AP Top 25 — Week 7
Rank Team Record Conference Points Change
1 Miami (FL) logoMIAMI (FL) 6-0 ACC 1,697 (40) ▲ 2
2 BYU logoBYU 6-0 Big 12 1,675 (20) ▲ 6
3 Ohio State logoOHIO STATE 6-1 Big Ten 1,649 (9) ▲ 1
4 Notre Dame logoNOTRE DAME 6-1 FBS Independents 1,395 ▼ 2
5 Georgia logoGEORGIA 6-1 SEC 1,382 ▼ 4
6 Indiana logoINDIANA 6-1 Big Ten 1,370 ▼ 1
7 Ole Miss logoOLE MISS 5-1 SEC 1,360 ▲ 2
8 Texas Tech logoTEXAS TECH 6-0 Big 12 1,336 (1) ▲ 2
9 UCLA logoUCLA 6-0 Big Ten 1,159 ▲ 3
10 Utah logoUTAH 6-0 Big 12 1,153 ▲ 1
11 Tennessee logoTENNESSEE 6-1 SEC 1,151 ▲ 3
12 Kentucky logoKENTUCKY 6-1 SEC 932 ▲ 3
13 Alabama logoALABAMA 5-2 SEC 870 ▼ 7
14 Houston logoHOUSTON 6-1 Big 12 785 ▲ 6
15 Iowa logoIOWA 5-1 Big Ten 747 ▲ 2
16 USC logoUSC 6-1 Big Ten 592 ▲ 3
17 Wake Forest logoWAKE FOREST 6-1 ACC 574 ▲ 4
18 LSU logoLSU 5-2 SEC 529 ▲ 4
19 Texas logoTEXAS 4-2 SEC 440 ▼ 12
20 Florida logoFLORIDA 5-2 SEC 355 ▲ 12
21 Boise State logoBOISE STATE 5-1 Mountain West 295 ▲ 2
22 Missouri logoMISSOURI 5-2 SEC 290 ▼ 9
23 SMU logoSMU 5-1 ACC 265 ▲ 1
24 Northwestern logoNORTHWESTERN 5-1 Big Ten 254 ▲ 1
25 Arizona logoARIZONA 5-1 Big 12 136 ▲ 3
USA Today Coaches Poll — Released October 18
Rank Team Record Conference Points Change
1 Miami (FL) logoMIAMI (FL) 6-0 ACC 1791 (50) ▲ 2
2 Ohio State logoOHIO STATE 6-1 Big Ten 1725 (13) ▲ 3
3 BYU logoBYU 6-0 Big 12 1698 (10) ▲ 5
4 Georgia logoGEORGIA 6-1 SEC 1469 ▼ 3
5 Texas Tech logoTEXAS TECH 6-0 Big 12 1414 ▲ 4
6 Indiana logoINDIANA 6-1 Big Ten 1378 ▼ 2
7 Ole Miss logoOLE MISS 5-1 SEC 1371 ▲ 3
8 Notre Dame logoNOTRE DAME 6-1 FBS Independents 1332 ▼ 6
9 Utah logoUTAH 6-0 Big 12 1222 ▲ 2
10 UCLA logoUCLA 6-0 Big Ten 1206 ▲ 2
11 Tennessee logoTENNESSEE 6-1 SEC 1193 ▲ 3
12 Kentucky logoKENTUCKY 6-1 SEC 979 ▲ 5
13 Alabama logoALABAMA 5-2 SEC 813 ▼ 6
14 Iowa logoIOWA 5-1 Big Ten 807 ▲ 2
15 USC logoUSC 6-1 Big Ten 796 –
16 Houston logoHOUSTON 6-1 Big 12 730 ▲ 2
17 LSU logoLSU 5-2 SEC 569 ▲ 4
18 Texas logoTEXAS 4-2 SEC 520 ▼ 12
19 Wake Forest logoWAKE FOREST 6-1 ACC 514 ▲ 4
20 SMU logoSMU 5-1 ACC 458 ▲ 2
21 Missouri logoMISSOURI 5-2 SEC 274 ▼ 8
22 Boise State logoBOISE STATE 5-1 Mountain West 266 ▲ 2
23 Northwestern logoNORTHWESTERN 5-1 Big Ten 256 ▲ 3
24 Florida logoFLORIDA 5-2 SEC 250 ▲ 9
25 Oregon logoOREGON 4-2 Big Ten 189 –
By Chris Lauderback
Ryan Day 2, Curt Cignetti 1.
