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What the Ohio State football team can expect from Northwestern

The Ohio State football team takes on Northwestern this week in a historic venue.

By Ryan Stano

Nov 9, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) is pursued by Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Yanni Karlaftis (14) during the first half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barbara Perenic/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) is pursued by Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Yanni Karlaftis (14) during the first half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barbara Perenic/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Barbara Perenic/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
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The Ohio State football team is coming off a dominating performance against Purdue. Shutting them out 45-0 was somewhat expected from a team coming in with so much confidence. They have been overflowing with confidence every since beating Penn State in Happy Valley.

This week, a new opponent emerges. The Ohio State Buckeyes will go on the road for the final time in this regular season. They head to Chicago to take on Northwestern. I say Chicago because this game won't be played at Ryan Field. It will be played at Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs.

It will be a historical venue for the Buckeyes to play in. What makes things a bit easier is that Northwestern is not a very good team. They are 4-5, which is still better than what Purdue was. What should the Buckeyes expect from the Wildcats in this one?

What the Ohio State football team can expect from Northwestern

The Wildcats have just two wins in the Big Ten. They beat Maryland in a lopsided game and won in overtime against Purdue. None of their losses in the conference have been close at all. Vegas doesn't expect this game to be close either. According to DraftKings, Ohio State is a 31-point favorite.

Northwestern doesn't have an explosive offense. They only average 176 passing yards per game. Defense is what they try to lean on, although they've allowed 40+ points twice this season. Quite frankly, they're just not a very good team. The Buckeyes shouldn't have any issues winning this one.

What the Buckeyes do have to guard against is looking ahead to next week's game against Indiana. That's the only thing that can slow down this team. Ryan Day will have to make sure that his team is locked in from the start. Mental toughness will be the big thing in this game.

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Fully expect another blowout in this game. It would be a win for the Wildcats if they keep it within two scores.

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