Graduate wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) warms up prior to the No. 4 Buckeyes 20-13 victory over the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor
Ohio State is headed to Illinois to face Northwestern, but this time, it won’t be in Evanston.
The No. 2 Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) will face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) noon Saturday at Wrigley Field. This trip to Chicago will mark the first time Ohio State has played football at Wrigley, and just the third time Northwestern has done so.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said he’s excited for his team to have the chance to play in an area and stadium with such a rich history.
“I had an opportunity to go see the Cubs play in Wrigley and the surrounding area, the restaurants that are in the area, it’s just got a great vibe there right in that neighborhood,” Day said. “It’s a very unique place with unbelievable history, and so it’s a great opportunity for us.”
Quarterback Will Howard expressed similar enthusiasm about traveling to Chicago and playing football in a baseball stadium.
“I think I was, like, a senior in high school, and I went out there. I think it was actually at a camp at Northwestern, but that was a cool stadium, man,” Howard said. “It’ll be interesting to play football there, but I’m excited. It’s a historic landmark in a really cool city.”
As luck would have it, both the Buckeyes and Wildcats are coming off wins against Purdue. The victories, however, came in very different fashions.
Ohio State hosted Purdue Saturday and walked out of Ohio Stadium with a 45-0 shutout win.
The Boilermakers had no answers for the Buckeyes offense. Ohio State ran for 173 yards on the ground with two touchdowns, also amassing 260 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Northwestern, on the other hand, narrowly avoided defeat at the hands of the Boilermakers. The Wildcats nearly gave up a 14-point, second-quarter lead, as Purdue forced overtime with a late touchdown.
Northwestern eventually came through in overtime — a stop by the Wildcats defense let the team regain possession, before quarterback Jack Lausch tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to running back Joseph Himon II to pull out a 26-20 victory.
Lausch has recorded an up-and-down season for the Wildcats, completing 103 of 192 passes while racking up 1,120 yards through the air. The redshirt sophomore has also thrown for five touchdowns but gave up four interceptions in the process.
The difference in outcomes between Ohio State’s and Northwestern’s contests with Purdue can serve as a predictor for Saturday.
According to BetMGM, Ohio State currently has a 28.5-point advantage over Northwestern, meaning the Buckeyes must defeat the Wildcats by at least 29 points for a bettor to win their spread bet.
In a similar vein to his pre-Purdue statements, Day said any Big Ten team can pose a threat this deep into the year, noting the Buckeyes will need to continue playing their best football to win.
“They’re very sound in what they do, their scheme is very sound, they’re built from the inside out and they’re going to make you win the game,” Day said. “They’re going to force you to earn it, and they’re a very good team and a Big Ten team on the road. You’re in November, so we have to play well.”
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