In the third ever matchup between Ryan Day and Curt Cignetti, Day's Buckeyes put an end to Indiana's 22-game winning streak and perfect 19-0 mark at home since Cig took over the Hoosiers with a thrilling 19-15 victory yesterday afternoon in Bloomington's Memorial Stadium.
It certainly wasn't a Picasso as bad quarterback play influenced by strong defensive efforts helped keep the offenses in check.
Ohio State signal-caller Julian Sayin connected on 4-of-5 throws on a game-opening field goal drive but then misfired on eight of his next nine tosses. Before exiting the game in the second half with a arm/shoulder injury that Day said will keep him out for "several weeks", Sayin completed only 52% of this throws for two touchdowns and two picks with a lost fumble. He made several questionable decisions leading to very avoidable sacks. His offensive line did him zero favors at times but with a year and a half worth of starts under his belt, it's clear Sayin is prone to wilting under pressure and doesn't seem to be improving. I'm not sure how else to say it.
On the other side of the ball, Indiana's Josh Hoover was busy missing his own open receivers particularly in the first half as he completed 6-of-15 throws for just 77 yards. With Hoover struggling through the air, the IU offense only mustered one scoring drive in the opening 30 minutes - a 2-play, 7-yard touchdown possession gifted by a Sayin interception.
To his credit, Sayin cobbled together a 15-play, 80-yard touchdown drive just before halftime to make it 10-7 good guys at the break. Sayin went 5-for-7 for 67 yards including strikes of 21 and 30 yards to Chris Henry Jr. and a 2-yard scoring toss to Bo Jackson on 4th-and-Goal marking the 7th time in seven games Ohio State has scored a touchdown with 30 seconds or less left in the first half.
Sayin remained uneven in the second half leading the Buckeyes on a short field goal drive to take a 13-7 lead early in the third quarter before an errant target to Jeremiah Smith resulted in a pick on the following possession. On his next crack at the Hoosiers, Sayin heaved a 4th-and-1 ball high and late to Smith but Jeremiah somehow beat a handful of defenders to the ball for a 38-yard score putting OSU in front 19-7 with 12:46 left in regulation.
The Hoosiers would then march 75 yards in seven plays capped by Nick Marsh toasting Cam Calhoun for a 19-yard score trimming the OSU lead to 19-15.
Sayin was injured on the ensuing possession as right tackle Phil Daniels' man took an unimpeded rush and destroyed him for an 18-yard loss.
The Ohio State defense rose to the occasion to force a punt but with Luke Fahey in relief of Sayin, the OSU offense went 3-and-out setting up one last chance for Indiana. The Hoosiers drove 43 yards to the OSU 27 but a 4th-and-4 pass caught by a wide open Nick Marsh looked like a touchdown but his left foot landed out of bounds two yards into the end zone.
Yes, it was an insanely lucky turn of events for the Buckeyes. But after losing too many games in similar odd/heartbreaking fashion, it felt like beyond time for OSU to be on the receiving end of some good fortune.
With that, since I take pride in not crying about officiating in Five Things, let's take a minute to laugh about it instead. I'm positive Indiana was on the wrong end of some calls but holy smokes did OSU also get jobbed quite a few times. Carson Hinzman was flagged for holding on what looked like a textbook pancake block to wipe out a 20-yard run. Jermaine Mathews Jr. was called for roughing the passer and targeting on the most important possession of the game for... playing football. The targeting was overturned at least but it was still yikes city. Riley Pettijohn was tackled as he rushed Hoover on the game's decisive play, a 4th-and-4 toss to Marsh that would've been a game-winning catch if the throw was more inside and Marsh kept his left foot inbounds. Jeremiah Smith was assaulted a few times without a pass interference flag but hey what's new? I only mention these because the players on both sides deserve better. This is high stakes football and these clown show calls compromise the games and dilute the overall product. Laughably terrible officiating was found all over CFB yesterday (and every Saturday).
