Three bold predictions for Ohio State football v. Northwestern
By Ryan Stano
2. The Ohio State football team will have at least three sacks
Ohio State has had problems getting to the quarterback this season. Early on, it was quite a story. It was never more prevalent than during the loss to Oregon when they didn't record a single sack. Since that game against the Ducks, the Buckeyes have rebuilt the entire defense.
The Buckeyes have done a really good job defensively since that game. They haven't allowed a touchdown in either of the last two games. The only touchdown they allowed was a pick-six that Will Howard threw on his first pass of the game against Penn State.
The sacks have started to tick up as well. Ohio State recorded four sacks against Purdue last week. We also saw the return of the "Jack" position, something we haven't seen for quite a while. Expect to see that again on Saturday because it clearly helped generate pressure.
Expect the Buckeyes to record at least three sacks in this game. Northwestern's offensive line will not be able to handle what the Buckeyes are bringing. This is also the last week the Buckeyes can experiment with some stuff on defense prior to IU coming to town for Ohio State's third top-five matchup of the year.
Ohio State is going to be able to record sacks and get pressure. I would be shocked if Northwestern threw for over 200 yards in this game. I just don't see them being able to move the ball with any sort of consistency. Our final bold prediction has to deal with Ohio State's ground game.