Ohio State-Indiana: Fun facts from a series more than a century old

Credit: Jamie Sabau

Credit: Jamie Sabau

Ohio State and Indiana play for the 92nd time on Saturday, renewing one of the Buckeyes’ oldest and least-competitive active series.

Here are six things to know about the history of IU-OSU:

1. Ohio State has more wins against Indiana than any other school. 

The Buckeyes have beaten the Hoosiers 73 times (not including a 38-10 victory that was vacated in 2010). That is five more than Illinois, the second-most-conquered team in Ohio State history.

Ohio State is on a 22-game winning streak against the Hoosiers (23 if we count 2010).

2. Indiana dominated the beginning of the series. 

The series started in 1901 with an 18-6 Indiana victory in Columbus. After a 6-6 tie a year later, Indiana won the next four games against Ohio State.

The Buckeyes did not get their first win against the Hoosiers until a 13-3 triumph in 1914.

Indiana has only won seven football games against Ohio State in the 103 years since, but the Hoosiers have gotten their licks in on the basketball court.

3. Ohio State has lost twice to Indiana since 1952. 

The losses came in back-to-back years, and they were both decisive.

The ninth-ranked Hoosiers won 31-10 in 1987 at Ohio Stadium and routed Ohio State 41-7 a year later in Bloomington.

The teams tied at 27in 1990, and Ohio State has won every game since.

4. The Hoosiers have hung tough lately. 

Indiana hasn’t won against Ohio State in a long time, but the Hoosiers led at the half last season before the Buckeyes caught them and pulled away in the second half.

They had a chance to tie it on the final play of a 34-27 Ohio State win in 2015, and the undefeated 2012 Buckeyes never could quite relax in a wild 52-49 contest.

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In 2014, the Buckeyes trailed 20-14 in the third quarter before Middletown native Jalin Marshall scored four consecutive touchdowns to spur a 42-27 win for the eventual national champions.

The 1942 national champion Buckeyes also needed a fourth-quarter rally against Indiana. Gene Fekete and Les Horvath helped the Buckeyes tally 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to earn a 32-21 victory.

5. They have met twice as ranked teams. 

In 1944, Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath ran for 115 yards and threw a touchdown pass for the third-ranked Buckeyes, who beat No.15 Indiana 21-7.

St. Henry’s Bobby Hoying threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway and Waynesville native Tim Williams made two short field goals to provide the winning margin in a 23-17 win for No. 5 Ohio State over No. 19 Indiana in 1993.

6. The final win of Woody Hayes’ career came against the Hoosiers. 

Art Schlichter and Rickey Johnson ran for touchdowns in the second half as No. 19 Ohio State rallied from a 10-7 halftime deficit to win 21-18 on Nov. 18, 1978.

That was the last time legendary coach Woody Hayes led the Buckeyes to victory.

The coach of the Hoosiers was future ESPN GameDay analyst Lee Corso.

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