While the Wildcats (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) are fighting for bowl eligibility, Ohio State (8-1, 5-1) still harbors hopes of making history this season.
The Buckeyes are No. 2 again this week in the College Football Playoff Committee rankings and likely can’t afford to lose if they want to make the Big Ten Championship Game — not to mention maximize their seeding in the first 12-team CFP next month.
They play host to undefeated Indiana next week before the season-ending clash with archrival Michigan, so it is fair to say every game the rest of the way will have high stakes (no matter what kind of season the Wolverines are having).
But first thing is first, and with that in mind here are five things to know about the Buckeyes’ game against Northwestern:
1. The Wildcats have a good defense.
Northwestern surprisingly won eight games last season under interim coach David Braun, and defense was their calling card. That is again the case this year with Braun having been named the permanent replacement for Pat Fitzgerald, who was brought down by a hazing scandal in the summer of 2023.
The Wildcats are 39th in the nation in scoring defense (21.9 points per game) and 53rd in total defense (349.2 yards per game), but their advanced metrics look better. Northwestern has the No. 29 defense in SP+, which measures efficiency and explosiveness, and Braun’s boys are loathe to give up big plays.
“They’re very sound in what they do,” Day said. “Their scheme is very sound. They’re built from the inside out, and they’re going to make you win the game. They’re going to force you to earn it.”
2. The Northwestern offense isn’t much to write home about.
Sophomore Jack Lausch is a run-pass threat at quarterback, but he has only completed 53.6 percent of his passes on the season as the Wildcats have averaged 19.2 points per game (131st out of 134 NCAA FBS teams).
Cam Porter, a senior captain from Cincinnati, and Joseph Himon II give Northwestern a solid one-two punch at running back, and Wildcat tackles Caleb Tiernan and Ben Wrather both have good pass-protection grades on Pro Football Focus.
“We know we’re not just an underdog,” Braun said this week. “There’s no one out there that expects Northwestern to go in and beat Ohio State — even for that matter compete — but this group believes that with a great two weeks of preparation and us showing up at our best.
“We can make this a four-quarter battle, make it close in the fourth quarter and look up with zeros on the clock and the expectation is to expect victory.”
3. Talk of trying to improve is more than just that at Ohio State.
Multiple position groups remain a work in progress as the regular season winds down and competition ramps up.
Most under the microscope is the offensive line, which lost starting left tackle Josh Simmons in a loss at Oregon last month. With Donovan Jackson at left tackle, Carson Hinzman at left guard, Seth McLaughlin at center, Tegra Tshabola at right guard and Josh Fryar at right tackle, that unit is set to look the same for the third game in a row, but it still has some kinks to work out.
The defense has also been evolving since giving up 32 points to the Ducks. Coordinator Jim Knowles has worked in more pressure packages and changed coverages while the position coaches have adjusted their substation patterns, especially in the secondary and on the defensive line.
“(Northwestern is) a very good team — a Big Ten team on the road — you’re in November so we have to play well,” Day said. “And we always feel like it’s about us, but we want to know our opponent, and they’re always well-coached.”
4. The Buckeyes are not sweating all the noon games
Ohio State is playing at noon for the fourth game in a row, and with the Indiana and Michigan games both set to kick off at that time, the Buckeyes will end the season with six straight early wake-up calls.
That is fine with Will Howard.
“I’m going to play whenever they tell us to play, but there’s something I kind of like about just getting up and going,” the Ohio State quarterback said. “There’s less thinking involved. You kind of just get up. Sometimes when you’re sitting around for those night games, you’re sitting in the hotel and just get antsy. I’m like, ‘Man, I just want to go. I just want to go play this game.’”
5. The venue should add some interest.
Northwestern has no permanent home stadium at the moment with Ryan Field having been torn down to be replaced by a new facility.
Earlier games this season were played at the Wildcats’ practice facility, but Wrigley Field will host Ohio State and Illinois to close out the Northwestern home slate.
“It’s going to be a different feel there,” Day said. “It’s a baseball park. It’s different than a football stadium. So do I think it’s a big deal? No, but a lot of people do.”
Day said the team planned to do a walk-through Friday, which is unusual for the Buckeyes.
“I’d like for them to see just the makeup of it. I want them to see the turf. I want them to see where the infield is filled in with some of the sod.
“I’d like for them to see how we’re going to handle halftime. We’re going to be in the bullpen, not going up into the locker room. Just some different things that I’d like for them to see.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Ohio State at Northwestern, Noon, Big Ten Network, 1410
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