Ohio State Given Slight Advantage to Win Showdown vs Indiana

After a long offseason of waiting and planning, the Ohio State Buckeyes will now have their chance to face off against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Ohio State will be heading out on the road, hitting Bloomington to face off against the Hoosiers this week. Indiana took down the Buckeyes last season in the Big Ten title game, and the two teams again look like the best teams in the conference this year.

The Buckeyes enter the game with a record of 5-1 on the year, being ranked as the No. 4 team in the country. As for the Hoosiers, they come in 6-0 on the season, being ranked No. 5 in the nation.

Indiana is the defending national champion, giving the Buckeyes even more motivation to take them down. But it won't be easy, even with a completely different look from the Hoosiers this season.

Both teams understand the stakes of this game this weekend, giving the winner an edge in the Big Ten race. Ohio State may want some revenge for how the title game went last season, adding more motivation for the Buckeyes entering this week.

Entering the contest, ESPN has given the Buckeyes a slight advantage in winning the game, even with the matchup being on the road. According to ESPN's matchup predictor, the Buckeyes have a 51.5 percent chance to win the game.

The Buckeyes will be entering into a hostile environment, but this is nothing new to this team. Ohio State boasts one of the better offenses in the entire sport, with star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on their side.

Smith is currently the frontrunner to take home the Heisman Trophy this season, and if he were to put up a strong game again, the Buckeyes would be in a good spot to win this week. 

The Ohio State star has caught 48 passes for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns through the first six games of the season. Smith is on pace for a truly special season, and at this point, the Heisman Trophy is likely his to lose.

The Buckeyes will try to keep him involved in the offense during this game, with the Hoosiers' defenders looking to limit him. But so far, that has been much easier said than done for any defense going up against Ohio State.

Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET from Memorial Stadium in Indiana.