Ohio State (8-1) coach Ryan Day has yet to lose to an unranked opponent, and Saturday’s opponent, Northwestern (4-5) is decidedly scuffling this season.
But are the Buckeyes focused with games against No. 5 Indiana and rival Michigan looming?
Follow along with these game-day updates to find out.
Ohio State improves to 9-1 with a 31-7 win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field.
7:04 remaining, fourth quarter: Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson is having a quietly effective day for the Buckeyes. He has 74 yards on 11 carries for an average of 6.7. It’s a perfect illustration of what Bill Rabinowitz wrote about this week.
0:44 remaining, third quarter: Ohio State’s has now scored on five straight drives, but their streak of touchdowns has ended as this drive ended with a Jayden Fielding 28-yard field goal.
4:58 remaining, third quarter: After getting gashed early, the Ohio State defense has buckled down. Leading the way for the Buckeyes is Jack Sawyer (seven tackles, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble). Sonny Styles, Lathan Ransom and Caleb Downs all have TFLs.
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12:11 remaining, third quarter: Jeremiah Smith made an impressive 68-yard catch-and-run play (after which he seemed to have a bit of a limp), and that set up Carnell Tate’s second touchdown of the day. This was an 8-yard TD.
This has to be an emotional homecoming for Tate, who lost his mother, Ashley Griggs, in a drive-by shooting in July of 2023.
Smith, by the way, had his ankle retaped and jogged a little on the sidelines after his big gain.
0:53 remaining, second quarter: Chicago native Carnell Tate laid out to grab a 25-yard Will Howard pass to add to OSU’s advantage.
4:19 remaining, second quarter: OSU’s Quinshon Judkins allowed the Buckeyes to take advantage of Northwestern’s special teams mistake with a 1-yard touchdown.
5:15 remaining, second quarter: Aided by a bad snap, Caden Curry prevented Northwestern from getting the punt off and gave the ball to the Buckeyes at the OSU 1-yard line.
OSU also blocked a punt last week against Purdue.
6:59 remaining, second quarter: Will Howard set up Ohio State’s score with passes of 12 and 14 yards to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, respectively. Running back Quinshon Judkins, out of a T-formation, powered it in from 1 yard out after that.
Ohio State converted on fourth down again earlier in that same drive. Needing 3 yards, Howard found Smith for 14. The Buckeyes are 15 of 20 on the year in that category.
12:38 remaining, second quarter: After an 11-play opening drive that ended in a fumble, Northwestern went 92 yards in 13 plays with 5:30 in time of possession to take a 7-0 lead. Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch carried the ball the final 8 yards.
Two areas where the Buckeyes’ defense has occasionally struggled this season – secondary play and stopping running quarterbacks – have cropped up as issues today.
Lausch is 7 for 10 for 97 yards and has an additional 17 yards rushing. This despite the fact that he entered the day as one of the least accurate quarterbacks in the Big Ten, completing just 53.6% of his throws.
3:21 remaining, first quarter: On third-and-9, Jeremiah Smith appeared to have hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass with a defender hanging on him, but a review of the play showed the ball hit the ground, and OSU decided to punt.
During the drive, Ohio State made a fourth-down conversion when Quinshon Judkins, needing just 1 yard, rumbled for 4. They are 14 for 19 on fourth down this season.
8:04 remaining, first quarter: Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer hit Northwestern’s Jack Lausch at the OSU 16 and forced the quarterback to cough up the ball. It fell right into the arms of 33-defensive back Davison Igbinosun, who returned it to the Buckeyes’ 33-yard line.
The Wildcats, ranked 89th in time of possession entering today, had chewed up 6:56 of clock before giving up the ball. They were 2 of 3 on third down. (Lausch fumbled on a third-down play.) And they ran 11 plays.
Ohio State called tails and won the toss (because tails never fails), and they chose to defer to the second half. Northwestern will start today’s game receiving the ball.
The last time Ohio State played at Northwestern, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said the wind was so strong, a practice punt in pregame ended up going backward. Today, officials are reporting an 11 mph wind at Wrigley Field.
Ohio State remained in the No. 2 spot when the latest College Football Playoff rankings were released.
This is the fifth consecutive game in the series played outside of Columbus. The 2019 and 2022 regular season games were each played at Ryan Field; the teams also met in the 2018 and 2020 Big Ten Conference championship game at LucasOil Stadium in Indianapolis
TV channel: BTN
Streaming: BigTen+ | Fubo
Jeff Levering will handle the play-by-play duties on the BTN television broadcast of Ohio State’s game against Northwestern. Jake Butt will be the analyst Saturday while Brooke Fletcher will be the sideline reporter.
Radio: 97.1 FM
The Buckeyes and Boilermakers matchup will be on 97.1 FM. Paul Keels (play-by-play) and Jim Lachey (analyst) will be on the call, while Matt Andrews is the sideline reporter.
The National Weather Service predicts it will be around 51 degrees when Ohio State kicks off against Northwestern at noon Saturday, with a high temperature later that afternoon of 52. It should be mostly cloudy for the game and wind gusts of up to 20 mph are being forecast.
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 7
Two years ago, the Windy City lived up to its name when the Buckeyes traveled to Evanston. Passing was nearly impossible, and OSU was happy to escape with a 21-7 win. The wind is expected to be milder at Wrigley Field on Saturday, and the Buckeyes should roll. Northwestern has come back to earth after a surprisingly successful season in 2023. There’s little reason to think the Wildcats can throw a scare into Ohio State.
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State 38, Northwestern 7
Wind gusts exceeding 40 mph added a hurdle for the Buckeyes when they last visited Northwestern in 2022. Unless similar conditions reach Wrigley Field on Saturday, this game should be much more lopsided. The Wildcats needed overtime to beat Purdue, the Big Ten’s last-place team, two weeks ago, one of their only two wins over Power Four conference opponents. Don’t overlook the possibility of Ohio State shutting out another conference foe, something it has not done twice in a season twice since 1996.
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State 46, Northwestern 6
It’s Wrigley Field, so it’s only fitting that the Buckeyes finally find a way to hit a home run ball with their deep passing game. The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-50s and 10 mph winds, unlike the blustery day of two years ago, so expect Will Howard to have himself a big day through the air. It will be a fun setting in what should be a sea of scarlet.
Jake Epstein, The Daily Northwestern: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 6
Ohio State has looked the part of a national championship contender throughout the season and will have a talent advantage across the board. Although this game embodies a matchup Northwestern would keep inexplicably competitive in past seasons, the Wildcats won’t have gale-force winds on their side as they did in 2022. In front of an overwhelming scarlet and gray presence in Wrigley Field, the Buckeyes should steamroll their conference foe.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, Nov. 16.
These players are out today for Ohio State.
Before the availability list was released, this is what the projected Ohio State depth chart looked like.
The following players are out for Northwestern.
Here’s a look at Ohio State’s 2024 football schedule, along with kickoff times and television information:
Here’s a look at Northwestern’s 2024 football schedule, along with kickoff times and television information:
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