Buckeyes looking to leave basement

Ohio State has not been 0-4 in the Big Ten since 1922.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- A month ago, Ohio State was talking about making a run at a national championship. Now the Buckeyes' main goal is not making history of a different sort.
"Four in a row would be a travesty," running back Branden Joe said. "I guess you could say it's another turning point. I said it the last two weeks and I said it the week before. Until we win, this week's going to be a turning point for this team."
Ohio State (3-3, 0-3) has lost three in a row heading into today's game against Indiana (2-4, 0-3). The Buckeyes have not been 0-4 in Big Ten play since 1922.
Dreams of holding the national trophy aloft have been vaporized by a lethal combination of no offense and a defense that is suddenly vulnerable. In four years under coach Jim Tressel, Ohio State followed the same game plan: the defense stifling opponents long enough for the offense to break out of its shell to provide just enough points to win.
But this year the offense has made mistakes and not made big plays, putting additional pressure on a defense that has played soft up front. The result is an Ohio State team which once seemed a certainty to compete for the title now longs for a win just to avoid the Big Ten basement.
Good matchup
Based on the team's past meetings, Indiana couldn't have come along at a better time.
Ohio State has won the last 11 meetings over a 16-year span. Between 1952 and 1986, the Buckeyes were 30-0-1 against the Hoosiers.
Then again, these aren't the same old Hoosiers, just as this is not a vintage Ohio State team.
"Teams are probably going to have some more confidence coming into a game against us," Buckeyes cornerback Dustin Fox said. "That makes for an even tougher challenge for us. We have to play even that much harder.
"Being Ohio State's not going to get you a win."
Skidding
Indiana opened the season with two wins but has since gone on a four-game losing skid of its own. Only in a 35-14 loss three weeks ago were the Hoosiers manhandled. During last week's bye week, they watched Ohio State fall 31-7 in a humiliating loss at Iowa.
"We've kind of bounced around a little bit and I wanted to refocus our attack," Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo said. "It's given us some time to do that."
The Hoosiers have lost 10 straight Big Ten road games and 20 of the last 21 in Columbus, dating to a tie in 1959, but have been far more competitive than in recent years.
"I see more experience. I see more people. I see great habits. I see guys not making mistakes they did when they were playing a year ago," Tressel said. "They've been together longer. A lot of times when you suffer together a little bit you improve some of the things that caused the suffering. Across the board they do things much, much better."