SATURDAY’S GAME
Northwestern at Ohio State, 3:30 p.m., ESPN, 1410
No one knew what to make of the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sept. 3 before they opened the season against Bowling Green without 12 players who heard their names called in May in the NFL Draft. No one knows what to make of them on the last weekend in October with five games left in the regular season.
Are they the team that dominated Oklahoma and squeaked by Wisconsin in key road wins? Are they the team that scored at will in the first month of the season? Or are they the team that blew a two-touchdown lead at Penn State last weekend, losing to a team that lost to Michigan by 39 points?
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Most likely, Ohio State falls somewhere in between. They may not be the best team in the country, but they have that potential. Like most teams in the country, though, they are beatable.
“Up by 14 at the end of the fourth quarter with the ball at midfield,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said, “that’s a moment around here that normally we go and finish the game off, and we didn’t do that.”
The No. 6 Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1) will try to regroup at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against Northwestern (4-3, 3-1) at Ohio Stadium. Here are five things to know about Northwestern’s first game in Columbus since 2007.
1. Wildcats on a roll: Northwestern takes a three-game winning streak into Columbus. It beat Iowa 38-31, Michigan State 54-40 and Indiana 24-14. The first two victories came on the road.
“That’s as improved a team as I’ve ever seen from beginning to now,” Meyer said. “Outstanding. Three big wins, two on the road, defining wins. Defense is outstanding. Gigantic inside guys. So just a very good team.”
2. Strong QB: Sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana. He's tied for second in the Big Ten with 14 touchdown passes.
“He’s really getting confidence through his experience,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “He’s gaining knowledge of our offense. He’s trusting in his abilities and just played at a faster tempo. He’s 20 games into his career, and you see him making growth every week. It’s exciting to see.”
3. Local connection: Centerville grad Ifeadi Odenigbo starts at defensive end for Northwestern. The redshirt senior ranks second in school history with 21½ sacks. He's 6½ away from tying Casey Dailey (1994-97). This season, Odenigbo leads the Big Ten with 8 sacks.
“He’s really working hard in practice,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s playing at a much higher level from a standpoint of relentless effort. He’s always been able to rush the quarterback, but he’s become a three-down guy.”
4. Under pressure: Ohio State allowed two sacks in its victory over Wisconsin and six sacks in its loss to Penn State. Fitzgerald still thinks Ohio State has the best offensive line he's seen this season.
“I see a bunch of five-star and four-star recruits that are unbelievable,” he said. “They’re very well coached. They’ve played two very good teams, and they’ve been tough battles. I think they’ve won on tape more than they’ve lost. They’ve just been in some difficult and challenging games.”
5. Special problems: Ohio State had a punt and field goal blocked at Penn State. The mistakes led to 10 points for the Nittany Lions and extra attention to that part of the game in practice this week.
“We always place emphasis on special teams, but I think there’s an added emphasis on the little things we do,” Ohio State linebacker Joe Burger said. “We want to focus on every little detail because the little details are what got us this past Saturday. We have to really lock in and turn over every stone and do everything we can do to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes.”
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