ADVERTISEMENT
Oh and for any OSU fans unhappy about the details behind the win, keep in mind five of the AP's Top-7 lost yesterday.
With that, here are Five Things from Ohio State's 19-15 win over the Hoosiers.
A WIN AT GREAT COST
I already touched on Sayin's outing before he was knocked out the game and while he once again largely looked like a deer in headlights when under pressure in a matchup game, there's no doubt losing him for "several weeks" is a huge blow for Ohio State. (If you're curious, through five career matchup games ('26: Texas, Indiana, '25: Texas, Indiana, Miami), Sayin has completed 60.7% of his passes with 6 TD and 6 INT with 15 sacks with OSU winning two of those five contests.)
I'm not bullish on OSU as a national title favorite with a healthy Sayin but I'm 100% certain they aren't a title contender without him. He knows the offense, many times he's shown improved pocket presence and ability to be more effective with his feet, he's obviously super accurate when he has time to throw and continuing to rack up experience could've propelled him to playing his best ball down the stretch.
And it's not like Ohio State has an elite run game to fall back on. Behind a banged up and shaky offensive line, the run game sits outside the top-60 in metrics like yards per carry and yards per game although I do credit the group for improving over the last few weeks.
That means true freshman signal-caller Luke Fahey needs to grow up in a hurry. He looked overwhelmed yesterday but that was an impossible situation. I expect he'll be much better over the next however many weeks he's forced to play and it's certainly fortunate OSU enters a bye week. Maybe there's even a role for Tavien St. Clair in the red zone given his size for a QB.
While Sayin's injury was the headliner, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. coming up gimpy after popping Charlie Becker out of bounds wasn't great. He did come back in the game but looked very gimpy heading to the locker room after the final whistle. True freshman Jay Timmons, who already missed the Iowa and Maryland games leading up to yesterday's contest, suffered something late as he was MIA during the most crucial IU possessions. He was all over the field up to that point and you could make a strong argument for him being Ohio State's best defender when healthy.
ADVERTISEMENT
Defensive tackle Eddrick Houston also left the game injured at one point but returned. He's been on a heater for about a month now and as the squad's best interior defensive lineman, they can't afford to lose him.
On top of all these injuries yesterday, Ohio State entered the game knowing RB1 Ja'Kobi Jackson was already sidelined for an extended period due to what is believed to be a foot injury suffered against Maryland and starting right guard Austin Siereveld was already on the shelf heading into the matchup with the Terps.
Again, great time for a bye week to get guys healthy and get Fahey some reps but man, yesterday's win was not without its consequences.
TAILBACKS STEP UP
The deck wasn't stacked for Ohio State's run game to be a factor yesterday. Indiana entered the contest ranked 4th nationally in yards per carry allowed (2.31) and 7th in total rush yards allowed per game (75). Meanwhile, OSU was missing starting tailback Ja'Kobi Jackson, ranked 60th in rush yards per game and 79th in yards per carry (4.33).
And while the Buckeyes didn't set the field on fire via the run, its top two ball carriers, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, combined for 26 touches, 113 yards and a touchdown. That tally also doesn't include a 20-yard Jackson run wiped out by a pancake block from Carson Hinzman somehow flagged as holding.
Bo remains a great receiving option out of the backfield which should be utilized more heavily as the season slogs forward. Yesterday, with Indiana keying heavily on Jeremiah, a great play call from Arthur Smith on 4th-and-Goal saw Jackson leak wide open into the flat for six.
West, after a no-effort pass pro breakdown last week, ran with purpose racking up 45 yards on just six carries - all in the second half. Legend Bey was the first running back off the bench to spell Jackson but his three carries in the second quarter went for just six total yards. (I remain confused at the portion of the fan base who thinks he's ready for prime time via any high-touch role but that's for another day.)
For now, knowing Ja'Kobi will be on the shelf for an extended period in addition to Sayin, being able to count on Jackson and West to produce at a serviceable or better level is crucial to OSU staying in the playoff race.
HELP WANTED
With Cignetti fully aware pressuring Sayin is the recipe to slowing Ohio State's passing attack and by extension Jeremiah Smith, Indiana came after him with a combo of pressures, simulated pressures and twists/stunts to confuse the the QB and his offensive line. Indiana also frequently assigned more than one guy to bracket Smith down the field.
