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Ohio State vs. Indiana: A look at the upsets in the rivalry
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The Ohio State-Indiana series has been one dominated by the Buckeyes.
Over 91 games, OSU leads 78-9-4. The Buckeyes are on a 27-game winning streak and are heavily favored to make it 28.
If the Hoosiers can win as 40-point underdogs on Saturday, it would be the biggest upset the series has ever seen by a country mile.
When it comes to ranking upsets, there aren’t a lot of games to choose from.
Indiana has managed to defeat a higher-ranked Ohio State 3 times in the series.
1937 – Indiana 10, No. 8 Ohio State 0
A United Press article from the Nov. 7 edition of The Times offers some insight into what went down at Ohio Stadium.
The UP writer notes that Ohio State’s defense had given up just 13 points over the previous 5 games. Indiana won the battle up front that day, according to the recap. OSU apparently won the yardage battle both rushing and passing, but still fell 10-0.
The loss to Indiana caused Ohio State to fall from No. 8 to unranked. The Buckeyes would win the final 2 games over Illinois and Michigan to finish 6-2 and ranked No. 13.
The Hoosiers climbed to No. 17 with the win. They defeated Iowa 3-0 the next game but ended a 5-3 season with a loss to Purdue.
1987 – Indiana 31, No. 9 Ohio State 10
IU entered this meeting without a win in its last 31 games against OSU. Buckeyes head coach Earle Bruce had quite the postgame comment following Indiana’s stunning upset.
“I’ve known about Ohio State football since I was a freshman here in 1949,” Bruce said, per the AP recap. “This is the darkest day in Ohio State football since I have been associated with it.”
That dark day was apparently also a rainy day in Columbus. The rain, though, didn’t slow down the Hoosiers, who outgained the Buckeyes 405 yards to 264 in the game.
“I’m very upset,” Ohio State TB James Bryant said after the game. “In this tradition at Ohio State, Indiana doesn’t beat you.”
Bryant accurately describes the series, but on Oct. 10, 1987, it wasn’t the case.
OSU would finish the 1987 season unranked with a 6-4-1 record. Indiana finished the year 8-4.
1951 – Indiana 32, No. 17 Ohio State 10
Indiana stunned a crowd of 74,265 fans in Ohio Stadium, according to a postgame recap from The Lantern titled “Title Hopes Fade ; Iowa Comes Next.”
The Lantern really did not hold back in describing the OSU community’s disgust with losing to IU. A postgame remark from first-year coach Woody Hayes set up a searing kicker:
But said-Hayes following the trouncing, “We’re discouraged, but certainly not ready to quit.”
The excavators of Pompeii found a well-equipped soap factory in the ruins of the ancient city.
Ohio State would go on a 3-game winning streak, but only to tie and lose the final 2 games, ending the ‘51 campaign 4-3-2 overall with a sub .500 mark of 2-3-2 in the Big Ten.
The Ohio State game proved to be a fluke. Indiana finished the season 2-7.
Bonus: Ohio State’s 1 shot at upsetting Indiana
Indiana has been ranked entering the game against OSU just 4 times. The Buckeyes were the higher-ranked team 3 times and picked up 3 victories.
Ohio State has only had 1 opportunity to upset Indiana. The Oct. 13, 1990 meeting pitted No. 22 Indiana against an unranked OSU. The game ended in a 27-27 tie. Not a full upset, but, not a loss, either.
The ‘90 Buckeyes, coached by John Cooper, were on a 2-game losing streak entering the Indiana game. They would go on to win their next 4 B1G games, including a 27-26 victory over then-No. 6 Iowa, and notch a No. 21 ranking. The ‘90 campaign ended in disappointment for OSU, though, with losses to Michigan in the regular-season finale and then Air Force in the Liberty Bowl. Ohio State’s final record for the 1990 season was 7-4-1 overall after going 5-2-1 in Big Ten play.
Indiana was 4-0-1 coming out of the ‘90 OSU game. The Hoosiers were No. 20 after the tie before going on a 3-game losing skid to Big Ten opponents. IU snapped the losing skid by beating Wisconsin to get to 5-3-1, but couldn’t get a winning streak going. Indiana finished 1990 unranked, with a 6-5-1 record.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.