But No. 2 Ohio State's 38-15 victory in front of 105,751 loud fans at Ohio Stadium was a struggle until two punt plays proved decisive. The Buckeyes capitalized on a fumbled punt snap late in the second quarter to take their first lead, and Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.

No. 2 Ohio State stifled No. 5 Indiana, winning 38-15 to inch closer to a Big Ten title bid while handing the Hoosiers their first loss.

At some point late in the second quarter, if it wasn’t clear before, the talent gap became apparent. Ohio State and Indiana were locked in a close game on the scoreboard, but it was clear that the Buckeyes had the Hoosiers on the ropes after the visitors committed just one too many errors to rebound from — notably,