The Indiana Hoosiers (10-0) go into Columbus with little to gain and everything to lose. Sure, a win over Ohio State (9-1) will change the perspective around the program’s traversal through the season. It will even send them through to the Big 10 championship game for a shot at breaking a 57-year barren spell. However, lose, and everything could come crashing down.

Echoes of Indiana’s disposition in the projected CFP bracket, in case of a loss to the Buckeyes, have been the backdrop to this huge matchup. Curt Cignetti has mostly blocked the noise out. He has, in some way, taken the anti-Ryan Day approach. Rather than using the occasion to his aid, he’s seemingly taking it as just another game. But it’s far from just that. Ohio State veteran Emeka Egbuka is making sure the magnitude of Saturday’s clash is not lost on Cignetti and his team.

“Every team that has Ohio State on their schedule always looks forward to that game. So we want to confirm everything that they think about us, you know. We’re the number 2 team in the nation. We don’t pay a lot of attention to rankings but it has to feel that way when we step on the field. So we’re looking to come out there and dominate from the jump”, said Egbuka to a member of the media. It is quite apparent that this is, in ways, retaliation to Cignetti’s previous comments.

Ryan Day is notorious for using the opposition’s strength as a tool for motivation. He does not deter from calling it how it is- some games are a greater prospect than others. So when Cignetti said, “[The Ohio State game] is a big game because it’s the next game. It’s the only game coming up and that makes it a big game”, it was viewed as a bit of a jab to his opposite number. 

While Cignetti maintains this relaxed demeanor on the surface level, it has got to feel different. This is easily Indiana’s toughest challenge all season. The team still has naysayers and sceptics who don’t believe their record is a true reflection of their quality. Indiana has to contend with the best-receiving core in the country. However, Egbuka has not recently held his end of the bargain.

Emeka Egbuka is going through a downturn in his output

When you’re lined up next to the likes of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, your work can go unnoticed. However, Emeka Egbuka has plenty of noise. The slot receiver in the bunch has 8 TDs and 612 yards on the season. But recently, his production has been flailing rapidly. Over the last 4 games, Egbuka has a measly 86 yards. That is less than he had in 4 of the previous 5 games EACH! This reason for this downturn has been touched upon by his coach.

“This team here wants to win, and so we all have to be unselfish and willing to sacrifice”. “So to me, it’s not about touches and the guys have been great about that. I think Emeka’s been a great example”, said Ryan Day. Egbuka averaged about 6.7 receptions in the first 6 games. He has averaged just 2.3 in the last 4. His numbers being down has a lot to do with a change in the offense.

Whether it is through Egbuka or the plethora of other talent at his disposal, Ryan Day will want to end Indiana’s fairytale run. Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers pose a massive threat. The nation awaits kickoff in the game of the weekend, with implications far and beyond Columbus. Oddsmakers have Ohio State as -9.5 point favorites at home.