The Hoosiers are 4-0, after all, and fit the profile of a team lying in the weeds with designs on springing a shocking upset.
But it’s not going to happen.
Sure, the Big Ten opener for both teams (3:30 p.m, ABC) could be a test for the Buckeyes, but I see them winning by at least a couple of touchdowns as the offense starts to click and the defense continues to dominate.
That defense, as Dayton Daily News reporter David Jablonski tells us here, has scored three touchdowns already but will be challenged on the ground by Indiana junior Jordan Howard, an Alabama-Birmingham transfer who last week became the first FBS running back in 20 years to rush for at least 140 yards in his first four games with a program.
And, yes, Ohio State did allow 169 yards on the ground to Western Michigan last week, which probably explains why the Buckeyes are only 22-point favorites.
What’s certain is that the Hoosiers, in piling up boxcar numbers in defeats of Southern Illinois, Florida International, Western Kentucky and Wake Forest, have seen nothing like what the Buckeyes will throw at them.
Prediction: Ohio State 35, Indiana 20
NFL has something to celebrate: Arrests are down
As several outlets reported, staying off the police blotter has become an NFL trend.
No player was arrested in September, marking the first calendar month this has happened since 2009.
It helps, of course, that the Cincinnati Bengals have stopped running afoul of the law.
According to USA Today, from 2005 to 2014 the Bengals accounted for 31 arrests, third-most in the league. But since 2006, when they had 10 arrests, the Bengals have not had more than four in one year.
There’s more to it, apparently, than just Adam “Pacman” Jones staying out of strip clubs.
Some are suggesting the NFL’s better behavior can be traced to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s disciplinary crackdown. Others say players are simply more educated on avoiding the pitfalls of fame.
Or maybe it's because Middletown native Cris Carter urged them to have fall guys standing by if they do anything wrong.
Whatever the case, nobody needs good news more than Goodell, so he’s no doubt popping a cork with his henchmen.
Extra benefits and then some at U. of Louisville
The University of Louisville is investigating allegations that a former men's basketball staffer brought escorts into dorm parties and paid for the women to strip and have sex with recruits, their fathers and players.
New twist, involving the fathers of recruits. That didn’t happen in the movie He Got Game, although Jesus Shuttlesworth happily indulged in whatever delights were thrust upon him on his recruiting trip to Big State.
Louisville’s sordid details are contained in a new book by Katina Powell, a 43-year-old stripper who claims to have carried out these acts — along with her daughters.
If it’s true, Louisville’s got trouble. What I want to know is, when does the movie come out?
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