Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
TV/Radio: FOX/1410
Series history: Ohio State leads 63-14-1 and has not lost to Northwestern since an overtime upset in Evanston in 2004.
Last game: Ohio State beat Northwestern 52-3 in Evanston last season, the Buckeyes’ eighth win in a row against the Wildcats.
Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 21-1, including 15–0 in the Big Ten. Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald is 105-80 in 15 seasons at Northwestern, his alma mater. He is 63-60 in the Big Ten.
Ohio State notes: Ohio State has won or shared the Big Ten championship 39 times, though the university vacated the 2010 title because of NCAA violations. Michigan has the most Big Ten championships with 42, and Minnesota is third with 18… The Buckeyes have won 18 consecutive games over Big Ten opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 (including conference championship games)… The Buckeyes are playing in the Big Ten Championship game for the fourth consecutive year and the sixth time overall. They are 4-1 and have won their last four appearances in the game, including a 45-24 victory over Northwestern two years ago… 11 Ohio State football players earned their degrees on Saturday, including Miamisburg graduate Josh Myers… The Buckeyes have five Indiana natives on the roster: LB Craig Young (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Pete Werner (Indianapolis), Josh Fryar (Beech Grove, Ind.), Dawand Jones (Indianapolis) and Drue Chrisman (Lawrenceburg, Ind.).
Northwestern notes: The Wildcats have won the Big Ten West for the second time in three years… Seven NU players who started in the 2018 game are still on NU’s roster — Isaiah Bowser, Kyric McGowan, Blake Gallagher, Paddy Fisher, Chris Bergin, JR Pace and Cam Ruiz… Bowser, a junior running back, is one of 17 Ohioans on the Northwestern roster. That includes three from area high schools — Bowser (Sidney), freshman defensive end Jaiden Cameron (Northmont) and senior kicker Charlie Kuhbander (Springboro)… Bowser has run for 1,299 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons… Kuhbander has made 36 of 49 field goals and 109 of 111 PAT kicks in his college career… Fisher is the NCAA’s active leader in tackles with 383… The Wildcats rank in the top 25 nationally in total defense (13th; 313.9), scoring defense (2nd; 14.6) rushing defense (21st; 121.9), passing efficiency defense (1st; 93.26), red zone defense (9th; .722) and 3rd down pct. defense (11th; .309)… Only one team has scored more than 20 points against Northwestern in the last eight games… Northwestern has allowed 102 points through the first seven games (14.6 points per game), the lowest total through first seven games since the 1995 season.
Quoted: Fitzgerald on what beating Ohio State would mean for the program: “It would mean we would be Big Ten champions and that’s the goal of 14 institutions each year and two of us get an opportunity to play for it,” he said before adding, “Not gonna lie to you: It would be a hell of a ride home on I-65.”
Next game: The Buckeyes and Wildcats will await their bowl assignments, which should be determined Sunday.
Prediction: Ohio State 34, Northwestern 14
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