Ohio State football: Northwestern up first before two high-stakes games to end regular season

Nov. 16—Ohio State football coach Ryan Day likes to say every game the Buckeyes play is more about themselves than the opponent.

Saturday’s trip to Chicago to play Northwestern looks like the last time he will need to think about saying that, though.

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…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-football-northwestern-first-193800485.html

Author : Dayton Daily News, Ohio

Publish date : 2024-11-16 19:38:00

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