Vikings Draft 2020: Four college games to watch in Week 3
By Luke Parrish
#6 Ohio State at Indiana
When: Saturday, September 14 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN
TV: FOX
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the premier teams in college football. Transfer quarterback Justin Fields has the Buckeyes riding high through two games this season. They travel to Bloomington to meet the Indiana Hoosiers who are coming off two big wins of their own. The Hoosiers have hung with Ohio State in the first half of recent matchups, but haven’t maintained that success for an entire game. Could this be the year Indiana finally slays a giant? Or does Ohio State continue to roll in hopes of a playoff spot?
Ohio State
Ohio State has immense talent across the board. The offense lost Dwayne Haskins and Parris Campbell to the NFL but are still in great shape. Justin Fields has nine total touchdowns through two games. J.K. Dobbins has 232 rushing yards and three scores of his own. The Buckeyes have a balanced attack on offense when you mix in their loaded receiving group. K.J. Hill, Binjimen Victor, and Chris Olave each have touchdowns. Olave and Victor are averaging over 19 yards per reception. Ohio State puts up yards and points in a hurry.
The debate for DBU is often narrowed down to a few schools: Florida, Alabama, LSU, Texas, and Ohio State. Ohio State deserves the top spot. The 2019 team once again features NFL talent all over the secondary. Jeffrey Okudah is the star of the secondary, widely regarded as a top-notch collegiate cornerback. His only flaw is that he has 0 career interception. Redshirt sophomore Shaun Wade lines up opposite Okudah and he intercepted three passes last season. He still has time to develop. The secondary is rounded out by nickel corner Damon Arnette and safety Jordan Fuller, who will both be playing on Sundays.
The front-seven for the Buckeyes is elite as well. Chase Young is the best edge rusher in the country and should be a top-five pick in the 2020 draft. Malik Harrison, Pete Werner, and Tuf Borland are three upperclassmen linebackers who have NFL talent. Ohio State floods the field defensively with elite prospects.
Indiana
Indiana heads into this matchup after a 52-0 stomping over Eastern Illinois. Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is on fire to start the season. He threw for 326 yards in Week 1 while adding 67 yards rushing. He played about half of Week 2 and still put up 197 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, Penix is questionable for this game with an undisclosed injury. Peyton Ramsey may be under center for the Hoosiers. Indiana has some weapons on offense to hang with Ohio State. Running back Stevie Scott rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman in 2018. He has three more scores so far this season. Nick Westbrook and Donavan Hale have a lot of experience at wide receiver. The star of the offense is wide receiver Whop Philyor. He has 10 receptions for 141 yards this season, including this incredible catch-and-run.
Indiana has a few pieces on defense to watch for the NFL. Reakwon Jones and Marcelino Ball are speedy linebackers who will be crucial in stopping the run Saturday. Freshman cornerback Taiwan Mullen is one of the biggest recruits Indiana has landed in a while and is a big name to keep an eye on in the future. Mullen is the younger brother of former Clemson cornerback and Oakland Raider Trayvon Mullen.