For a couple of hours on a cool Saturday in the beginning of October, the college football world held its breath. Indiana, a perennial laughingstock in the Big Ten, simply had Ohio State on the ropes.

The Ohio State University. #1 team in the nation. Struggling against a basketball-school.

How could this be possible? Urban Meyer's squad ran into a tornado this afternoon, as the Hoosiers had swagger. Head coach Kevin Wilson has slowly built an attractive program, and the results are showing, as the team was 4-0 heading into this game. But the Buckeyes were supposed to obliterate the inexperienced Bloomington-natives.

The Hoosiers had the lead at halftime and constantly kept pace with the frustrated Buckeyes, but Indiana fell 34-27 after backup quarterback Zander Diamont had to pick up a bad snap on the final possession, and his heave into the end zone barely missed a well-covered receiver.

Indiana had started out up 10-0 as the deadly combination of QB Nate Sudfeld and RB Jordan Howard pushed the Hoosiers methodically down the field. The confidence was clearly there. Ohio State scored a pair of field goals in the first half, but for the most part Cardale Jones was off kilter - the constant Hoosier blitzes. Penalties also hurt the Buckeyes, as Indiana sent a statement.

However, in the 3rd quarter, Indiana lost both Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard to injury. This would be the start of a struggle for Indiana, with small QB Zander Diamont coming in to replace the brilliant flamethrower in Sudfeld. Diamont had help via his smart receiving corp including Simmie Cobbs Jr. and Anthony Corsaro, but was shaky at first.

Ohio State took advantage, as Cardale Jones was given some high-percentage throws to get in a rhythm. But it was Ezekiel Elliot who came alive: He had two runs, one for 65 yards and another for 75 yards, both for touchdowns. Zeke the Freak carried the team, and helped his Heisman Trophy candidacy in the process.

But Indiana was not finished. Just when everyone thought they were dead, Zander Diamont found a hole and zipped for 79 yards for the TD, cutting the score to a 7 point deficit. Two consecutive punts by OSU put Indiana into the spotlight with about a minute left in the game. Indiana collected first down after first down as Ohio State collected penalty after penalty. A critical holding call on Eli Apple set up the Hoosiers close to the goal line. However, the Buckeye defense held firm. On the final play on 4th and 9, a poor snap by Jake Reed sailed over Diamont, and the retreating QB could not get anything out of the proceeding throw near the sidelines.

But, we can not forget the fact that Indiana almost pulled it off, and may have had Sudfeld and Howard not been injured. Diamont is a quality young QB, but being thrown in - Ohio State in the 2nd half had to have been a terror-filled experience. He handled himself well, but his skill set is not to the level of Sudfeld's. Indiana must be given credit for their unbelievably valient effort.

The Buckeyes have trouble. They are struggling against teams like Northern Illinois and Indiana, and no matter how talented those teams are, they are not the perennial powerhouses OSU will face later in the season. Urban Meyer does not trust Cardale Jones, even though he is sticking with him as the starter over J.T. Barrett. For now, Ohio State will lean heavily on Ezekiel Elliott, but even the best running backs have their off-days. The QB situation must be fixed soon, or OSU is in for a rough 2nd half of the season.

Indiana looks to get back on track at a mediocre Penn State team next week, while Ohio State gets a reprieve - a struggling Maryland squad.