Ohio State vs. Northwestern Preview: Buckeyes Look for Calm Wrigley Field Win Before Storm of Late-Season Run

Northwestern

Wildcats

4 - 5 (2-4)

roster  |  schedule

NOV. 17, 2024 - NOON

Wrigley Field

Chicago, IL

BTNOSU -28.5

For now, it's one final opponent that's not expected to meaningfully challenge Ohio State. Northwestern welcomes the Buckeyes to Wrigley Field while it constructs a new permanent home venue, and while the Wildcats handle some things well on the defensive side of the football, their offense is a big part of why the team is below .500 in its second season under David Braun.

Northwestern is 121st out of 134 schools nationally in scoring offense (19.2 points per game) and 131st in total offense (288.1 yards per game). Its 176 passing yards per game rank 120th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten, with only Michigan having a worse aerial attack in the conference.

It's been written in several previews previously this season, but the goal here for Ohio State should be to build a big early lead and get its starters out of the game sometime in the second half to stay healthy and keep stacking confidence. Then the stretch run will be at hand.

The Headlines

Historic Backdrop

Wrigley Field itself might be the most interesting storyline surrounding this game. This will only be the fourth football game played there since the Chicago Bears moved from Wrigley to Soldier Field after the 1970 football season.

Stage is Set at The Friendly Confines. pic.twitter.com/ClWn7IP9mc

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) November 14, 2024

Each of the last three gridiron contests played at the Friendly Confines also featured Northwestern with all three resulting in losses for the Wildcats. They will play one more game there this season on Nov. 30 against Illinois. For now, it's the Buckeyes who are excited to play their first-ever game at the home of the Chicago Cubs.

"It's a very unique place with unbelievable history," Ryan Day said. "And so it's a great opportunity for us. I'm also excited for Buckeye Nation to get to the game and the fans to be there as well and experience that and to get an idea of what kind of presence we'll have at the game."

While Ohio State has said it will play wherever it's placed, the field itself will be important to adjust to. It'll be just the second time this year the Buckeyes have played on grass rather than turf, the other being their Week 5 win at Michigan State. Players will also need to be cautious around the east end zone as a padded brick wall stands just a few feet from the end line.

RELATED Ohio State Players and Coaches Excited for "Cool" Opportunity to Play at Wrigley Field

Keep Pounding

Ohio State's running game has picked up as its offensive line has coalesced over the past two weeks, responding to a dismal 2.1 yard-per-carry outing against Nebraska. Against a vaunted Penn State defensive front the Buckeyes gained 5.2 yards per carry (excluding sacks), then posted a 4.9 yard-per-carry effort against a Purdue team running heavy boxes on defense to try and take that aspect of OSU's offense away. TreVeyon Henderson gobbled up 85 yards in just six carries.

Northwestern won't be a true test for Ohio State in many areas, but the ground game is one of them. The Wildcats are 16th nationally in rushing yards allowed per contest (108.1) and 22nd in yards allowed per carry (3.4). Only one team, Iowa, has surpassed 200 rushing yards in a game against Northwestern this season (202 on Oct. 26). Wisconsin joins the Hawkeyes as the only two teams to surpass 150 yards on the ground vs. the Wildcats (199 on Oct. 19).

The Wildcats are much weaker against the pass, ranked 100th in passing yards allowed per game (241.1) and 52nd in yards allowed per pass attempt (6.9).

For its part, Ohio State now ranks 38th in the country for rushing yards per game (185) and 21st in yards per carry (5.3). Quinshon Judkins has 647 rushing yards and six touchdowns at a clip of 6.1 yards per carry on the year while Henderson has 588 yards and five touchdowns with an average of 7.5 yards per attempt.

The Buckeyes can win comfortably this Saturday without a dominant ground game, but it will be important to establish the run against both Indiana and Michigan in the next two weeks as the November temperatures drop in Columbus.

Homecoming for Carnell Tate

The third of Ohio State's star wide receiver trio is a Chicago native and eager to play in front of what he anticipates will be 30 to 40 friends and family crowded to watch him play at Wrigley Field. Tate spent his freshman year of high school at Chicago's Marist High School before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his final three years of prep ball.

"It's a blessing going back to Chicago," Tate said on Wednesday. "I haven't played there since my freshman year of high school, so I'm very excited to go play in front of a lot of my family and friends."

One family member who won't be present to cheer Tate on is his beloved mother Ashley Griggs, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in July 2023. It will surely add to what is already an emotionally charged return to the Windy City for Tate.

