Yes, the Buckeyes took a bye week and so did I. Maybe it was the loss to Penn State, maybe the week just got away from me, whatever it was, it’s time to get back in the fighten chair and get to work.
With that said, the Buckeyes need to refocus on finishing out the season and Northwestern gives them a good game to come back against. They should give the Buckeyes just enough difficulty to make it interesting but also make a blowout worthwhile.
One of the best named Big Ten blogs, Northwestern blog “Lake the Posts,” has an interesting comparison of stats. On paper, this game looks like a good match up and NU out performs us in a number of areas.
One of the most interesting stats is Ohio State best scoring quarter (1st) is Northwestern’s worst while the Buckeyes worst scoring quarter (4th) is Northwestern’s best defensive quarter. NU has only given up 24 points in the fourth quarter this season.
That about sums up the Ohio State offense this year. The Buckeyes typically come out in the early possessions looking good. However, by the second quarter, the opposing defense has figured out our offense and the Buckeyes fail to mix it up. It soon becomes obvious that we will probably not pass on the first down and the offensive line is not that difficult to beat.
Yea, we started to see some passing against Penn State but it’s not like there was much of a choice. The Lions had pretty much shut down the Pryor/Wells running attack. It will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes can crank open some big plays both on the ground and in the air.
Northwestern loves the big play but if our defense continues to pressure like they have the last few weekends, they should shut down NU without too much trouble. Even with a potential two quarterback system.
For my gambling friends out there, the spread is currently at 10.5 points with an over under at 42. Two touchdowns against Northwestern should be an easy accomplishment However, looking at the stats, the possibility of overconfidence, the need to readjust priorities, and our lack of offensive touchdowns, it is enough to make things interesting.
For all the college football betting lines, click here.
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