Ohio State Football: Why Boilermakers will be a big challenge for Buckeyes
In 2009 the Ohio State football team traveled to West Lafayette and the Purdue Boilermakers shocked the college football world by defeating the Buckeyes.
The Ohio State football team is headed to West Lafayette to face a hot Purdue team. The Buckeyes are looking to continue their domination of the Big Ten, but the Boilermakers could ruin the Buckeyes’ championship dreams on Saturday.
Here is why they are a team Ohio State shouldn’t take lightly.
Purdue has a high-powered offense that is improving each week. The Boilermakers are averaging around 40 points a game.
The center-piece of the offense has been 5th-year senior David Blough. He has something to prove after going down last year with a nasty ankle injury.
Over the last four games, Blough has thrown for 1,573 yards with a completion rate of 68.3 percent and 10 touchdowns. He has the offense running on all cylinders and his favorite target Rondale Moore is benefiting immensely from his great play.
Moore is starting to attract attention from around the college football world. Halfway through the season he has been named a midway All-American.
Moore has close to 50 receptions for 550 yards and six touchdowns. The Boilermakers also move him around to give defenses a different look. This includes running Moore out of the backfield.
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He has nine carries on the season for a whopping 15.4 yards per carry average. The Ohio State defense will have its hand’s full trying to track down this extremely talented playmaker.
With the Buckeyes struggling in pass defense, they will also have to deal with two very talented runners in the backfield.
Purdue has a very balanced rushing attack with D.J. Knox and Markell Jones. Both running backs are averaging close to six yards per carry.
With the one-two punch like that in the backfield, the Buckeyes are going to have to make sure that the front four handles their own.
Purdue has also found its defense. The back-end of the defense will be tested with Dwayne Haskins coming to town, but the unit has looked the part so far. The Boilermakers defensive backs have only allowed two passing touchdowns so far this season.
Next. An early look into the Michigan State game. dark
The Ohio State offense will need a fast and hot start to make sure Purdue doesn’t hang around. As the Buckeyes try to keep their perfect season alive they must defeat a dangerous Boilermaker team on the road. A repeat performance of the Purdue game in 2009 would significantly hurt Ohio State’s chances of making the College Football Playoff. .