The Buckeyes will look to hit some home runs at Wrigley Field.
Ohio State appears to be hitting its stride as the regular season begins to dwindle. Fresh off a big road win over a previously undefeated Penn State team, the Buckeyes returned home to put a 45-0 beatdown on Purdue.
Ryan Day’s group has to win each of its remaining three games if they want to earn a rematch against Oregon in the Big Ten title game, and that starts with a trip to Wrigley Field to take on Northwestern this coming Saturday — where Ohio State is heavily favored.
Betting Odds: Ohio State -31.5 | O/U 43.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
Ohio State sits at 8-1 on the year, with its lone blemish a one-point loss on the road to the now-No. 1 team in the country. The Buckeyes’ biggest shortcomings in that game were on defense, and it seems as though there have been actual tangible changes made to correct it. Since losing to the Ducks, Ohio State has allowed just one offensive touchdown total over a span of three games, and the pass rush that has consistently let them down in big games has seemingly been overhauled and adapted.
This last time out, Ryan Day’s group put together a dominant 45-0 victory over an overmatched Purdue team. The Boilermakers had no answers for Will Howard, as the Buckeyes’ quarterback completed 21 of his 26 pass attempts for 260 yards and four total touchdowns — three passing and one rushing. Jeremiah Smith led the way through the air with six catches for 87 yards and touchdown, while TreVeyon Henderson paced the ground game with 85 yards and a touchdown on only six carries.
Defensively, Ohio State kept Purdue off the scoreboard entirely. The Buckeyes racked up four sacks on the day, with six different players registering at least half a sack, and recorded two takeaways on an interception and a sack fumble, which was returned for a touchdown. Ohio State dominated on the money downs, holding Purdue to 2-of-12 on third down and 0-of-3 on fourth down, and kept the Boilermakers scoreless despite two trips into the red zone. The Buckeyes’ special teams also made a big play, blocking a punt to set up a short field that would lead to another OSU touchdown.
Ohio State will next take the field against Northwestern, facing off against the Wildcats at the home of the Chicago Cubs. David Braun’s team sits at 4-5 on the year, with just a 2-4 mark in Big Ten play. After staring the year at 2-1, Northwestern has lost two of its last three games and four of its last six. The offense has been the Wildcats’ biggest issue, ranking 121st nationally scoring 19.2 points per game. The defense, however, has been solid, allowing only 21.9 points per game — good for 39th in FBS.
That offense is led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch, who took over starting duties from veteran Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright after two games. In seven starts, Lausch has thrown for a little over 1,100 yards with five touchdowns and four picks, and has added another 218 yards rushing. His favorite target has been Michigan transfer A.J. Henning, who has hauled in 40 receptions for 426 yards and three touchdowns on the year. The ground game has been led by senior running back Cam Porter, who has amassed 387 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard and defensive back Theran Johnson have been two of the leaders of this Northwestern defense that has held up their end of the bargain. Hubbard is atop the unit with four sacks and five tackles for loss to go along with a fumble recovery and the team’s only defensive touchdown, while Johnson’s two picks and 10 pass breakups help the Wildcats rank near the top of the Big Ten in passes defensed. Northwestern’s biggest strength has been stopping the run, where it ranks 16th in the country allowing 108.1 rushing yards per game.
Northwestern’s front seven is solid, and will pose another legit test for Ohio State’s freshly changed but improving offensive line. The real question in this matchup is if the Wildcats will be able to put up points against a Buckeyes defense that seems to really be finding its groove. Jim Knowles’ group hasn’t allowed a touchdown in over eight quarters of play, and will look to keep that streak going in Chicago. This is Ohio State’s last chance to fix any remaining problems it may have, as it will finish the regular season with a pair of tough games against Indiana and Michigan.