COLUMBUS – The Buckeyes held onto their No. 5 spot in the major college football polls after a 54-7 blowout at Indiana.
It was Ohio State’s fifth straight win.
The Buckeyes’ defense, which has fallen short of expectations at time this season, turned in a dominating performance, recording five sacks and 13 tackles for loss, which head coach Ryan Day says gives the entire team a boost.
“You feel it on the sideline, there’s just so much confidence, Then, the minute we get the ball back, we feel like we’re going to score. You get a three-and-out or you get a turnover and it just steamrolls, and that’s a great feeling as a coach, when we can get those stops like that, it makes a huge difference for the whole team,” Day said after the win.
Next Saturday, Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) welcomes Penn State, which plummeted 12 spots to No. 20 in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank after losing being upset by Illinois in college football’s first nine-overtime game.
(5) OHIO STATE (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) vs. (20) Penn State (5-2, 2-2)
Ohio Stadium, Columbus OH; Oct. 30 (7:30 p.m./ABC)
Cincinnati remained at No. 2, behind top-ranked Georgia, and Alabama jumped up a spot past Oklahoma after blowing out Tennessee.
The now fourth-ranked Sooners were shut out in the first half against Kansas before scoring 35 in the second half and pulling away late.
Big Ten teams still hold four of the AP poll’s top 10 spots as Michigan held onto No. 6, Michigan State improved to No. 8 and Iowa moved up two spots to No. 9.
C.J. Big Ten Freshman of the Week again
For the fifth time this season, the Big Ten named Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud its Freshman of the Week.
In Saturday’s 54-7 win at Indiana, Stroud completed 21 of 28 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns in just over two quarters of action as he led the Buckeyes to touchdowns on all six of its first-half possessions.