It’s a new era under Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes as they hit the road to kick their season off against the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday.
For the first time since 2020, Ohio State will have a quarterback under center not named CJ Stroud. Just like when Stroud replaced Justin Fields, Day was reluctant to name a starter until late in the process.
Fear not Buckeyes bettors, when Day is calling the plays, Ohio State scores. Given the situation in Bloomington, it won’t stop in their season opener, where the Buckeyes are massive favorites in the college football odds.
Find out where my best bets lie in our college football picks and predictions for Ohio State vs. Indiana on Saturday, September 2.
Ohio State vs Indiana best odds
Ohio State vs Indiana picks and predictions
After being viewed as the frontrunner for much of spring into fall, Kyle McCord was officially named Ohio State’s new starting quarterback.
He’ll have the tall task of replacing CJ Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick by the Houston Texans. But given Day’s history, the Buckeyes offense should be able to pour it on early with their new quarterback.
McCord is a former Top 50 recruit and has built in chemistry with superstar receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., as they were teammates at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School.
While Day did name McCord the starter, fellow former Top 50 recruit Devin Brown — whom McCord battled with to be QB1 — will play.
"I'd like to get him meaningful snaps and let him go,” said Day. "We have confidence in both of them."
It’s not surprising to hear Day’s confidence with either one under center given how impressive his offense was last season, and the returning playmakers around whoever is throwing the ball.
Last season, the Buckeyes were fourth in the country in EPA per play, seventh in EPA per rush, and fourth in EPA per pass. And even though Stroud is gone, they still return 57% of their offensive production, according to SP+’s returning production metric.
That production includes their Top 3 rushers from 2022 and their Top 6 pass catchers, a group led by two likely first-round picks in Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. The duo combined for 2,533 yards from scrimmage and 26 total touchdowns on 164 touches last season.
Those two should be lighting up a Hoosiers pass defense that finished 113th in EPA per pass play last season.
Despite head coach Tom Allen being a former defensive coordinator, Indiana’s defense was picked apart last season, giving up 33.9 points per game (120th in the country).
McCord and Brown don’t just have two future NFL stars at receiver to throw to either. They also have Julian Fleming and Cade Stover, two more future NFL pass-catchers.
The Buckeyes shouldn’t even need to lean on their passing game to pull away early against Indiana, as they have arguably the top running back combo in the country.
When TreVeyon Henderson is healthy, he looks like a future NFL Pro Bowl running back. In 22 games as a Buckeye, he’s racked up 2,159 yards from scrimmage and 26 touchdowns. When he’s banged up, Miyan Williams rumbles just fine in his absence (he had 825 yards and 14 scores last season).
Outside of adding Andre Carter from Western Michigan in the transfer portal, Indiana’s defense will be relying on castoffs from other Power 5 programs and starters from last year’s defense that didn’t inspire any confidence.
Things will only be worse for the Hoosiers’ offense, which is also breaking in a new quarterback in transfer Tayven Jackson from Tennessee.
Jackson, a redshirt freshman, will be joining an offense that despite returning 65% of its production, isn’t bringing much back to get excited about in 2023. Last season, offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s unit ranked 117th in EPA per play… sixth-worst among Power 5 programs.
Some may point to the Buckeyes defense as a group that struggled last season in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles first season, but they still managed to finish 11th in EPA per play.
That group should be even better this season with another year in the system under its belt, and 77% of its production returning, good for 20th in the country.
The front seven is especially impressive with NFL talents JT Tuimoloau, Tommy Eichenberg, and Michael Hall Jr. leading a group that goes two-deep at just about every position.
Even if the past few years of up-and-down secondary play has people concerned about Ohio State, Indiana finished 117th in EPA per pass play on offense last season.
My best bet: Ohio State 1H -17 (-110 at bet365)
Ohio State vs Indiana same-game parlay
Ohio State 1H -16.5
Over 59.5
The Buckeyes are in position to blow the doors off the Hoosiers, even with a new quarterback running the show. Ohio State simply has too much star talent on offense and too many proven starters and depth on defense.
Last season, Indiana didn’t just lose to the Buckeyes 56-14, they went 2-7 against the Big Ten, losing by an average score of 34.4 to 22.3. Against the upper echelon of the conference (Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State), they lost by an average of 44 to 12.6.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes crossed the 60-point game total threshold in nine of their 13 games last season.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Ohio State vs Indiana spread and Over/Under analysis
The Buckeyes opened as -28.5 to -30 road favorites just about everywhere despite the unknown at quarterback. That’s likely because of Day’s proven track record as a QB whisper.
The last time the Buckeyes had a new starting quarterback was 2021, and they played a fellow Big Ten school on the road then too. They ended up beating Minnesota that day, 45-31. So they don’t struggle to score even when their quarterback is inexperienced.
It certainly helps that Indiana is coming off a 4-8 season that has Allen on the hot seat. Given his defense’s performance last year, it’s not a shocker to see a high total in this one.
The Hoosiers’ defense has been so bad as of late that it’s helped them hit the game total Over in nine of their last 14 games (+3.50 Units / 23% ROI).
That’s probably a huge reason why the total opened at 59.5 at most books and even got as high as 61 at some. It’s settled in between 59 and 59.5 pretty much everywhere as of this writing.
With Indiana starting Jackson at quarterback, they could get an injection of excitement on offense, especially if he plays football like his brother Trayce Jackson-Davis — a former Hoosier hoops All-American — plays basketball.
Best Ohio State vs Indiana bonuses
New Users
Up to $1,500 bonus bets back if your first bet doesn’t win! Sign Up Now
New Users
Bet $50 and get $250 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
Eligible USA locations only. Also, see our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Ohio State vs Indiana betting trend to know
Ohio State has hit the Game Total Over in nine of their last 10 games (+7.90 Units / 72% ROI). Find more college football betting trends for Ohio State vs Indiana.
Ohio State vs Indiana game info
| Location: | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN |
| Date: | Saturday, September 2, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | CBS |
Ohio State vs Indiana latest injuries
Ohio State vs Indiana weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our College football weather info.
Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the 
to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
