Ohio State football vs. Purdue has a must-see matchup

After the College Football Playoff committee rolled out their new top 25 rankings, Ohio State football’s collision with Purdue became a ranked vs. ranked matchup.

The Scarlet and Gray’s battle with the Boilermakers is quite intriguing with Purdue’s ability to consistently upset top 5 squads at ease. The battle between No. 4 Ohio State and No.19 Purdue will be on a national stage on ABC at 3:30 PM EST, which adds extra juice to the already important game.

Purdue needs this game to stay in the race for the top spot in the Big Ten West, while OSU must win out to keep their lofty goals alive. It seems like a good game considering the stakes and quality of both squads this season, but one matchup within this game will be must-see TV.

Ohio State football’s Denzel Burke vs. Purdue’s David Bell is must-see

Ohio State’s lockdown true freshman cornerback Denzel Burke faces off with the Boilermakers’ star wideout David Bell this Saturday.

Burke has been amazing in his first season with the Buckeyes, establishing himself as one of the best corners out there. While Purdue’s Bell is one of the best receivers in the country with his 200+ yard games against Iowa and Michigan State. This showdown is the elite against the elite and will be a determining factor in the game’s result.

Bell has already reached the 1,000 receiving yard mark in eight games and averages over 15 yards per catch. Here’s a look at what Bell brings to the table (it’s everything you want in a WR).

The fundamentals in Bell’s game are there: his release, route-running, and dependable hands. His ability in the open field is flat-out special. Bell’s spin while running full speed against MSU is not normal…wow.

Ohio State’s Burke is dominant in his own right with his sticky and pesky coverage; he has not surrendered one touchdown this season.

Furthermore, the freshman CB from Arizona is preventing explosive plays with only one 20+ yard reception allowed on 10 targets. Burke is becoming one of the best cover corners in the country at only 19-years-old with fluid and sound technique, that’s usually unheard of. He is staying disciplined in the backend of OSU’s defense and does a fantastic job of making plays on the ball with seven pass deflections.

The Buckeye defensive back held his own against Penn State’s Jahan Dotson—one of the best wideouts in college football—earlier in the season as well. Burke has been a consistent presence on Ohio State’s defense in every single game.

More than likely, we will not see a ton of one-on-one coverage snaps with Burke lining across from Bell. The Bucks transitioned to a zone-heavy defense, limiting man coverage. Burke’s man opportunities versus Bell will be limited, but man will they be special when it happens.

This will be one of the best man-on-man clashes in all of college football this weekend and makes for must-see TV. Ohio State football’s Burke covering Bell, at times, will be extremely fun and entertaining to watch Saturday afternoon as the Buckeyes begin their ranked opponent gauntlet to end the regular season.