Ezekiel Ellliot Ohio State Indiana 2014

Ezekiel Elliott and the Buckeyes got past Indiana at home on Saturday.

(Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- First thoughts from Ohio State's win over Indiana on Saturday:

• Ohio State turned the ball over three times in the first half, and after turning it over five times in the previous two games, the Buckeyes' turnovers are not a fluke. They can't be brushed off. They may be the No. 1 thing that could keep this team from doing what it wants to do. But just as concerning were the consecutive three-and-outs to end the half. It's like the Buckeyes for a stretch couldn't figure out how to attack what has been a vulnerable Indiana defense all season.

• It got hairy for a while. Any time a visiting team takes a third-quarter lead, you enter find-a-way-to-win mode. Jalin Marshall's punt return bailed the Buckeyes out of that. But in this playoff world, how you win matters as the playoff committee tries to pick between teams with similar records. The Buckeyes could take a hit for this one.

• The biggest problem? The game for a while may have reminded people of the Virginia Tech loss. The offense was stalling and the opponent was finding ways to move the ball on Ohio State in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State had been pushing that Week 2 loss into the rearview mirror with road wins over Michigan State and Minnesota.

Saturday may have brought it back a bit.

• The committee loves teams that excel on the road, so the fact the problems Saturday came at home for Ohio State will be an issue as well. On the road, you may be excused for finding any way to survive. At home, there's more of an expectation to handle your business.

• Is it a guarantee that Ohio State moves down from No. 6 with the committee? Not at all. We are still figuring out how these people think. But TCU struggled on the road at Kansas last week and dropped from No. 4 to No. 5. Ohio State could move down a spot, maybe behind Baylor, though the Buckeyes did win by more than the Horned Frogs did last week.

• Urban Meyer talked to Zach Smith, the coach in charge of punt return, about taking Jalin Marshall off punt return this week after his fumble last week. But after a talk, they decided they liked Marshall's aggression as a return man too much.

He's risk-reward. You saw the risks last week. With the return that put the Buckeyes ahead Saturday, you saw the reward.

• Indiana running back Tevin Coleman topped more than 300 rushing yards against Rutgers last week and the Hoosiers didn't come close to victory, losing 45-23. Saturday, Ohio State contained Coleman for much of the day, limiting him to 50 rushing yards in the first half on 15 carries. But he seemed to help open up the rest of the Indiana offense, which also was aided by OSU turnovers but got a little more going than expected.

And then Coleman broke a 90-yard run early in the third quarter to give Indiana the lead.

• How the Buckeyes defended Indiana and Coleman is instructive for what the Buckeyes could face against Melvin Gordon and Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State has clinched its spot in Indy. And while the Badgers don't throw it very well, they throw it better than Indiana does.

• Ohio State forced Indiana QB Zander Diamont into a critical interception in the final five minutes once Indiana got the ball back, down eight points. That wasn't a shock. It was more of a surprise that the Buckeyes didn't make the freshman, making his fifth start after beginning the year as the No. 3 QB, more nervous during the course of the day.