Ohio State Owns Massive Win Streak Against Indiana

The Buckeyes have dominated the Hoosiers for three decades.

Author:
Caleb Spinner
Oct 19, 2021 12:58 PM EDT

No. 5 Ohio State travels to Indiana this weekend for their third road game of the season.

The Buckeyes (5-1) are set to battle the Hoosiers (2-4) in Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. Here’s a look at the all-time series between these two Big Ten divisional opponents:

Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers

All-Time Record: OSU leads, 76-12-5

First Meeting: Nov. 23, 1901 (Indiana, 18-6)

Last Meeting: Nov. 21, 2020 (Ohio State, 42-35)

Current Win Streak: OSU, 25

Indiana beat the Buckeyes on October 8, 1988 ... but the Hoosiers have yet to knock off Ohio State since then, while meeting almost every single year.

The series between Ohio State and Indiana will celebrate it’s 120th anniversary this year, as quick math will tell you.

This century-and-change-long matchup has withstood numerous external conflicts, including both world wars, the Great Depression and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indiana dominated the Buckeyes the first few years of this series. The Hoosiers won five of the first six meetings, winning the inaugural game in 1901, annually from 1903-1905, and again in 1913.

OSU and IU did not meet between 1905 and 1913, and the 1902 matchup ended in a 6-6 tie.

The Buckeyes recorded the largest margin of victory in the series after a 56-0 win back in 1957. The two teams recorded a scoreless game a couple years later in 1959, tying 0-0.

Last year’s game between the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers is tied for the closest game in the two decades of the series. Ohio State won the game 42-35, sharing a 7-point margin of victory with the 34-27 win back in 2017.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields recorded a season-high number of interceptions in last year’s game against the No. 9 Hoosiers. The senior threw three picks along with 300 yards and two touchdowns.

The Buckeyes almost blew a 42-21, fourth-quarter lead when Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw touchdowns on IU’s first two possessions.

The second TD reception was a 56-yard bomb to wide receiver Ty Fryfogle.

Fryfogle would finish the game with the most touchdowns out of both teams with three. The junior paired those scores with 218 yards on seven catches (an average of 31.1 yards per reception).

The Buckeye defense came up big in the last ten minutes of the game and forced the Hoosiers to punt and fumble on their last two drives respectively, to seal the victory.

Another memorable game in this series came on Nov. 18, 1978 when Woody Hayes recorded his final victory as head coach of the Buckeyes.

Hayes led No. 19 Ohio State back from a 10-7 halftime deficit to win 21-18.

The head coach of the Hoosiers during that game was Lee Corso, a current commentator on ESPN GameDay.

SI Sportsbook has Ohio State as heavy favorites on Saturday. The Buckeyes are on the right side of a 19.5 point spread. The over/under scoring line is currently set at 59.5 points.

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