Legendary former college football coach Nick Saban is familiar with Ohio State and Indiana from unique angles.
At Alabama, Saban went head-to-head with Ohio State in two postseason games, splitting 2014 and 2020 contests. He also coached against the Buckeyes regularly when he was in charge at Michigan State.
And IU coach Curt Cignetti worked under Saban at Alabama for four years, and they were together at West Virginia when Cignetti played there under his father while Saban was an assistant.
Having coached at a power-brand school like Alabama, Saban knows there is a risk Ohio State will underestimate Indiana.
“Well, I think Indiana does have a really good team,” Saban said Friday on the Pat McAfee Show. “Probably a better team than what people think because you always think of the brand,” said Saban. “Like, you always think Ohio State-Michigan. You don’t really think Ohio State–Indiana.
“That’ll be something that the Ohio State players have to really comprehend from a psychological standpoint that these guys are a pretty good team.”
When Ohio State has the football, Saban suggested the IU defensive line has the potential to be a difference maker.
“I think Indiana’s defensive line is better than people give them credit for,” said Saban. “With the recent injuries on the offensive line for Ohio State, that’ll be maybe something to watch.”
But Saban expects OSU’s skill position players to be a real challenge for IU.
“I also think that the skill guys that Ohio State has – the running backs, the wide receivers – are going to be really, really hard for Indiana to match up with all those people,” Saban said.
Obviously if Indiana’s defensive line can be disruptive and find their way into the OSU backfield with regularity, that unit can mitigate the impact of the Buckeyes’ backs and receivers.
Saban, McAfee and the full ESPN College Gameday crew will be live at Ohio State on Saturday morning.
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