No. 3 Ohio State vs. Indiana odds: Hoosiers biggest home underdogs in nearly 40 years
The longest active winning streak in an FBS rivalry is on the line in Big Ten action Saturday afternoon on CBS – CBS now has the rights to the Big Ten and no longer the SEC – as No. 3 Ohio State visits Indiana. The #BuckeyeNation have won 28 straight in the series and are 30-point favorites. It’s the biggest a home dog Indiana has been since facing these Buckeyes in 1996 when IU was beaten 27-17 at +35.
Ohio State’s last loss in the series was in 1988, although the teams tied in 1990. The Buckeyes have scored at least 30 points in 19 straight meetings and at least 42 in six straight. OSU won 56-14 last season and that has been about the average margin of victory in the past six: 50.2-18.9. #OhioState is averaging 588.8 yards of offense in that six-game span.
The #Buckeyes also have won 23 straight season openers, with their last loss in 1999 at Miami. Coach Ryan Day is 30-0 in Big Ten play against non-Michigan opponents. OSU lost its regular-season finale last year to Michigan and then lost a thriller in the College Football Playoff to Georgia. The Buckeyes haven’t lost three straight games since the end of 2011.
With two-year starting QB CJ Stroud now the starting QB of the Houston Texans, Day hasn’t named a starter for this year between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown, although both are expected to play Saturday. McCord has the most experience of the two, throwing for 606 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games over the last two years. He is +2200 to win the Heisman with Brown at +3500, so that tells you who oddsmakers think will win the job.
Ohio State has one of the nation’s top receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr., who is +2000 to win the Heisman – shortest odds of any QB. The #GoBucks have scored at least 20 points in 74 straight games, an FBS record.
Indiana coach Tom Allen enters on the hottest seat in the Big Ten with IU at 6-18 combined the past two seasons. The #Hoosiers have lost 42 straight games vs AP Top 5 opponents with their last win in 1967 vs. Purdue. Indiana had the scoring defense (33.9 PPG) & total defense (449.3 YPG) in Big Ten last season.
Allen hasn’t named his starting QB, but it’s expected to be Tayven Jackson, a transfer from Tennessee and the younger brother of former Indiana All-American basketball player Trayce Jackson-Davis. Tayven Jackson saw action in four games last season, but only threw four passes. He is one of 23 incoming transfers at Indiana, most in the nation.
#IUFB has covered the spread in four of the past six meetings. The total has gone over in all six and is set at 59 points for Saturday.