Indiana Has College Football's Best Pass Rush, But Running Costly Vs Ohio State | Overreactions

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana's 22-game win streak finally stopped Saturday, in a 19-14 home defeat to No. 5 Ohio State.

It was the No. 4 Hoosiers' first loss at home in Curt Cignetti's tenure.

Here are some overreactions:

IU has the best pass rush in the country

Julian Sayin might agree after a withering first-half performance that saw Indiana (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) land two sacks and a fistful of pressures beyond that.

Putting players with such diverse skillsets onto that front (Stephen Daley, Tyrique Tucker, Tobi Osunsanmi) makes scheming up against Bryant Haines' rush so difficult. When players like Joe Hjelle start coming to the party as well, you begin to feel like the full team effort is an ideal meeting of talent and design.

That rush was ever so slightly off through the first 2-3 weeks of the season, subdued at times and not entirely sharp at others. But it's been progressively more dangerous since the start of conference play, and today felt like its best performance so far.

Indiana has a rushing problem

Against this caliber of opponent, it might.

After the explosive rushing performances against Northwestern and Rutgers, we saw Nebraska load up to take away that side of Indiana's offense. It worked until it didn't, and Hoover tore off two long touchdown passes to Nick Marsh.

Against Ohio State (6-1, 4-0), that margin for error was not so wide, and Indiana paid for it. The Hoosiers finished with just 73 net rushing yards, struggling for room to explode to the second level all afternoon. Even against the Buckeyes' five-man defensive backfield, IU simply could not block up the rushing lanes necessary to give its backs room to make plays.

Not every team is as good as Ohio State, but the ones Indiana will want to beat at the business end of the season are. It's a problem that needs solving between now and then.

Mistakes cost the Hoosiers

This isn't an overreaction. Or at least one suspects Curt Cignetti would suggest it isn't.

Uncommon mistakes (untimely penalties, sloppy turnovers, mental lapses, missed assignments and throws) cost the Hoosiers in key moments Saturday afternoon. Moments when we've become accustomed to watching the Hoosiers make other teams make those same mistakes.

Not on Saturday, and it cost IU the game.

That cost the Hoosiers a shot at Indianapolis

This is definitely an overreaction. Perhaps the most fundamental takeaway from Saturday's game should be that these are the two best teams in the Big Ten, and there's every chance we see them again in Indianapolis in two months' time.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana has college football's best pass rush, but running costly vs Ohio State | Overreactions