Indiana's Wide Receiver Duo will be the Best the Buckeyes Will Face This Year

At the midway point of the season, Ohio State's competition has certainly increased week over week, but this Saturday will be the toughest test for the Buckeyes to date and will likely be the toughest team they face all year.

Indiana presents a ton of challenges, similar to what they brought to the table last year. They are a tough and physical football team that does the fundamentals better than most. 

However, this year, they have definitely (albeit obviously) taken a step back at the quarterback position, going from Fernando Mendoza to Josh Hoover this season.

One of the places that they did improve is at the wide receiver position. That's not to say they were bad last year because they were quite good. The combination of Omar Cooper Jr. and Charlie Becker was one to be reckoned with and one that gave the Buckeyes fits. 

This year, they got a year older Becker, and then they got transfer Nick Marsh from Michigan State and added him to their roster. 

It may not be a significant improvement, but the Hoosiers definitely took a step up and will present the biggest challenge that the Buckeyes have seen to date and will see the rest of the way. 

Becker is probably the closest guy in the Big Ten and in the NCAA to the production that Jeremiah Smith provides the Buckeyes. That said, he isn't close to Jeremiah Smith; he might just be the closest.

This year, he has 30 catches for 529 yards and 8 touchdowns. If not for Smith, he would be just 100 yards and one touchdown off the conference lead in receptions. He used to just be a vertical threat, but he has developed his game and made himself into a total package wide receiver. 

His running mate is the new guy, Nick Marsh. Marsh started his career at Michigan State, where he was really good for the Spartans. He came to Indiana and picked up right where he left off. On the year, he is nearly identical to Becker's stats.

He has 29 catches in the season for 528 yards and 6 touchdowns. These two are the fourth and fifth-best wide receivers in the Big Ten. Marsh has been on fire in his last two games, going for 13 catches, 307 yards, and three touchdowns. 

Again, it's hard for Buckeye fans to be impressed because we are spoiled by watching Jeremiah Smith. These are elite numbers, and these are elite wide receivers that the Buckeyes will have to contend with.

For the first time all year, including the Texas game, the Buckeyes are facing two game-breaker-type receivers. It will be up to Ohio State to keep them in the park and not let them get off for big games. If they can do that, the Buckeyes might run away with this thing.