COLUMBUS — Ohio State went into Bloomington Saturday afternoon and did what no team had done in nearly two years: beat Indiana. The Buckeyes defeated the defending national champions 19-15, ending the Hoosiers' 22-game winning streak and avenging last season's Big Ten Championship loss.

It was a satisfying victory, particularly considering the circumstances. Ohio State's defense played outstanding football, the offense made a couple of huge plays when it absolutely needed them, and the Buckeyes survived the loss of their starting quarterback late in the game.

But the win also exposed some familiar problems, and the injuries suffered Saturday could have consequences well beyond one afternoon in Bloomington.

The Good: Fourth Downs

If you want to understand how Ohio State won Saturday's game, look no further than fourth down.

The Buckeyes went 2-for-2 on fourth down, scoring both of their touchdowns on passes from Julian Sayin. Indiana, meanwhile, went 0-for-2, turning the ball over on both attempts. In a game decided by four points, those plays made all the difference.

Ohio State's first touchdown came with seven seconds remaining in the first half. After driving 80 yards in 15 plays, the Buckeyes faced fourth-and-goal from the Indiana 2-yard line. Ryan Day kept his offense on the field, and Sayin found Bo Jackson for the touchdown, giving Ohio State a 10-7 halftime lead.

The second came early in the fourth quarter, with Ohio State facing fourth-and-one at the Indiana 38. Rather than trying to pick up a yard on the ground, Sayin went deep to Jeremiah Smith, who hauled in a spectacular 38-yard touchdown pass that extended the lead to 19-7.

It was Smith's 39th career touchdown reception, tying Michigan's Braylon Edwards for the Big Ten record. Not a bad time to make history.

Indiana's first failed fourth-down attempt came in the third quarter, with the Hoosiers facing fourth-and-four at the Ohio State 27. Jaylen McClain sacked Josh Hoover for an 11-yard loss, forcing a fumble that TJ Alford recovered. The Buckeyes couldn't turn the takeaway into points, but the defense had stopped another promising Indiana drive.

The Hoosiers had one final opportunity to win the game, but once again, fourth down proved costly. With just over a minute remaining, Hoover found wide receiver Nick Marsh in the end zone on fourth-and-four. Unfortunately for Indiana, Marsh's left foot landed out of bounds, wiping out what would have been the go-ahead touchdown and effectively ending the game.

The defense also produced a huge turnover earlier in the third quarter when Jay Timmons forced a fumble by Davion Chandler, which Earl Little Jr. recovered. The takeaway ended Indiana's streak of 1,473 offensive plays without a lost fumble and led to an Ohio State field goal.

Ohio State didn't play perfect football Saturday, but it delivered in the biggest moments. When the game was on the line, the Buckeyes made their plays, and Indiana didn't.

The Bad: Quarterback Play

As a 50-something-year-old man, I find it uncomfortable to be too hard on college kids. But let's not sugarcoat this. Neither quarterback played well Saturday, and Julian Sayin's performance was especially concerning.

Sayin deserves credit for the two fourth-down touchdown passes. He also looked more comfortable during stretches of the second half, and Ohio State's offense showed improvement after a rough start.

But for much of the afternoon, Sayin was pedestrian at best and downright bad at times.

He completed 15 of 29 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions, took three sacks, and struggled to establish any kind of rhythm against Indiana's defense. The Hoosiers repeatedly pressured him, and there were too many possessions where Sayin looked completely lost.

But most importantly, Sayin also made poor decisions and failed to deliver throws that Ohio State needs its quarterback to make.

His performance on the biggest stages is becoming difficult to ignore.

Sayin has been outstanding against lesser opponents, but in Ohio State's biggest games, he has left a lot to be desired. He struggled against Indiana in last season's Big Ten Championship Game, and Saturday was another opportunity to prove he could deliver a complete performance against an elite opponent.

Instead, we got more of the same. No, it was actually more of the same, only worse.

Hoover wasn't much better. He completed just 20 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State's defense deserves credit for making his afternoon difficult, but Hoover also missed throws and failed to take advantage of several scoring opportunities.

We certainly hope Sayin recovers quickly from his injury. He's a talented quarterback with an exciting future, and nobody wants to see him sidelined.

But when he returns, we also need to see him play better in these big games. So far, he hasn't shown that he can consistently perform at the level Ohio State needs against the nation's best teams.

The Ugly: Injuries

Winning at Indiana was a tremendous accomplishment, but the Buckeyes paid a price.

The biggest concern is obviously Sayin, who left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury to his throwing arm after being sacked by Indiana's Mario Landino. He went to the locker room and later returned to the sidelines with his arm in a sling, leaving backup Luke Fahey to finish the game.

Reports indicate Sayin is expected to miss multiple weeks, although the full details of his injury have not been publicly established.

We certainly hope he can recover as quickly as possible. Despite his poor performance Saturday, Sayin remains Ohio State's best option at quarterback, and it's hard to imagine Fahey stepping in and immediately playing better against the kind of competition the Buckeyes have coming up.

But Sayin wasn't the only player dealing with an injury Saturday.

Defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. also suffered an injury during the fourth quarter. He needed assistance getting off the field and spent time in the medical tent before returning to action with about four and a half minutes remaining. Although he managed to come back, the scene afterward wasn't encouraging. Jackson was seen walking with a limp and receiving help from teammates as he left the field.

Then there's Jay Timmons, who had one of the best games of his Ohio State career before leaving with an injury of his own. Timmons was outstanding against Indiana, forcing a fumble, breaking up passes, and making several important tackles. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to finish the game.

It's too early to know how serious Jackson's and Timmons' injuries might be, but losing key contributors on both sides of the football would be a major issue for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have a bye week before facing USC on October 31, and the timing couldn't be better. After Saturday's physical battle, Ohio State needs that extra time to get healthy.

The win over Indiana was a big one. Now the Buckeyes have to hope it didn't come at too high a cost.