The Ohio State Buckeyes are the No. 3 team in the country following a 19-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers. It wasn’t a pretty win for Ohio State football, but it was the type of result that can carry real weight on a resume.

The Buckeyes struggled offensively throughout the game. Quarterback Julian Sayin went down with an injury in the fourth quarter, which forced Ohio State to lean on backup freshman quarterback Luke Fahey to close things out.

Ohio State is now 6-1 and heading into its bye week. That break comes at a good time before the Buckeyes go on the road to face USC.

The defense is the reason Ohio State walked away with a win. The Buckeyes allowed 369 total yards to Indiana, but they made the plays that mattered most. Ohio State forced a couple of turnovers and came up with one last timely stop to hold on.

That kind of performance against a quality opponent matters. Ohio State showed it could trade punches with a heavyweight and pick up the strong win it needed after losing to Texas earlier in the season.

Paul Finebaum is impressed with the Buckeyes after win over Indiana

Following the win, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the Buckeyes during a podcast appearance. While he gave Indiana credit, it was clear which team stood out more to him.

“I’m impressed with what Indiana’s done. You can’t help but be. But I’m even more impressed by Ohio State because they have really been on an amazing roller coaster with a loss to Texas and now Sayin and they go to USC in a couple weeks,” Finebaum stated recently on ESPN. “I don’t know what Sayin’s day-to-day condition is but I think they have enough players there, and I think Matt you could get the ball to Jeremiah Smith.”

Finebaum was joking with the host he was speaking with, essentially saying anyone could get the ball to Ohio State’s star wide receiver. There’s some truth to it, Smith makes life easier for whoever is under center, and he’s going to be the focal point of the passing game regardless of who is throwing to him.

Still, the job won’t fall entirely on Smith. If Sayin can’t go as is expected, Fahey is going to have to step up and make some big throws in a road environment. USC is a one-loss team, and the Trojans won’t make things easy on a young quarterback.

How long Sayin is out is going to have an impact on how the Buckeyes approach the next few weeks. The bye week gives Ohio State extra time to get healthy and to get Fahey more reps with the first-team offense.

The Buckeyes need to take it one week at a time and keep stacking wins. The Indiana game showed this team can win when the offense isn’t clicking. Now, Ohio State has to play their first game without Sayin since the 2024 season next week.