The Ohio State Buckeyes look to get back into the playoffs this season as they kick off their season against Big Ten rivals Indiana Hoosiers.
Ohio State only suffered two losses last season, and those were the last two of the seasons, including Michigan and Georgia in the semifinals. Indiana had a 3-0 start to the 2022 season before losing eight of their last nine games to miss bowl season altogether.
Here’s our prediction, along with betting and DFS preview.
Ohio State vs. Indiana Betting and DFS Preview
- Spread
Ohio State -30, Indiana +30 - Moneyline
Ohio State -8000, Indiana +2200 - Over/Under
60 points - Game time
3:30 p.m. EST - Location
Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN - Predicted Weather at Kick
88 degrees, sunny, winds SW at 5 to 10 mph - How to Watch
FuboTV, CBS
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Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
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Looking for each team’s depth chart? Click the appropriate link to view.
Ohio State Depth Chart | Indiana Depth Chart
- QB Kyle McCord, Ohio State ($10,000)
- QB Devin Brown, Ohio State ($10,000)
- QB Tayven Jackson, Indiana ($6,200)
- RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State ($9,200)
- RB Miyan Williams, Ohio State ($8,800)
- RB Josh Henderson, Indiana ($5,900)
- RB Jaylin Lucas, Indiana ($5,300)
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State ($10,100)
- WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State ($9,200)
- WR Cam Camper, Indiana ($6,800)
- WR Julian Fleming, Ohio State ($6,700)
- WR E.J. Williams Jr., Indiana ($5,700)
- WR DeQuece Carter, Indiana ($5,400)
- TE Cade Stover, Ohio State ($5,800)
- TE Bradley Archer, Indiana ($4,600)
C.J. Stroud is gone for Ohio State, which now opens the door for junior quarterback Kyle McCord to take over the team. McCord threw for 416 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions last season for Ohio State as Stroud’s backup.
He’s got plenty of weapons in the passing game and has a strong running game. Since it is his first game, the stats may not be perfect, but Indiana is one of the bottom teams in the conference, so he could put up big numbers.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson ran for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. The junior running back is a home run hitter who can make big plays out of the backfield after averaging 96 yards per game last year. Indiana only has two returning starters to the 118th-ranked defense in 2022, so Henderson is a safe bet to have a big game.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the best receivers in the country and should be McCord’s number-one target in the passing game. Every fantasy player should play Harrison if given the opportunity because he is an elite athlete for Ohio State. Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming are the other top receivers for the Buckeyes who can also make big plays.
Ohio State had a top-25 defense last season so it would be hard to find someone in Indiana right now who could make an immediate impact in fantasy.
Freshman quarterback Tayven Jackson has a massive hurdle to go through in his first start against Ohio State. The safest choice in fantasy if fans look at Indiana would be running back Josh Henderson as he is expected to have a bigger impact running the ball to help his freshman quarterback. Receiver Cam Camper is coming back from an ACL injury and has said he will be a go in week one so he should receive plenty of targets if he plays.
Prediction for Ohio State vs. Indiana
The Hoosiers only have seven total returning starters to their program after winning just four games last season. They are still looking for a playmaker to step up and hope that Jackson will be the answer at quarterback for them. Camper could be that guy as he was a great deep threat, but his ACL injury cut his season short after 569 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Defense is a massive concern for Indiana as they have a lot of transfers joining the team to help give it a boost. Linebacker and leading tackler (86) from 2022 Aaron Casey is the leader of the defense with the only other returning player being senior hybrid player Noah Pierre. The Big Ten is filled with star offensive players, so playing teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State a nightmare scenario for Indiana.
Ohio State has 12 returning starters with weapons and All-Americans on both sides of the football. TreVeyon Henderson and Harrison are the top players on offense for the Buckeyes. Preseason All-American linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and defensive lineman JT Tuimoloau lead their defense. What’s most impressive about Ohio State is eight of the projected starters are seniors, so this team will only get better from this season.
McCord is the biggest question mark for the Buckeyes, as the team needs him to play at the level of Stroud last season. He has all the capabilities and the traits to be the next great Ohio State quarterback. It’s just a matter of giving him the playing time needed, and Indiana is a good early test for McCord to show he can handle the big leagues of the Big Ten.
Last season’s 56-14 win for Ohio State against Indiana could lead to similar results this season, with this time being at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, it feels like a team that needs to rebuild their program a bit while Ohio State is stacked for a national title run once again. The Buckeyes should be able to cruise to an easy win as long as McCord can control the offense the way Stroud did in 2022.
Prediction
Ohio State 49, Indiana 14