The result was just eight targets for Smith after averaging 12.8 against the four other Power 4 opponents faced entering yesterday's game. Of course, Smith did what he could, turning those eight targets into four catches for 68 yards including a 38-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter that proved to the game winner.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ohio State's other two starting wide receivers - Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin - combined for 10 targets yet managed just three catches for 29 yards with only one of those grabs moving the chains. In fairness, some of that was on Sayin's inaccuracy but at what point do WR2 and WR3 start making some consistent contributions or else begin rotating out more heavily in favor of guys like Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd (unavailable yesterday), Phillip Bell or even Legend Bey as a gadget option in the slot?
I'd rather Sayin target Henry Jr. than McCuin at this point and heck tight end Nate Roberts is more of a receiving threat than Inniss. So is fellow tight end Mason Williams apparently. It's hard to comprehend those realities when talking about an Ohio State wide receiver room.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
In a stunning development, Ohio State's special teams outperformed the opponent by a pretty wide margin, in a matchup game no less. That's absolutely worth a Thing.
Placekicker Connor Hawkins calmly buried a 26-yard field goal to give OSU an early 3-0 lead and later converted a 29-yarder giving the Buckeyes a 13-7 cushion early in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, IU's Nico Radicic doinked a 32-yard try with the Hoosiers leading 7-3 in the second quarter and later didn't have enough leg to connect on a 55-yarder that would've cut OSU's lead to 13-10 late in the third quarter.
Indiana's Billy Geezer Gowers uncorked a 25-yard punt to just the OSU 20 and later a 37-yarder to the OSU 22, wasting chances to pin the Buckeyes deep.
In contrast, Ohio State's much-maligned punter, Joe McGuire, popped a 50-yarder to the IU 19, dropped in a 35-yarder to the IU 6 and lifted a 52-yarder to the the IU 22 and after a modest return, still netted 44 yards. Across his five punts, the Hoosiers amassed eight return yards.
On punt return, Phillip Bell took a kick 14 yards from the IU 13 to give the offense some breathing room.
It wasn't a clinic and it wasn't without flaws but for Ohio State's special teams, it was a Herculean effort on a day the Buckeyes needed every hidden yard they could muster.
DEFENSE DOES JUST ENOUGH
Indiana offered up its share of self-inflicted wounds but I felt Ohio State's defense played a pretty damn good game on the road against a legit top-5 program and when continuing to get stops was paramount after Sayin went down, it did exactly that, keeping IU off the board on back-to-back possessions to secure the victory. Yeah, Nick Marsh was wide open but as noted about 1,900 words ago, if the refs appropriately call holding, that pass isn't even thrown. And if Jermaine Mathews isn't flagged for a bogus roughing the passer call on that same drive, the ensuing 3rd-and-15 snap could've also altered its outcome.
I feel the defense continued trending up which is huge considering it will have to be good enough to lean on as Ohio State's offense takes a step back while Sayin is out.
The run defense was again solid, holding IU to 2.5 yards per carry, keyed by the defensive line's continued resurgence. Hoosiers tailback Turbo Richard came into yesterday's game averaging 8.4 yards per carry and the Bucks held him to 2.9 with Indiana's longest rush on the day going for a mere eight yards.
OSU also forced a pair of fumbles for turnovers and through the air, Josh Hoover completed 50% of his throws as OSU racked up six PBUs.
Of the two touchdowns allowed, one was a legit 75-yard drive but the other was a 7-yard possession set up by a Sayin pick.
Jay Timmons was once again Ohio State's best defender as the true freshman posted seven stops, two PBUs and a forced fumble. Earl Little Jr. continued his excellent season with eight tackles and a PBU. Jason Moore stepped up along the defensive front with six stops, Eddrick Houston was again active alongside him with three stops and a hurry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was a warrior with seven tackles, Payton Pierce chipped in seven tackles and a PBU near the goal line, and safety Jaylen McClain had his usual impact with a sack, forced fumble and a PBU.
Stefan Krajisnik
Sat, October 17, 2026 at 4:28 PM EDT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Ohio State football won 19-15 at Indiana on Saturday, giving the Buckeyes a marquee midseason victory.