Tate has 27 receptions for 405 yards and two touchdowns thus far in 2024. He had a career-high six receptions against Purdue last week, collecting 56 yards on those catches.

Watch Out for These Guys

Northwestern LB Mac Uihlein

Linebacker Mac Uihlein leads the charge for Northwestern's defense. (Credit: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)

Uihlein has 15 more tackles this season than the next leading tackler for Northwestern, with 59 takedowns to go with 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. It's been a breakout season for the redshirt junior, as it's his first time with more than 18 tackles in a campaign.

Northwestern CB Theran Johnson

Johnson leads the Big Ten in pass breakups, collecting 10 this season, adding two interceptions with a pick-six to his pass-defending stats. He's also second behind Uihlein for the Wildcats with 44 tackles in 2024, collecting 2.5 tackles for loss.

Game Week Talk

“They're very sound in what they do. 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. So they're a very good team and a Big Ten team on the road, and you're in November.”– Ryan Day on Northwestern

Day sees parallels between this year's Northwestern team, the one that gave Ohio State a 21-7 scare on the road two years ago and the one that battled with the Buckeyes to a 22-10 defeat in the 2020 Big Ten Championship Game. The Wildcats have been known to run conservative defenses that force teams to matriculate down the field. They can sometimes drag top teams into tire-fire games as a result, although this year four of their five losses have come by at least three scores.

“He’s very mature. He commands the offense, can make all the throws and understands the talent he has around him. He has done a good job of valuing and protecting the football. He has been efficient in the red zone. He’s big, athletic and has been utilized wisely in the quarterback run game.”– David Braun on Will Howard

Northwestern's head coach has a lot of respect for Ohio State's quarterback. The rushing ability Braun noted has been key to Ohio State’s red zone efficiency as Howard has six touchdowns on the ground this season to go with 22 through the air.

“There's something I kind of like about just getting up and going. There's less thinking involved. Sitting in the hotel, for me, I just get antsy. I'm like, ‘Man, I just want to go.’ Like, ‘I just want to go play this game.’ And I don't like sitting around all day, just waiting. Obviously, the fans – would it be cool to have a night game? Sure. But I'm not worried about it. I'll play whenever they tell me to play.”– Will Howard on playing a lot of noon games

Ohio State plays its fourth of six consecutive noon games to close the regular season this week, which has been a major talking point among pundits and fans. That said, Buckeye players and coaches unanimously expressed either enjoyment or indifference at the number of noon starts they've had this season.

RELATED Ohio State Players Happy With Playing Noon Games

Get Smart

• Ohio State has a 65-14-1 all-time record against Northwestern. The Buckeyes have won 10 straight games against the Wildcats with their last loss to Northwestern coming in 2004.
• This will be the fourth time since 2010 that Northwestern has hosted a game at Wrigley Field. It will be Ohio State’s first time playing at Wrigley, the home of the MLB’s Chicago Cubs.
• This will be Ohio State’s 21st game in an MLB stadium. The Buckeyes are 19-1 in their previous 20 games in MLB stadiums, including a 34-3 win over Northwestern at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1991.
• Ohio State’s roster includes two players from Chicago: Wide receivers Carnell Tate and Nolan Baudo, who were teammates at Marist High School before Tate transferred to IMG Academy.
• Northwestern has 14 players from Ohio including starting running back Cam Porter (Cincinnati), starting right tackle Ben Wrather (Powell), starting defensive end Aidan Hubbard (Cleveland) and reserve linebacker Nigel Glover (Clayton), who transferred back to Northwestern this offseason after one year at Ohio State.
• This will be Ohio State’s fourth of six consecutive noon games to end the regular season.

How It Plays Out

Line: Ohio State -28.5, O/U 44

There's been weirdness that's occurred in Ohio State vs. Northwestern games in the past. When the Buckeyes played at the old Ryan Field in 2022, wind gusts north of 50 miles per hour were recorded at points of the game and what resulted was a 21-7 slog that saw legendary quarterback C.J. Stroud throw for just 76 yards, by far a career low.

Don't hold your breath for similar kerfuffles in this one. With winds forecasted at a more reasonable 10 to 15 miles per hour on Saturday, the Buckeyes should be able to air it out against a Northwestern secondary that is weaker than its run defense and stop an unthreatening Wildcat offense. Every member of the Eleven Warriors staff who submitted a score prediction expects Ohio State to win by at least 24 points, with the majority of us predicting OSU will win by at least 30.

Eleven Warriors Staff Prediction
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