenge for the Buckeyes is mental more than physical.
It’s always tough to maintain intensity throughout the course of the season. The Buckeyes played with attitude in last week’s upset win over Wisconsin. Will they come out with the same swagger or fall flat?
Ohio State knows it controls its destiny to an extent (Penn State and the NCAA being the external factors). This week provides them the perfect opportunity to build upon a huge win, improve the offense and lock down weaknesses on defense. If they use this opportunity to improve, it will help them with the tougher games remaining on their schedule.
This week will provide us a look into the mentality of this team. Will they be like past teams and use this time to improve? Alternatively, will they struggle with inconsistency? The answer may determine the course of their November.
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