However, it came at a cost.
Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin and defensive end Kenyatta Jackson were injured in the game's second half.
Sayin briefly went into Ohio State's locker room before returning to the sideline with a sling on his right arm.
Jackson initially returned to the game after his injury. However, after the game, Jackson needed assistance from a staffer and defensive tackle Eddrick Houston to walk off the field.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he did not have many details on Sayin postgame, though he expects the quarterback to be out several weeks.
He was not asked about Jackson in the postgame press conference. Here's everything Day said in that session.
Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news
How Kenyatta Jackson, Jay Timmons and the rest of Ohio State's defense graded vs. Indiana
How Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the rest of Ohio State's offense graded vs. Indiana
Ohio State football has a new starting QB: What to know about Luke Fahey, Julian Sayin's replacement
Ohio State football reveals renderings for Woody Hayes Athletic Center renovation
Everything Ryan Day said after Ohio State beat Indiana
Day said he was thinking about a two-minute drill on offense as the ball was in the air on the game's final pass to Indiana receiver Nick Marsh.
Day: "We were aggressive in that moment and it worked out for us. I thought the defense just grinded all game."
Day said the game would have slowed down for freshman backup quarterback Luke Fahey with more reps.
Day: "Tough spot for him to come into. I think it was moving fast for him there."
Day praised OSU receiver Jeremiah Smith for the 38-yard touchdown pass he caught early in the fourth quarter.
Day: "If you just give him a chance, he's going to make some plays... What a great play he made."
Day was asked about his thoughts on the team moving forward without Sayin. He pointed to other injuries Ohio State has managed, such as with Ja'Kobi Jackson and Austin Siereveld.
Day: "We'll come together and figure this out."
Day had lofty praise for Indiana receiver Charlie Becker, who caught nine passes for 165 yards.
Day: "He's a tremendous player."
Day said kicking a field goal was not an option on the final drive of the first half.
Sayin ain't so: Can Ohio State survive without its star QB?
Story by
Yahoo Sports
No. 4 Ohio State QB Julian Sayin likely out 'several weeks' after apparent right arm injury in win over No. 5 Indiana
Nick BrombergSenior writer
Sat, October 17, 2026 at 5:40 PM EDT
No. 4 Ohio State won't have QB Julian Sayin for multiple games.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said after his team's 19-15 win over No. 5 Indiana that Sayin would "probably be out for several weeks" after suffering an apparent right arm injury on a sack in the fourth quarter.
Sayin was hit from his right side as he went to throw the ball and his right throwing arm got pinned awkwardly against his body. After running back to the locker room, Sayin returned to the sideline with his right arm in a sling.
Sayin was replaced by freshman QB Luke Fahey after the injury as Ohio State's defense did enough to hang onto the lead. Nick Marsh was barely out of bounds on Indiana's potential game-winning touchdown with just over a minute remaining.
Sayin was 15-of-29 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions before he left the game. The junior entered the game completing 71% of his passes for 1,772 yards and 17 TDs, with his first two interceptions coming a week ago against Maryland.
More college football news
Additional select Yahoo articles
Inside College Football Playoffs 24team expansion What to know about the new format schedule and fallout
Inside College Football Playoff's 24-team expansion: What to know about the new format, schedule and fallout
Duke CB Kimari Robinson apologizes for swatting away athletic trainer: 'She did not deserve that'
Ex-NFL CB Terence Newman arrested hours after he was honored by Kansas State for going into the College Football Hall of Fame
Sayin was a Heisman finalist in 2025, finishing fourth in the voting in his first year as the Buckeyes' starter. A season ago, he was 301-of-391 passing for 3,610 yards and 32 TDs with just eight interceptions. His 77% completion percentage fell just short of Bo Nix's all-time mark of 77.45%.
Fahey failed to complete the two passes he attempted against the Hoosiers and is 9-of-13 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions across four games this season.
Ohio State (6-1) is off in Week 8 before traveling to No. 19 USC on Halloween. The Buckeyes then host Oregon and Northwestern before visiting Nebraska ahead of a home game against Michigan to end the regular season.
No comments:
Post a Comment