Ohio State halftime thoughts: Buckeyes run game starting to roll, OSU defense putting pressure on while giving up a few big plays

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State Buckeyes vs. the Indiana Hoosiers — thoughts with the Buckeyes up 28-7 at halftime.

* Ohio State scored three touchdowns in the final nine minutes of the second quarter. Tough for the Hoosiers.

* Justin Fields was trying a little too hard to make plays early in the pass game. His second interception of the first half was a bad decision where he put up a ball to Chris Olave under pressure. Fields faces so many defenses that can’t handle him, when he goes against one that has a plan, he can try a little too hard. I think more Fields in the run game in the second half, as we saw on his big scramble setting up Ohio State’s third TD, might be the way to go. But there’s another big throw coming, too. This Indiana defense must continue to take risks. It has worked so far. So Fields will have a chance.

He was 11-of-17 for 193 yards in the first half.

* The Indiana blitzes were getting to Ohio State. Twice the Hoosiers blitzed three players up the middle — two linebackers and a safety — and both times the safety got through. The first time was a sack, the second time Fields broke two tackles and threw it away. But Ohio State needs to make Indiana pay for those risks and hit a hot route or have a screen or draw dialed up when anticipating a blitz might be coming.

* Master Teague is taking over the running back job. Great blocking on the edge by Thayer Munford, Luke Farrell, Jeremy Ruckert and Chris Olave on Teague’s wide run, and Teague hit that lane perfectly for a 41-yard touchdown. The Buckeyes started leaning on the run late in the second quarter, and expect that to continue. Teague has 11 carries for 98 yards.

* The defense has played well, but the Hoosiers beat Ohio State with one big 68-yard throw. It’s the risk of the single deep safety defense. Marcus Hooker came up to help on a shorter route by Whop Philyor, a tough receiver who was being covered by linebackers. The result was that once Miles Marshall, Indiana’s third-best receiver, got a step on Sevyn Banks, it was over. No help there.

* Linebacker Baron Browning has been asked to do a lot in coverage so far, and he’s held up quite well for the most part. But the Hoosiers are putting pressure on the OSU LBs by going with empty backfields a lot. Teradja Mitchell appeared to get confused on a look late in the second quarter, where he passed off a running back who motioned wide in what he thought was zone and there was nobody there to help. The result was a 51-yard gain.

* Indiana is an offense that can be loose with the football. The Hoosiers had an early fumble that wasn’t called, but then the Hoosiers lost a fumble after a completion right after the big 51-yard gain. No chance for an underdog if it gives the ball away like that.

* I thought coming in the Buckeyes should play a lot of man coverage and not give Penix many easy throws. That has worked a lot. Penix has hit the two big plays — for 68 and 51 yards. But on his other throws he’s 10-of-20 for 78 yards.

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