COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A healthy respect already existed after a week of watching film, and if that wasn't enough, even a cursory glance at the statistics would have been enough to convince Ohio State to be wary.

The combination of those two things made it quite clear to the Buckeyes what they were up against last weekend, though, which was exactly why they were feeling so good about the job they had done in the first half against Tevin Coleman.

But the second a defense starts to get comfortable, the Indiana star will make it pay. And as he exploded down the sideline for one of the longest touchdown rushes in the history of the Horseshoe, the Buckeyes became the latest victim to come to the painful conclusion that everything they had heard about perhaps the nation's most often overlooked player was true.

"I mean, I felt like we were shutting him down pretty good," Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee said. "But when he has his opportunity, a chance to make a big play, he takes it. It's a credit to him. He's a really good running back, and I think he's really impressive in that aspect because I felt like we were shutting him down for most of the game.

"Give him two opportunities, and he'll make those plays. I see what all the hype is about, and it's true."

Coleman has steadily converted any doubters into believers during his breakout junior campaign, which has been all the more impressive because the Hoosiers have essentially needed him to fly solo for a short-handed, one-dimensional offense. And even without much support, few defenses have been able to keep Coleman grounded for long, as the Buckeyes learned when he shook off a 15-carry, 50-yard first half with a dazzling 90-yard sprint to the end zone that briefly gave Indiana a lead over the No. 6 team in the country.

Ohio State eventually pulled away and wasn't threatened down the stretch, sending the Hoosiers to an eighth loss this season and once again blocking out some of the spotlight Coleman certainly deserves but doesn't usually get.

His team loses too much, which isn't exactly his fault but occasionally makes it easy to forget what he's doing so far outside of the national conversation. The Big Ten is also historically loaded at running back and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon casts a large shadow, which not even rushing for 1,906 yards and 15 touchdowns can quite allow Coleman to escape.

Those two factors alone have effectively knocked him out of the Heisman Trophy conversation despite his long list of impressive accomplishments this season. The teams that have played against him this year have no trouble recognizing how special Coleman's talent truly is, though, and obviously the Hoosiers know what they have in him and would dearly love him to return for another year with the program. But with eye-popping statistics and draft stock that perhaps can't get too much higher, hanging on to Coleman might prove just as difficult for coach Kevin Wilson. It could also make Saturday's battle for the Old Oaken Bucket against Purdue the last chance to appreciate him before he's gone.

"To me he's going to be one of the all-time great Hoosiers and one of the all-time great kids I've coached just because of the way he does it every day, not just Saturdays," Wilson said. " ... He takes a lot of nickels, and he'll get you some quarters and 50 cents and dollar bills out of it because he can make some guys miss and go the distance.

"His ability for the home run play is legit."

The Buckeyes weren't the first team to find that out and it certainly shouldn't come as a surprise to the Boilermakers, who have fresh evidence to break down with Coleman coming off a performance that ended up at 228 yards with 3 touchdowns after the somewhat sluggish start.

But will Purdue be the last team on the list before he moves on? If so, the rest of the Big Ten almost certainly will be glad to see him go.

"I wish him well in the NFL if that's what his desire is, because he's a really good back," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "He's a top-10 back -- maybe higher than that."

That will ultimately be up to professional scouts and general managers to decide, potentially sooner than later.

But good luck finding anybody who has played against Coleman this season and walked away not believing he's worthy of some hype.